The Da Vinci Code (2006)

A murder in the Louvre and clues in Da Vinci paintings lead to the discovery of a religious mystery protected by a secret society for two thousand years -- which could shake the foundations of Christianity.

Ron Howard and Akiva Goldsman, the OscarÆ-winning director and writer of A Beautiful Mind, reunite to bring Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, one of the most popular and controversial novels of our time, to the big screen with a cast headed by two-time Academy Award winner Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Jean Reno, Sir Ian McKellen and Alfred Molina.

Produced by OscarÆ-winner Brian Grazer and John Calley, The Da Vinci Code, begins with a spectacular murder in the Louvre Museum. All clues point to a covert religious organization that will stop at nothing to protect a secret that threatens to overturn 2,000 years of accepted dogma.

----------------------------------------
"Veni, Vidi, Da Vinci. (...) Dan Brown's novel is utterly preposterous; Ron Howard's movie is preposterously entertaining. (...) The movie works; it's involving, intriguing and constantly seems on the edge of startling revelations. (...) Rating: *** (out of 4)." (Roger Ebert: Chicago Sun-Times)
----------------------------------------
"A 'Da Vinci Code' That Takes Longer to Watch Than Read. (...) I certainly can't support any calls for boycotting or protesting this busy, trivial, inoffensive film. Which is not to say I'm recommending you go see it." (A. O. Scott: The New York Times)
----------------------------------------
"For those who hate Dan Brown's best-selling symbology thriller "The Da Vinci Code," the eagerly awaited and much-hyped movie version beautifully exposes all its flaws and nightmares of logic. For those who love the book's page-turning intensity, the movie version heightens Brown's mischievous interweaving of genre action, historical facts and utter fictions. In other words, for those who bear witness to the film "The Da Vinci Code," what you see depends on what you believe. Kinda like religion itself. (...) "Da Vinci" never rises to the level of a guilty pleasure. Too much guilt. Not enough pleasure." (Kirk Honeycutt: The Hollywood Reporter)
----------------------------------------