Inferno was not a highly anticipated movie. The first two in the series were duds, and no one was expecting a third. Dan Brown fanatics did not believe that the third could possibly live up to their expectations. Knowing this I still walked in with high hopes; third time’s a charm right? I couldn’t wait to be thrusted into another one of Dan Brown’s heart-racing labyrinths. Thankfully, I wasn’t horribly disappointed.

The movie begins with symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) lying dazed and confused in an Italian hospital bed the with a head wound that made me cringe. The woozy, distorted camera work added to the effect. But just as I start making sense of what was going on, shots were fired, literally. Langdon was yanked out of bed by his accomplice, the brilliant doctor Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones) whom he hoped would help him recover his memories. Together they race against the clock, down the streets of Italy and all throughout Europe to stop a madman from unleashing a virus of mass destruction. Honestly, it seems like they never stopped running. They hardly ever stopped to think and fit together the pieces of the movie’s puzzle.  Even with the plot’s twists and turns it seemed like a cliché action movie where the good guys always win instead of the thought-provoking, controversial film it could have been. They changed the ending and played it safe, which was disappointing.

I did enjoy the camera shots in the beginning; I felt just as dizzy and confused as Langdon, which made me feel sympathetic towards him. They also did a good job of explaining the significance of Dante’s “Inferno.” The movie would have been very confusing otherwise. The effects in  Langdon’s visions of “the seven levels is Hell” were well done. While many may disagree, I believe the casting choices were smart. Tom Hanks and Felicity Jones did a marvelous job portraying their characters. The dialogue between them was great even if it was a little different.

Overall “Inferno” was a great movie, if you like fast-paced action…but it didn’t completely live up to my expectations. I give it B+.