Da Vinci Code DVD: Review

Dan Brown's controversial bestseller, The Da Vinci Code that took the world by storm and the blockbuster movie that grossed over $ 700 million at the box office worldwide has now been released as a DVD set by Sony for $ 29.96.

In the movie, Tom Hanks stars as an American symbologist who teams with a French police cryptographer (Audrey Tautou) to solve a 2,000–year–old riddle about Christ's status as a husband and father.

Though many people who have compared the film to the book feel that the movie falls
vastly short, yet, The Da Vinci Code still remains one of the most popular films of this year.

"Witness the greatest cover–up in human history" – Before the film hit theatres, Christian groups were decrying The Da Vinci Code as sacrilege, as fantasy, and as something potentially damaging to the Christian faith. Though most Christians were fighting the film's release and were worried about the public perception of Jesus Christ and despite
being savaged by a number of critics, from a business standpoint, The Da Vinci
Code was a success that broke the bank.

While the film faced opposition from religious groups in many countries, its toughest audience came from the moviegoers and critics themselves. Reviews of
the film were mixed at best and a majority were less interested in the controversy and more interested to see if the film, starring Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Paul Bettany, Alfred Molina, Jean Reno and Ian McKellen, would measure up to the Dan Brown novel.

The story told by Dan Brown, namely the idea that Jesus Christ had a child with Mary Magdalene, that Christ's bloodline lives on to this day and that some people will go to any lengths to cover up that fact, captivated book enthusiasts around the world.

For a movie of such controversy, caliber and hype, a 2–disc DVD edition was almost mandatory. With a running time of 149 minutes, The Da Vinci Code itself could dominate one of the two discs, and that's exactly where the film takes
center stage, owning the first disc of the set along with a few previews. On the second disc, however, is where the DVD experience truly comes to life. Fans expect more from a big–budget, high–grossing movie than simply a director's commentary and a "Making Of" featurette, and as DVD lovers reach for the second disc in the set, their expectations will be exceeded.

The dozen or so special features on the second DVD flow in a chronological order via a series of docu–features, starting with Ron Howard talking about his first
days on set to Dan Brown discussing the process of writing his bestselling novel and the reaction it garnered from audiences.

After showcasing the story, the DVD moves to the major characters in the film as "A Portrait of Langdon" uses interviews with Brown, Howard, Tom Hanks and producer Brian Glazer to shed light on the major character in Dan Brown's novel, Robert Langdon.

After the main character is uncovered, the next question to be answered is "Who is Sophie Neveu?" in the title of the following featurette. Using the same
interview style as the previous segments, transplanting Audrey Tautou in the place of Tom Hanks, even more light is shed on the character and creation of Sophie Neveu with a strong focus on how Tautou brought her to life.

The DVD goes even deeper with the "Unusual Suspects" featurette, which takes an in–depth look at the international casting through interviews with the casting
directors for various locations, as well as a look at the more frightening characters, culminating with a look at Jurgen Prochnow's freaky monk, Andre Vernet.

The "Magical Places" featurette provides an engaging and insightful
15–minute glimpse at the settings and stages in The Da Vinci Code, from recreating Jerusalem to examining the churches to filming in the Louvre. That is followed by a detailed look at one of the world's most famous paintings, the
Mona Lisa. If you have never studied the Mona Lisa on the surface, here is your chance to go deeper into the history of the famous painting.

The real heart of the special features section comes in the form of a two–part inside look called "The Filmmaking Experience," the DVD's replacement for a
feature commentary, which is increasingly being passed over by directors as they do not have enough time or information to fill two hours on other lesser discs. Featuring a slew of crew commentaries, the featurette covers the inception of the movie and everything in–between en route to the climax of The Da Vinci Code.

If that is not enough, two more featurettes delve into the codes used throughout the film, as well as the music composed to set the tone.

And, there's a treat too for the Code enthusiasts – hidden phrases on the DVD packaging which can be read by magnifying glass or blacklight. And, one of the phrases is a message that leads to exclusive online content, Ron Howard promises.

All in all, this overwhelmingly complete DVD package is the only acceptable companion to a film of such scope and hype, and it is one more example of how The Da Vinci Code has truly become synonymous with controversy, mystery and intrigue, especially now via its interesting and expanded special features on DVD.