“Inferno” is a fast-paced suspense drama featuring a man named Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) with amnesia who teams with emergency room physician Dr. Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones) in trying to figure out why they are being pursued and shot at. What is learned, as Langdon’s memory slowly returns, and he and Sienna piece everything together, is that a man named Bertrand Zobrist (Ben Foster), the same man that committed suicide in the beginning of the movie, believed the world’s population is out of control and that the Earth is headed for the 6th “extinction” following the flood, ice age, etc. What is his solution? It is to kill more than half the population to balance it all out and save mankind! He plots to have a virus released after he is gone. But who can Langdon and Brooks trust as they attempt to prevent the maniacal plot? The film features several surprises and plot twists, and the viewer is left to guess who really is good and who is not.
The references to “Dante’s Inferno”, the museum sequences, paintings, and the Florence, Italy, locations are a nice combination, adding an authentic look to the movie. There are chase sequences, fights, and manipulations as Langdon and Sienna place the pieces of the puzzle together. Even an old flame from Langdon’s past is a part of the story. Despite the likable Tom Hanks being involved, and an intriguing plot, harsh language and too much violence spoils the movie, preventing it from being awarded our Dove Family-Approved Seal.