It’s a proven fact that everybody loves Tom Hanks, and he’s more than earned his status as ‘America’s Dad.’ Perhaps the most impressive thing about the actor’s longevity at the top of the Hollywood A-list, though, where he’s resided for well over 30 years, is that he’s managed to do it without lending his talents to multiple blockbuster franchises.
Almost every single one of the biggest stars in the industry have appeared in at least one straightforward action movie and a handful of sequels, but if you exclude the Toy Story series, then The Da Vinci Code‘s Robert Langdon is the only role of his entire career that the two-time Academy Award winner has ever played more than once.
Sadly, though, Tom Hanks‘ rare foray into big budget territory stands out as both his most successful live-action film after hauling in $767 million at the box office, and also as one of his weakest efforts. There’s nothing wrong with his performance as the mystery-solving professor, and his hair is truly delightful in how it bobs in the wind as he runs away from the bad guys, but everything else about The Da Vinci Code is painfully flat and uninteresting, even with the presence of a star-studded ensemble.
It also generated more than a little controversy, as anything that needles the Catholic Church tends to do, and it was blasted by high profile members of the religion while also being banned in numerous countries around the world. There’s certainly something entertaining about the idea of such a relentlessly tedious movie getting so many people up in arms, and fifteen years later, Looper now reports that The Da Vinci Code has found a whole new audience, and is “experiencing another wave of buzz” on Netflix with those who can stay awake for every one of its 149 minutes.
