An ancient decoder has been stolen from a collection of Vatican art. When an archaeologist discovers its connection to the history of the Knights Templar she enlists the help of a NYC detective to find it before it falls i... more »nto the wrong hands. Clue by clue, continent by continent, the quest is on to discover a secret that could change the course of history. Based on the #1 international best-selling novel.« less
A solid adventurous journey. A must for Mira Sorvino fans!
Movie Reviews
Sorry guys, I liked it.
John E. Nance | TX USA | 02/16/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I enjoy reading other peoples comments because Ive found that those
that criticise usually guide me to a good movie. What ever happened to watching a story just for the sake of being entertained, not "the
dialogue was bad, the plot was terrible, and best of all-Oh that could
never happen." Of course not! It a fictitious story! I enjoyed this story
just because I enjoyed it, does that make me shallow minded, who cares.
Will it win any awards, probably not, will I watch it again, wait till
I get my own copy and can sit back with my daughter and a big bowl of
popcorn. Does that make me a critic, far from it, I just know what I
like, and I enjoyed this one greatly."
Expect to be entertained
Laura Dugan | Columbia, MD United States | 02/23/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I agree wholly with John's review. The Last Templar will delight and entertain as long as you take it for what it is - an interesting story in the vein of The DaVinci Code that will provide both laughs and adventure. If you have an open mind, it may even get you thinking.
Compared to the novel on which the movie was based, the character of Tess is funnier, wittier, and more enchanting on screen than on page. This is due in part to the wonderful portrayal of the character by Mira Sorvino who more than "surprises as a credible intellectual", as fellow reviewer Scott expressed - Sorvino is a Harvard alum who graduated magna cum laude and speaks fluent Chinese and French. She IS a credible intellectual cast in a part that allows her to show that side of her personality. Scott Foley, who portrays Agent Sean Reilly and of whom I've seen less work, was more of a surprise to me, playing the devout Catholic with humor and a touch of whimsy.
Having been raised Catholic but no longer practicing, I found the debates between Tess and Sean about religion to be very interesting and reminiscent of those between my mother and I. The overall theme of exactly what the Templar treasure is will garner your attention, but play second fiddle to the chemistry between Foley and Sorvino.
(Major plot spoiler warning) The one criticism I have is that the film version doesn't explain the treasure as successfully as the novel does. In the novel it is very clear that the treasure is a faked version of the gospel of Jesus, with the intent that it be used to unite all religions. In the film, the ending Templar scenes make the viewer aware the document was falsified, but the reasoning for doing so is never made clear, nor will the viewer necessarily catch this fact the first time through.
For those who criticize the film as being just more of the same Catholic bashing that appears to permeate the media, I ask that you really look at the character of Sean and what his beliefs say, the character of Tess and how her beliefs change over the course of the film, and the character of DeAngelis, who is shown to be operating by himself with no support of the Church or Vatican. As Sean intones in a conversation with Tess, there's nothing wrong with doubt - it's dismissal that's the problem. Give this movie a chance. Watch it with an open mind. You'll be glad you did."
Thoroughly enjoyed
Yannie | Perth, West Australia | 04/26/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Having previously read (and enjoyed) the book, I wasn't too sure what the movie might bring. I was pleasantly surprised. A female Indiana Jones-type archeologist and an FBI agent team up to discover why 4 thieves dressed as Templar Knights of old rob a prominent gallery on horse-back. A fine rollicking adventure movie in the spirit of Jones. My only disappointment (if you can call it that) was insufficient emphasis on the twist at the end. If you haven't read the book this fantastic development is almost lost in the need to wrap up the story. The script does let the actors down in a couple of places, but the action sequences were well composed. Overall - I thoroughly enjoyed."
Flawed but enjoyable
NoWireHangers | Sweden | 12/02/2009
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Mira Sorvino plays Tess Chaykin, an archaologist who attends the opening night of an exhibition of Vatican treasures at the New York Metropolitan Museum. The event is interrupted when four horsemen, dressed as knights templars, rob the museum of some of the treasures, most notably an ancient decoder.
Tess has more success solving the crime than the FBI does and cooperates, reluctantly with FBI agent Sean Daley. They embark on a quest to find the killer and perhaps find the legendary treasure of the templars in the process.
This two part TV movie was based on a novel (see The Last Templar) and some changes have been made of course. I think they managed to get most of the important details from the novel into the movie, with one big exception: The villain's motivation. It is not very clear in the movie. There are some too many convienient coincidences that don't seem very credible.
The book was entertaining but not great and the same goes for the movie. After reading some reviews I thought it would be really bad and it had its flaws but I enjoyed it."
What pleases me
Marie E. Ryznar | Rock Hall, MD | 09/01/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This movie is all the excitment one needs. Acting is surpurb, so is the story line."