Da Vinci Code Fails to Impress at Cannes

There has been much hype, both for and against, the upcoming movie release "The Da Vinci Code". Hollywood has really built this release up, and on the other side many in the Christian community are actively campaigning against it through sermons, articles and blogs.

Last night it was screened at the famous Cannes Film Festival, and things didn't go so well:

"The Da Vinci Code" drew lukewarm praise, shrugs of indifference, some jeering laughter and a few derisive jabs Tuesday from arguably the world's toughest movie crowd: critics at the Cannes Film Festival.

The year's most anticipated movie, "The Da Vinci Code" was a generally faithful adaptation of Dan Brown's monster best seller, spinning a murder thriller that stems from a cover-up of secrets about Christianity's roots.

While readers worldwide devoured the novel, reaction from Cannes critics ranged from mild endorsement of its potboiler suspense to groans of ridicule over its heavy melodrama.

Interesting.

Remember back in 1988 Hollywood released "The Last Temptation of Christ". That movie was also greeted with great outrage by the Christian community, which probably served to increase attention and the subsequent boxoffice receipts. In fact, the movie was soundly panned by most critics and died a quick death in the theaters. Had the Christian community simply ignored it, it would have sunk into oblivion even quicker than it did.

We may have a similar situation with "The Da Vinci Code". The success of the book will probably create much more demand than "Last Temptation" ever had, but if it turns out the movie is a stinker, that word will get out pretty quickly and there will be a rapid fall off in ticket sales.
Boycotts and other nonsense may well make the producers money they couldn't have made without them.

Perhaps we should just sit back and let this movie stand or sink on its own. It may not be the blockbuster that some feared it would be, and if the movie is bad, it certainly won't do the kind of damage to the faith of the weak that some in the Christian community feared.

Somehow I doubt this will be the major entertainment event that has been promised.

UPDATE: On Fox 11 in Los Angeles this morning the movie was referred to as "The Da Vinci Toad". Not a ringing endorsement.


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