“The Da Vinci Code: 10th Anniversary” is recommended for those wanting the best picture and audio quality version of the film but for those who own “The Da Vinci Code – Extended Edition” on Blu-ray will want to hang on to that release as the 4K Ultra HD version is only the theatrical cut. Still an entertaining and captivating film worth watching on 4K Ultra HD!
© 2006 Columbia Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
TITLE: The Da Vinci Code: 10th Anniversary Edition
DATE OF FILM RELEASE: 2006
DURATION: 101 Minutes
BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 2160p Ultra High Definition (2:40:1 aspect ratio), English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish (castillan), Spanish (Latin American) 5.1 Dolby Digital, English – Audio Description Track, Czech, French, Hungarian, Polish VO, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish Dolby Surround. SUBTITLES: English SDH, Chinese (Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Latin American), Swedish and Turkish.
COMPANY: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
RATED: PG-13 (Disturbing Images, Violence, Some Nudity, Thematic Material, Brief Drug References and Sexual Content)
RELEASE DATE: October 11, 2016
Directed by Ron Howard
Based on the original novel by Dan Brown
Screenplay by Akiva Goldsman
Executive Produced by Dan Brown, Todd Hallowell
Produced by John Calley, Brian Grazer and Ron Howard
Associated Producers: Kathleen McGill and Louisa Velis
Music by Hans Zimmer
Director of Photography: Salvatore Totino
Edited by Daniel P. Hanley and Mike Hill
Casting by Janet Hirshenson and Jane Jenkins
Production Design by Allan Cameron
Art Direction by Giles Masters and Tony Reading
Set Decoration by Richard Roberts
Costume Design by Daniel Orlandi
Starring:
Tom Hanks as Dr. Robert Langdon
Audrey Tautou as Agent Sophie Neveu
Ian McKellen as Sir Leigh Teabiing
Jean Reno as Captain Bezu Fache
Paul Bettany as Silas
Alfred Molina as Bishop Manuel Aringarosa
Jurgen Prochnow as Andre Vernet
Jean-Yves Berteloot as Remy Jean
Etienne Chicot as Lt. Collet
Jean-Pierre Marielle as Jacques Sauniere
Dan Brown’s international bestseller comes alive in the film THE DA VINCI CODE, directed by Ron Howard with a screenplay by Akiva Goldsman. Join symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) and cryptologist Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou) in their heart-racing quest to solve a bizarre murder mystery that will take them from France to England – and behind the veil of a mysterious ancient society, where they discover a secret protected since the time of Christ.
When Dan Brown’s novel “The Da Vinci Code” was released back in 2003, the novel received plenty of criticism and scrutiny. As the book would focus on “The Holy Grail” and the theory that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene and the Catholic Church has done all it can to cover that up. Then upon the release of the film version based on the novel in 2006, the Roman Catholic Church and Catholics boycotted the film.
If anything, the hype from the film earned the film $232.1 million worldwide during its opening, making it the seventh biggest opening for a film in history and also the second highest grossing movie in 2006 worldwide with over $758 million in profit making it the most financially successful film for both actor Tom Hanks and Director Ron Howard.
The film starred Tom Hanks (“Forrest Gump”, “The Green Mile”, “Saving Private Ryan”), Audrey Tautou (“Amelie”, “A Very Long engagement”, “Dirty Pretty Things”), Ian McKellen (“Lord of the Rings” films, “Hobbit” films, “X-Men” films), Jean Reno (“Leon: The Professional”, “Mission: Impossible”, “Godzilla”), Paul Bettany (“A Beautiful Mind”, “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World”, “The Avengers”, “Iron Man”), Alfred Molina (“Spider-Man 2”, “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, “Chocolat”), Jurgen Prochnow (“Das Boot”, “The English Patient”, “Beverly Hills Cop II”) and Jean-Yves Berteloot (“Hereafter”, “March of Millions”, “Trench of Hope”).
And here we are a decade later with the 10th Anniversary release of “The Da Vinci Code”, available on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray. Which will coincide with the release of the third film to featured the character Robert Langdon titled “Inferno”.
The film starts off with a man named Jacques Sauniere (portrayed by Jean-Pierre Marielle) who is being pursued by a man wearing a hood named Silas (Paul Bettany). With a gun aimed at Sauniere, Silas demands the location of the Priory’s “clef de voute”, which is a key.  Sauniere who feels he will be spared by confessing is shot in the stomach. But before he dies, he is able to make a message.
Meanwhile, Symbiologist Robert Langdon (portrayed by Tom Hanks) is giving a lecture on symbols in Paris. While signing books, he is approached by Captain Bezu Fache (portrayed by Jean Reno) with the bad news about his friend. Langdon tells F ache that he was supposed to meet with Sauniere earlier in the day but he never called. But after seeing the gruesome photo of Sauniere’s death, Langdon is brought to the crime scene at the Louvre.
Before Sauniere had died, he was able to create a message using black light ink and the blood from his body. Fache asks for Langdon to translate the message but Langdon has no idea. Meanwhile, Agent Sophie Neveu (portrayed by Audrey Tautou), a cryptologist for the French police comes up to the crime scene and tells Langdon that he has an emergency call. The call tells him that he’s in trouble and he needs to escape.
Langdon goes to the restroom and sees Agent Neveu who explains to him that he has been setup and that there is a GPS tracker in his coat jacket. Langdon can’t believe he is being looked as a suspect but most of all, he can’t believe what has happened to Sauniere and to learn that Neveu is Sauniere’s granddaughter. And that a message next to the body of Sauniere showed a message (before it was erased) that Robert Langdon should be contacted. Now, Neveu wants to know why her grandfather and Langdon are brought together.
Neveu throws the GPS tracker on a vehicle and as Fache and his men think that Langdon has escaped and leave the Louvre, both Langdon and Neveu revisit Sauniere’s body and learn that he has left secrets to them including a key. This leads to both Langdon and Neveu becoming fugitives and are wanted by the law.
The two are taken throughout Europe as they look for clues to Sauniere’s death but also to find certain devices that would prove that the “Holy Grail” is real. Meanwhile, a conspiracy is going on behind-the-scenes at the Roman Catholic Church and Silas is sent to kill both of them.
VIDEO:
“The Da Vinci Code: 10th Anniversary” on 4K Ultra HD is presented ala 2160p High Definition (2:40:1 aspect ratio) features a beautiful location shots in France and England and to shoot a film at the actual Museum de Louvre was surprising and very cool (and to learn how everything was recreated to scale and describe further in the special features).
There are really beautiful shots of the various locations throughout Europe and captured beautifully by Salvatore Totino. Totino’s insistence of using a Long Cooke S4 lens for diffusion filtering gave certain shots a nice, dark and brooding feel at times.
But during the outdoor scenes, the shots are absolutely beautiful. Totino who made his major Hollywood debut with “Any Given Sunday” and working on films such as “The Missing” and “Cinderella Man” has been Ron Howard’s go to man for cinematography. Overall, well-done!
IMPORTANT TO KNOW: To watch 4K Ultra HD, you will need a 4K UHD TV with HDR and an Ultra HD Blu-ray Player.
AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
“The Da Vinci Code: 10th Anniversary” on 4K Ultra HD is presented in English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish (castillan), Spanish (Latin American) 5.1 Dolby Digital, English – Audio Description Track, Czech, French, Hungarian, Polish VO, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish Dolby Surround.
The lossless audio is also quite immersive and dialogue is crystal clear.  Primarily the film focuses on dialogue but once the action scenes start, as does Hans Zimmer’s beautiful score. You get good usage of all channels on your home theater through the Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1) soundtrack. And its important to note that the film is not an action film but there are a good number of gunshots and chase scenes. But what shines is Zimmer’s Academy Award nominated score which sets the actual mood for each scene.
Subtitles are presented in English SDH, Chinese (Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Latin American), Swedish and Turkish.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“The Da Vinci Code: 10th Anniversary” comes with the following special features:
- Extended Scenes – (35:15) Featuring 42 extended scenes.
- Trailers – Featuring a teaser trailer and theatrical trailer for “The Da Vinci Code”.
EXTRAS:
“The Da Vinci Code: 10th Anniversary” will come with both the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray plus an UltraViolet Digital HD code. Also, a slipcover.
Back in 2006, I wrote about how “The Da Vinci Code” was a thrilling, suspenseful film that in my opinion was smart, well-acted and managed to capture my attention for the entire length of the film.
And here we are with a 10th Anniversary release and a 4K Ultra HD showcasing the film in its best presentation yet. But there are a few things that people must know before watching this film, the 10th anniversary release on 4K Ultra HD is the original 148 minute version of the film and this release does NOT include the extended 174 minute cut that I very much prefer.
Multiple Academy Award winner Tom Hanks plays a likable Robert Langdon, a symbiologist who doesn’t take things as is and has a mind that is constantly working overtime.  If anything, Langdon is an ordinary man who becomes a fugitive for a murder he doesn’t commit. He is a man that tends to doubt theories of history as stories could have been re-invented due to political and religious times.
Audrey Tautou who charmed us in “Amelie” plays a convincing cryptologist Sophie Neveu is a person not religious but feels Langdon is her key to finding out who killed her grandfather. Both Hanks and Tautou compliment each others performances but for those who expect more from Tom Hanks, may be disappointed that in this film, he is no action star but a Harvard professor that utilizes his skill and experience and nothing more.
Jean Reno plays the side of the cop who takes things into his own hands, a role perfect for Reno and Ian McKellen absolutely shines as the obsessive Sir Leigh Teabing.
There is no doubt that “THE DA VINCI CODE” would be a controversial film that would challenge the Catholic church. Anything that challenges an established religion is sure to cause a ruckus and people are defensive about their religion and belief in God. Especially when it comes to Mary Magdalene’s status. It will be forever debated of her role, if she was simply a devout follower of Jesus Christ or a loving wife that was kept secret and both have an extended line of children with the bloodline that exist today but is kept hidden. Whatever your beliefs are or if your ability to suspend your beliefs and to see how the film (and its message) presents itself is up to the viewer.
But the film seems to be one that one would either love or one would hate. For me, I was entertained by the film and having watched multiple specials from 20/20 and on The History Channel regarding “The Da Vince Code” and the theories that support and are against the theory is quite interesting.
But what I found so inspiring was watching the film and its special features and getting a feel of how much went into this film. From recreating the Louvre, the production design coming up with over 125 paintings to recreate the museum to the actual props that had to be created and the many locations that had to be shot and the many sets that had to be created. I was very impressed.
Now the biggest question many fans of the film may want to ask. This version or the Blu-ray extended edition? While the film is subjective to everyone watching it. While “The Da Vinci Code” was not exactly well received by many critics because critics felt that Director Ron Howard and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman didn’t take any risks and that they didn’t show any danger as seen in the original book by Dan Brown.With that being said, the extended cut makes a difference… A big difference. I felt the extended cut is the better version and unfortunately, they did not include that version on 4K Ultra HD. While the extended cut is not featured, a lot of those extended scenes are featured as special features.
But whether or not you are open to film’s premise is up to the viewer.  If anything, as Dan Brown had said in interviews, he wants the film to create intellectual debates.
Watching the film on 4K Ultra HD is fantastic! It’s one of those films that it all comes down to the viewer if such a film can be watched over and over again, or if the film can be appreciated for its controversial storyline. But as for the release itself, if you are into the filmmaking process or even a student in film, these are the type of releases that you truly appreciate and enjoy. While the special features are pretty much the same, you do get a “A Look Back with Tom Hanks, Ron Howard, Dan Brown and Brian Grazer” featurette and a first look at the third film in the trilogy, “Inferno”.
Overall, “The Da Vinci Code: 10th Anniversary” is recommended for those wanting the best picture and audio quality version of the film but for those who own “The Da Vinci Code – Extended Edition” on Blu-ray will want to hang on to that release as the 4K Ultra HD version is only the theatrical cut. Still an entertaining and captivating film worth watching on 4K Ultra HD!
