‘Inferno’ Blu-Ray Review: Tom Hanks Scores Again As Robert Langdon

Inferno, the third movie based on Dan Brown’s extremely popular Robert Langdon book series of the same titles, opens with Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) panicking as he wakes up in a hospital in Italy. He seems just as confused as the audience watching, not sure how he got there but having random visions of the end of the world. His doctor, Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones), explains that he was shot in the head and has amnesia. Still completely confused, Hanks unknowingly trusts another doctor that tells the nurses station that the police are there to question the patient. That doctor is actually Vayentha (Ana Ularu), an assassin sent to finish the job of killing Hanks. Ularu begins shooting other hospital employees trying to get to Hanks but Jones helps him gather his belongings and escape the hospital. They head to her apartment closeby.

Hanks tries to look through his things to jog his memory once safe inside the apartment, and they come across a small projector displaying Botticelli’s Map of Hell. After doing some research they find the connection between this map and Dante’s Inferno and it’s importance to geneticist Bertrand Zobrist (Ben Foster). Foster left a trail to a virus he created that would cut the world’s population in half to combat overpopulation. After getting on the government’s radar for creating such a deadly virus, Foster committed suicide before being caught. He left the clues based on his love for Dante. Hanks and Jones also learn that the virus is called “Inferno.”

After spending a lengthy amount of time on research, Ularu and agents from the World Health Organization find Jones’ apartment and raid it while she and Hanks are out. Luckily, not finding anything but forcing Hanks and Jones to leave the apartment for the foreseeable future.

Hanks is all the while slowly regaining his memory and as he looks over his research about Dante he remembers the secret passages in Florence and Venice to get through the city without being seen, which is exactly what they need right now. The plan is to follow the passages and gather clues along the way until they get to the virus and get it to the right people to destroy it. After various run-ins with agents from the World Health Organization as well as agents acting on behalf of Zobrist who intend to release the virus on the population, Hanks realizes he can’t always trust who he thinks he can.

While Inferno is a bit predictable, there were still many moments I was shocked, surprised and anxious that the good guy would win. Hanks and Jones deliver strong performances and it’s clear why these Brown movies not only keep being made but do well in theaters.

Blu-ray features include deleted and extended scenes, Howard’s director’s journal, special looks at Langdon, Bertrand Zobrist and Dr. Sienna Brooks, and a spotlight on Botticelli’s Map of Hell.