Inferno reiew

 

 

A Mixed Verdict on the Third Langdon Outing

The third installment in the Robert Langdon franchise, Inferno arrived with significant talent on board but left critics strangely cold. The film holds a Metascore of 42 (mixed or average) and a disappointing 20% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes . It seems even Tom Hanks and Ron Howard couldn't crack the code for a truly memorable adaptation .
The Good – What Worked

Several critics acknowledged the film's strengths, even if they remained unenthusiastic. The visuals and Italian locations were a major draw. The film works as a "pleasant museum tour through Italy," with the beauty of Florence, Venice, and Istanbul becoming characters in their own right . Director Ron Howard also received some praise for his handling, with Screen Daily noting he "keeps the viewer constantly occupied" . Felicity Jones was frequently singled out as "an engaging sidekick," with one reviewer noting she was the film's "only driving force" . Hanks, as always, was reliable, working his "well-worn worry-lines" to reinforce Langdon's "credentials as an elite problem-solver" . Some also appreciated the striking, horror-influenced dream imagery depicting a literal hell on earth, which added a creepy visual style .

The Bad – Major Criticisms

Despite the positives, the film was widely criticized for its dramatic shortcomings. It has been called "the exact cinematic equivalent of an airport paperback," which is "fine and forgettable" . The screenplay and plot were repeatedly attacked for being "contrived," "idiotic," and "making almost no sense" . The fast-paced action and "generic thriller" elements were deemed generic and unexciting . Moreover, the script was criticized for over-explaining and for relegating the richness of the original mystery to secondary status . A particularly scathing review from Village Voice went as far as to say, "Take the Dan Brown out of a Dan Brown movie and all you’re left with is Tom Hanks jogging in mild irritation" .

Ultimately, for many critics, the film gets the tone all wrong. Its serious demeanor actively hurts the experience, robbing it of the "breezy" fun of a popcorn thriller . A review in The Globe and Mail hoped this would be the end of the series: "Dante wrote that 'The poets leave hell and again behold the stars.' Here’s hoping that Howard has some shine left in him" .