Tom Hanks, Dan Brown and Ron Howard team up for a third time to deliver the thrills in the film that makes the Da Vinci Code a trilogy, Inferno. The flick has landed on Blu-Ray and DVD and proves that the third time is a charm for heading down a rabbit hole of mystery, science, history and global locales with Robert Langdon.
Inferno finds our favorite “the science of history” professor Langdon, aka symbologist, waking up in a hospital room in Florence, Italy with no memory of who he is or what he is doing there or how he even got there. All we know is that he is the central figure in an international manhunt, wanted for stealing priceless artifacts from a Florentine museum.
Langdon attaches himself to the only person he appears to “know,” and that is his doctor, Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones). He hopes she will help him get his memory back and in the process, clear his name while avoiding a doomsday virus inspired by Dante’s Inferno that could wipe out the world’s population.
As we state in more detail in our theatrical Inferno review, Howard and Hanks have a short hand that keeps the film cracking with excitement, thrills and mystery. It is the best of the series, in our humble opinion, and that is because of the plot device of Langdon awaking with no memory. The slate has been wiped clean. It is a fantastic way for the audience to join this franchise without having to experience it in the least. And for those who are familiar with the entire series, it’s a fascinating journey to go on with this character watching him try to piece together this puzzle without knowing his vast history on the subjects he’s investigating.
Starting from that point, we, Hanks and Brooks head across the globe in a riddle that proves to be the Brown hero’s most complex to date.
Inferno also features a stellar supporting cast, including Irrfan Khan, Omar Sy, Ben Foster (most recently riveting us in Hell or High Water) and Sidse Babett Knudsen.
Also, we must note that the look of the film is stunning. Cinematography makes this world come to life in a way that is right out of Dante’s iconic and apocalyptic prose.
The bonus features are a bevy of delights for fans of the Brown series, both literary and cinematic. Visions of Hell features the cast and crew, along with Brown, exploring the sinister and more chilling plot, themes and also features a fascinating breakdown of Dante. Given his Inferno and its influence and centrality to the entire process of Howard and Hanks’ latest theatrical tandem, this featurette is an utter (albeit dark!) delight.
In that hellish vein, director Howard takes us front-and-center into his process of bringing to life the iconic imagery right out of Dante’s Divine Comedy and the powerful themes that the classic story infuses into the film in Visions of Hell. It is as entertaining as it is enlightening, particularly if you are an appreciator of Dante’s work.
Staying with the Oscar-winning director, Ron Howard, A Director’s Journal, is a fascinating journey where the helmer chronicles his workdays making Inferno, from initial planning through final cut… all via social media updates. It is a great look at how the medium of social media has changed the way artists connect with their fans.
For longtime fans of the central character in the films and Brown’s books, A Look at Langdon is a terrific and intense look at the soul at the center of this mysterious universe, the man himself, Robert Langdon. Think you know Langdon? Think again!
Foster’s charismatic evil doer gets the spotlight in The Billionaire Villain: Bertrand Zobrist. Viewers get to head inside the mind of an extremely bright soul, who is a bit misguided in his view of the world. Filmmakers and Foster discuss the crafting of this terrifying character that is as worthy of a foe for Hanks’ character as we’ve seen yet in this series.
Speaking of characters beyond the lead, we could not have been thrilled that Jones’ gets the spotlight in a five-minute-plus This Is Sienna Brooks. Given that she is so integral to the overall story arc, this is an interesting piece that doesn’t spoil any of the twists and turns of the plot, yet still manages to shine a deep light on the characterization of the Rogue One star and her role in this latest film in Brown’s series.
Lastly, Inferno Around the World is the longest of the featurettes and takes a look at the global look of the film. We’re not talking the locales, either! The film’s diverse cast is as international as films come and it is fitting that for a Brown work that spans the globe, its ensemble should also be transcontinental.
Film Grade: B
Bonus Features: B+