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Angels & Demons

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Stars: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor

Director: Ron Howard

Rated: PG-13

Runtime: 138 mins

Tom Hanks returns - sans dodgy mullet - as Da Vinci Code-breaker Robert Langdon in this implausible but enjoyable sequel.

Four Catholic Cardinals have been kidnapped by an ancient enemy of the Church, who threatens to kill them one by one then ­­blow up the Vatican... all while the papal conclave is trying to elect a new Pope.

The threat is from the Illuminati, a secret society long thought extinct, who have stolen antimatter - an explosive device with the destructive capabilities of a small nuclear weapon.

The Church seeks the help of Langdon, an expert on the Illuminati, to track them down and save the day.

Hanks is as watchable as ever and his steady hand adds gravitas to the ­far-fetched plot.

Female sidekick Vittoria (Ayelet Zurer) is underused but there is great support from Stellan Skarsgard as suspicious Swiss Guard chief Commander Richter and Nikolaj Lie Kass as a chilling assassin.

Star Wars' Ewan McGregor gives a decent performance as helicopter-flying priest Carmerlengo Patrick McKenna - although he should say penance for a dubious Irish accent.

Overall, Angels and Demons is gripping and fast-paced as you would expect from director Ron Howard, although most of the plot twists are predictable.

But if all you want is to ­suspend your disbelief for two hours and enjoy some stunning scenery, explosions and conspiracy theories, this will more than satisfy.

Watch if you liked: The Da Vinci Code.

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