The “power of faith” is an ambiguous term. On the one hand it suggests that believing in a cause (or a religion for that matter) can compel a person to do something outside of the ordinary. On the other hand it refers to the power of, and within, religious and spiritual organisations. The Ron Howard-directed Angels and Demons, based on the bestselling Dan Brown book of the same name, straddles both of these ideas with poise, adding balance to a film revolving around symbolism, the Vatican and revenge.

Tom Hanks reprises his Da Vinci Code role as Harvard symbologist Professor Robert Langdon, who is called upon by the Catholic church, after the death of the Pope, to help deal with a threat made by the Illuminati to destroy Vatican City with stolen antimatter (an explosive). The Illuminati are, according to legend, a secret society of "freethinkers" and scientists who were hunted down by the Catholic church in the 18th Century.

Along with their threat to destroy the city, the Illuminati plan to kill four kidnapped cardinals by methods referencing earth, air, fire and water. Langdon, with the Swiss Guard in tow, have just five hours to save each of the kidnapped Cardinals, and to protect the inhabitants of Vatican City, which is rapidly filling with spectators awaiting the announcement of the new Pope. Langdon's progress is both helped and hindered by the Swiss Guard, who are the official protectors of the Pope and College of Cardinals, and the Camerlengo (played by Ewan Macgregor), the acting head of state of Vatican City.

Despite donning stuffy tweed suits and sporting an unfortunate hairstyle, Hanks breathes new life into Langdon, tempering the character’s serious demeanour with wit, charm and a knockabout manner. His mystery-solving partner this time around is impossibly well-groomed Dr Vittoria Vetra, the co-creator of the antimatter in question, played by Israeli actress Ayelet Zurer.

Like The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons has at its core the theme of good versus evil, with moments of gruesome violence and a token twist at the end. However, a faster pace and the incremental building of suspense set it apart from the film's lackluster predessor. The international cast, including baby faced McGregor, Danish actor Nikolaj Lie Kaas (as the assassin), Swede Stellan Skarsgard (as Commander Richter of the Swiss Guard), German Armin Mueller-Stahl (Cardinal Strauss) and Israeli star Zurer, add an intriguing flavour to the Hollywood blockbuster.

The film's evenhandedness in dealing with the pros and cons of faith is personified in Langdon's response to the Camerlengo when asked if he believes in God - "Faith is a gift that I’m yet to receive" - meaning he knows faith is out there, but hasn't been touched by it yet. However, this may change if, in line with speculation, the story goes beyond the Dan Brown book franchise and explores the layers of Langdon more thoroughly.