If you live in India, overpopulation is a malady you’re pretty much used to, in spite of its grating effects. It’s not entirely unusual for people to have thoughts of mass annihilation (especially during trying traffic times). Unless they’re a psychopathic tyrant, no one actually puts these thoughts into action.
But lo and behold, that’s exactly what Inferno ’s got. Bertrand Zobrist (Ben Foster) is a scientist so affected with the world’s population problem that he claims we’re ‘a minute to midnight’, that moment that’s frighteningly close to the extinction of the human race. Inferno , the third film in the Robert Langdon series (based on the fourth book in Dan Brown’s series) sees our protagonist (Tom Hanks) figure out Zobrist’s plan and then eventually try and save the world. In the process, he partners up with yet another pretty young thing. This time, it’s medical prodigy Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones) who joins him on his adventures.
After suddenly waking up in a hospital, Langdon is being pursued by several people. Some appear to be government agents, while another is the police-uniform-clad assassin Vayentha, and even the World Health Organisation is hot on his heels. The professor of symbology is plagued by visions of what he later discovers is Dante’s Hell. Langdon must make a quick escape with Sienna and figure out why he’s being pursued.
After several high-speed chases, eureka moments to break anagrams, and witty lines, Langdon and Sienna find that their purpose is to save the world from a deadly virus created by Zobrist, who has mysteriously committed suicide. Then there’s even more chasing — some in spectacularly recreated locations like the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, others on a train to Venice — quite a bit of double crossing, and plenty of riddle-solving.
I’ll be the first to admit that all of the twists and turns could have been foreseen. Even the premise of the film — saving the world from a deadly virus — isn’t exactly a novel concept. However, Inferno is well made. The film’s effects are slick, excepting one snake-bite scene, and Ron Howard’s direction has always been top notch. In the end, the live action films are just like the books they were adapted from: quick fixes to ennui . So watch it and forget it, because it’s not memorable. But Inferno is worth one viewing.
Inferno
Starring: Tom Hanks, Felicity Jones, Omar Sy, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Ben Foster and Irrfan Khan.
Director: Ron Howard
Run time: 121 mins
