I didn't read the book and, unencumbered by the burden of expectation, I simply watched a movie. But even on that standard, this movie left me staring at the screen like a dog who's heard a high pitched sound, head tilted and brow furrowed. The characters, except for Hanks intrepid professor, were communion wafer thin and the story falls as flat as a prostrate priest. Inplausability reigns as the right details are devined at the right moment. Hank's co-stars, even the slightly oily McGregor, are wasted in a plot that asks the viewer to turn off their brain. On second thought, maybe I should have read the book.