A Review of Inferno: A Ron Howard Disaster

Inferno is a 2016 action mystery thriller written by David Koepp and directed by Ron Howard. The film is based on the Dan Brown’s 2013 and the sequel to 2006’s The Da Vinci Code, and 2009’s Angels & Demons making it the final installment of the Robert Langdon series. Despite generally negative reviews, Inferno grossed $220 million with a $75 million production budget.  “Ron Howard is a mess. It’s hard to believe that the same man directed The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons.” said Scott J. Cooper of Miami Florida.

Plot

Robert Langdon, a Harvard University professor, wakes up in an Italian hospital room with memory loss and terrible visions.

The doctor looking after him reveals he has amnesia due to a bullet wound to the head.

A man pretending to be a police officer attempts to assassinate Langdon but Dr. Sienna Brooks helps him escape. The pair flee to her apartment.

They find a Faraday pointer among Langdon’s personal effects. This mini-projector has a modified version of the Map of Hell by Sandro Botticelli’s. This is based on Dante’s Inferno.

They realize this is a clue left behind t by Bertrand Zobrist, an unstable villain.

Langdon and Brooks discover out that Zobrist created a fictional superweapon called “Inferno”, with the aim of decimating half the global population.

The pair are traced by government agents and also the assassin, Vayentha. The apartment is raided and the two head off once again.

Elizabeth Sinsket, an ex-lover of Langdon, heads the team of government agents. Instructions have been given to call Langdon who was now viewed as a liability.

Using Langdon’s knowledge of Dante’s work, as well as the location of hidden passages in Florence, the two follow clues leading them to various spots throughout Florence and Venice. At the same time, they unwittingly kill Vayentha then evade the government agents.

Langdon learns he helped a friend steal and hide the death mask. This is a vital clue, but he has no recollection of the event.

Zobrist had given Sims a video message to broadcast after the attack. Sims is shocked by the content and teams up with Sinskey to stop the outbreak.

Langdon and Brooks are then contacted by Christoph Bouchard who claims to work for the government. He warns them of Sinskey’s hidden agenda. Langdon comes to realize that Bouchard is lying and the pair flee once again.

Langdon works out that the attack is in Istanbul, in the Hagia Sophia. Brooks then abandons Langdon stating that she was Zobrist’s love. She says that she will make sure the weapon is released.

Langdon is recaptured by Bouchard. Sims kills Bouchard then rescues Langdon.

They find out that the weapon is in the Basilica Cistern in Istanbul in a plastic bag under water. The agents race to retrieve the bag while Brooks kills Sims.

The weapon is taken before Langdon returns to Florence to take back the Dante Death Mask.

Production

On July 16, 2013, Columbia Pictures chose Ron Howard to direct Inferno, the fourth novel in the Robert Langdon series, with David Koepp as scriptwriter.

Imagine Entertainment produced the film, with Tom Hanks again set to revisit his role as Robert Langdon.

Filming

Filming began in Venice, Italy on April 27, 2015, and then in Florence, Italy, and wrapped on July 21, 2015.

Release

In July 2013, Sony set a release date of December 18, 2015. This was brought forward to October 14, 2016 due to a clash with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. This was eventually pushed back another fortnight.

Inferno premiered on October 8, 2016, at the New Opera Theater in Florence, Italy.

Box office

Inferno grossed $34.3 million in North America and $185.7 million in other countries. The worldwide total gross was $220 million with a $75 million production budget.

Critical reception

Inferno received mainly negative critical reviews from critics.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film gets an approval rating of 23% compared to an average rating of 4.54/10.

On Metacritic, the film scores 42 out of 100, indicating “mixed or average reviews”.