What better way to smash a bottle of champagne on the hull of this new ship than starting with the Da Vinci Code (well maybe Poseidon, but I wasn't in the mood)?

With its first public screening tonight at Cannes and opening worldwide in just a few days, this blockbuster hopeful has used every trick in the book and then some to pique the interest of the masses. From religious controversy, plagiarism scandals and hush hush no preview screenings policy, public awareness and interest are sky high.

This adaptation of the bestseller has the potential of actually being better than the book. Though that's not saying much as the book artlessly talks about art, history, religion etc. at sixth grade reading level. In between action scenes one must plod through prose as uplifting as a history book.

Professor Robert Langdon is depicted by Tom Hanks. Despite many good reasons for choosing him for the part, (how many actors, middle-aged, not gorgeous yet amiable, with bolckbuster clout, are there in Hollywood?), he has no sex appeal. I do suspect the hair was a feeble attempt to to promote his image in that respect. Sophie Neveu - Audrey Tautou - beautiful and very French; perfect, but why do her facial expressions range from concerned to befuddled? Sir Ian McKellen on the other hand seems at his best with a saucy twinkle in his eye and explosive passion.

That's about all the passion you'll see in this film. Langdon and Neveu hit it off in the book, and considering the subject matter, namely sex and religion, one would expect even more in the film. Yet judging from trailers there's only symbology going on between those two, no chemistry - and believe me, if there were even a hint of it in the movie it would appear in the trailer - that's what sells. The trailers themselves are done very well, whetting the palates of both those who have and have not read the book. I must say I found the original teaser annoying and frustrating. The Japanese version was especially amusing.

Verdict - While no great work of art, "The DaVinci Code" looks like a fun thriller with great cinematography, and since hubby also read the book and loves anything remotely related to history we may actually see this one