In short, "Inferno" is the third best of the film translations of Dan Brown's writing that manages to propel the precedent for continuing installments through various faintly connected yet truly authentic moments of (innocuous) genius. It is a shame that these frames become so tantalizing, both in how absorbed they are by the mundane, and in the lack of cohesiveness. The performance by Tom Hanks wasn't his best, but was enough, though this forgettable sufficing may owe its nature to the privilege of being in the context of a previous relationship the audience has with the protagonist. In other words, it is usually the character who's representation is made by the performance of the actor. In this film, it seems the roles were reversed. This familiarity also runs its course to the point of exhaustion, however. The same old setup of clue chasing crusade with a younger woman is the "Inferno" dominant character cast. The fact that this woman's character was a genius presented the potentiality for an interesting dimension, but sadly this, like a few other promising leads, never really carries through in a satisfying way.
Dante's Inferno is the major historical thematic presence in the movie. I won't spoil it, but the way that one of the antagonists interacts with this history and makes it their own was a revelation of everything I love about Dan Brown's storytelling. Though this ends in ultimate frustration about what could have been, it is understandable that a single film would have difficulty capturing all of the depth of opportunity (though it is fair to have expected a greater quantity of subtle insinuations).
The crux of the story isn't anything totally new, but the sum of its parts, at least, make it an interesting enough catalyst for the science/religion-meets history format that we have come to find so riveting and endearing about the series. Again, a persisting sense of familiarity seemed to carry the film past where it might have been otherwise. And, once again, it was overdone. The pleasure to be found in this movie is not the destination.
I don't usually love writing reviews of creative works. As a former artist myself, I find always found some of the most distasteful aspects of the world of imagination to be critique. Often, it can be disdainful for its own sake. But I also recognize that part of the beauty of art is in the conversation. Make no mistake- this film can frame a conversation in a way that makes it a worthy member of the film series. Despite whatever qualms one may have with it, lovers of historical fiction will find a nice evening in seeing this film. I certainly did- enough to write about it.
