‘Inferno’: Tom Hanks Explains Medieval Art While a Deadly Virus Waits

Robert Langdon gets a globe-trotting adventure in Inferno, and the result is a mess that mostly forgets why Dan Brown’s books ever worked. Tom Hanks plays the professor again, this time chasing a virus that could wipe out humanity, but the movie spends more time on exposition than on suspense. It is a sequel that wants to be a thriller and keeps settling for a lecture.

Trailer, via Sony Pictures Entertainment.

The Virus Plot

The setup is simple. Langdon discovers a clue tied to Dante’s Inferno that points to a deadly virus spreading across Europe. He teams up with Dr. Sienna Brooks, played by Felicity Jones, and together they try to stop the virus before it kills everyone in Florence. That is the premise, and it is a good one. The execution is not.

Hanks Carries the Weight

Tom Hanks is still good here. He brings a worn-in warmth to Langdon that the script cannot fully justify, and his scenes with Jones crackle better than any of the action sequences. The problem is that the plot asks him to explain the entire history of medieval Italian art and architecture while being chased through a hospital. That is too much for anyone.

Felicity Jones Struggles

Felicity Jones is fine, but she is given a role that feels like a placeholder. She is smart and resourceful, but the movie keeps undercutting her competence by making her a damsel-in-distress figure who needs rescuing. The chemistry between the leads is there, but it is buried under layers of exposition.

The Clues Don’t Land

The puzzle-solving in Inferno is supposed to be the hook. Langdon finds clues in paintings, statues, and poems, and the movie tries to make each one a revelation. Most of them feel like homework. The decoding scenes drag because the movie explains everything twice: once to the characters and once to the audience.

The Action Suffers

There is a car chase, a helicopter escape, and a final confrontation on top of a tower. None of it lands. The action is poorly staged, and the editing jumps around so much that you lose track of who is doing what. The film is not even trying to make these scenes tense; it is just checking off boxes.

Florence

Florence is the backdrop for much of the story, and the city looks beautiful. The Duomo, the Uffizi, and the Ponte Vecchio are all shown off, but they are mostly window dressing. The movie is so focused on its own plot that it barely lets you enjoy the locations.

The Virus Never Lands

The virus itself is a ticking clock, but the movie never builds the tension around it. You know the stakes are high, but the film spends so much time explaining the clues that the urgency goes away. By the time the climax arrives, you are more confused about the poetry than worried about the disease.

The Ending

The ending ties back to a larger conspiracy involving Dante himself. It is a twist that should be surprising, but the movie telegraphs it so early that you see it coming halfway through. The reveal is fine, but it is not a surprise. The movie is more interested in its own cleverness than in telling a coherent story.

What Works

• The chemistry between Hanks and Jones
• The Florence locations
• The occasional visual gag
• The attempt to make Langdon smarter than everyone else

What Doesn’t Work

• The pacing, which slows to a crawl during the decoding scenes
• The virus plot, which never feels urgent
• The treatment of Sienna Brooks as a secondary character
• The action, which is badly staged and confusing

Score

Key Facts Box

• Director: Ron Howard
• Release Date: October 2016
• Running Time: 121 minutes
• Score: 4.2/10
• Starring: Tom Hanks, Felicity Jones, Omar Metwally

Final Word

Inferno is a disappointment. It has the pieces of a great thriller: a ticking clock, a globe-trotting adventure, and a brilliant lead actor. But the script is so weighed down with exposition that none of it works. The clues are dull, the action is messy, and the virus never feels dangerous. It is a sequel that forgets what made the earlier films fun.

This is a film that knows the answer to its own riddles before it asks the question. It is a puzzle box with the key missing. The performances are strong, but the script is not. This is a sequel that should have been sharper. Instead, it is a long lecture on the meaning of art.

Dan Brown · Felicity Jones · Inferno · movie review · Tom Hanks