Dumbing Down Entertainment

For months now, reports on Ron Howard’s sequel to The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, have found their way onto internet blogs and television news stations. The very nature of the film – the strong criticism that Angels & Demons aims at the Catholic Church – has caused a world wide discussion to take place. While people have debated the film’s themes throughout the tenuous production process, I have stayed by the sidelines, waiting to see the movie before I form an opinion. After hearing all of the hype, I walked into a crowded movie theatre today expecting Angels & Demons to leave me thinking. Instead, I found myself sitting through two hours and twenty minutes of dumbed down drivel.

Angels & Demons follows the story of Harvard Professor Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) as he attempts to solve the mystery behind the enigmatic and vicious Illuminati. Langdon, a world famous symbologist, is blessed with the ability to see clues that are hidden in plain sight, allowing him to follow the trail of crumbs leading to a climatic conclusion. However, there’s something crucial missing in this summer blockbuster hit. There’s simply nothing in Angels & Demons that’s clever or smart. In fact, most of the film is unashamedly implausible. From beginning to end, the plot is riddled with holes and inaccuracies, creating a truly frustrating viewing experience. The problem is that Angels & Demons feeds the audience ridiculous claims and expects viewers to believe it; it treats its audience like it’s five years old, anticipating that no one will think about or question what they are watching.

Utterly bored while watching this film, I couldn’t help but look around the movie theater during the particularly outlandish parts. As I glanced at strangers, I saw rapt faces staring wide-eyed up at the screen. While I felt silly sitting through such an absurd movie, it was clear to me that I was in the minority. As I walked out of the theater, I heard many exclamations of excitement and disbelief; one woman loudly remarked, “I can’t belief that happened. It was just so real!”

My biggest issue with Angels & Demons lies within the fact that it presents itself as a legitimate story with groundings in real life. However, it only takes a bit of critical thinking to see flaw after flaw in the framework.

Changing history and bluffing facts is not a new thing in movies; it’s so common that I’ve come to expect it from the majority of things I watch. However, Angels & Demons takes ridiculousness to a new level, dumbing down its message, expecting the audience to completely, unquestionably buy into what it is selling.

Well, I’m not going for it. I hate it when a movie treats me like an infant. I’m capable of complex trains of thought. So why are so many movies made brainless? Does Hollywood think lowly of its viewers? Or do moviegoers just not want to think when they take a trip to the cinema?

Either way, it’s a disturbing answer. I’m still reeling over the positive reactions this one film received. Maybe my fellow audience members were particularly gullible tonight. However, something makes me think that this is not an atypical response. Dumb summer thrillers do well every year, whether they have a shred of fact in them or not.

We as a society don’t need more explosions and gun fights. We need films to take the time to actually explain real ideas to us. We need movies to use their immense social power to educate as well as entertain. Otherwise, we may see a rise in naive moviegoers instead of active thinkers.