Movie Review

Hard to enjoy Inferno when your head’s spinning from plot twists

When Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code was published in 2003, it was an immediate sensation, spending over two-and-a-half years on the New York Times best-seller list. That fervor had barely died down when the movie adaptation starring Tom Hanks came out in 2006, ultimately earning a huge $750 million at the box office worldwide.

But 2006, and even 2009, when the sequel Angels and Demons was released, was a long time ago, and it’s difficult to see anyone clamoring for another Robert Langdon story, even with Hanks bringing his usual charm. Inferno finds Langdon suffering from amnesia after being attacked in Florence, Italy. He can’t remember what he’s doing in Florence, much less why anyone would go after him.

When an assassin comes to the hospital to finish the job, ER doctor Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones) helps Langdon escape. A worldly Brit, Brooks soon proves useful in helping Langdon decipher clues about his recent activities, most of which, naturally, are hidden in artworks around the city. The story also involves a plot by a billionaire (Ben Foster) to use a virus to eradicate half the world’s population, a scary idea that never really gains traction.

When it comes to a Dan Brown story, there should be no illusions about everything adding up. But even by that standard, Inferno doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, as it piles on twist after twist, to the point where it’s almost impossible to tell who’s a good guy and who’s a bad guy.

Director Ron Howard and writer David Koepp do a decent job of juggling all the complicated pieces, but they can only hold the balls in the air for so long. A handful of action set pieces are suitably thrilling, but with your head swimming from the complex storyline, it’s hard to get the full enjoyment out of them.

The actors, for their part, do an effective job at keeping the story moving. It’s far from his strongest role, but Hanks makes Langdon easy to root for, which is all you really need. Jones mostly seems to react to Hanks, neutering Brooks’ impact to a degree. She’s overshadowed by a strong performance by Sidse Babett Knudsen, playing a World Health Organization officer, as well as Omar Sy, a man with shifting loyalties.

For Inferno to fully succeed, its puzzles needed to be a lot more interesting or the action much more taut. As it stands, it’s merely a serviceable film that will kill two hours and leave your mind almost as quickly.

Tom Hanks and Felicity Jones in Inferno.

Tom Hanks and Felicity Jones in Inferno

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures

Tom Hanks and Felicity Jones in Inferno.

News You Can Eat

Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar is headed to Garland and more Dallas dining news

Lazy Dog

Lazy Dog

Lazy Dog is opening a new location in DFW.

This roundup of restaurant news around Dallas is topped by a mega-exciting opening for Garland, plus new dishes for spring and lots of fresh new beverages.

Here's what's happening in Dallas restaurant news:

Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar, the casual dining restaurant known for its innovative twists on American dishes served with small mountain-town hospitality, is opening a new location in Garland. The restaurant will be located at 5180 N. President George Bush Highway, and marks their sixth location in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. According to a release, it'll open in spring 2024.

“We look forward to bringing our concept of delicious food, warm hospitality and small mountain-town vibes to Garland. Lazy Dog has been received with open arms as we’ve joined new neighborhoods, and we can’t wait to be part of this community,” said Chris Simms, founder and CEO of Lazy Dog Restaurants.

Lazy Dog Restaurant serves made-from-scratch American food and drink with seasonally inspired ingredients. Influenced by the lifestyle of the Rocky Mountains, where Simms spent time with family growing up, Lazy Dog aspires to offer the warmth and care you might get in a small mountain town. Other DFW locations are in Addison, Allen, Arlington, Euless, and Plano.

Salad and Go has four new drive-thru locations coming to DFW: 1102 W Main St, Lewisville April 1; 3401 Midway Rd, Plano April 3; 211 E. Euless Blvd, Euless April 10; and 3820 Belt Line Rd., Addison April 22.

A-T Bistro is the new name for Au Troisième, the Park Cities bistro that opened in Preston Center in 2022. They say that A-T Bistro has been its nickname all along, and they've decided to make it official. Not because people can't pronounce Troisième or anything. The restaurant is a nominee for Best New Restaurant in CultureMap's 2023 Tastemaker Awards and also madeTexas Monthly's "10 Best New Restaurants in 2023" list. In addition to the name change, A·T Bistro has also added a 600-square-foot outdoor dining space, 14-seat private dining room, 600-bottle wine cellar, Sunday brunch, daily lunch specials, and happy hour menu.

Boneless Butcher, the Dallas startup that makes vegan BBQ ribs and steaks, is now popping up at the Dallas Farmers Market every weekend with a small menu, usually three-to-four items including Korean BBQ burritos, a bulgogi steak sandwich, steak nachos, sloppy BBQ sliders, loaded steak nachos, and a banh mi.

La Madeleine has new limited-edition bakery items for spring: Blueberry & Lemon Individual Cheesecake topped with tart lemon whipped cream, Blueberry and Lemon Crepe with blueberry-cheesecake filling and fresh blueberries, and Carrot Cake with cream cheese frosting. Three seasonal favorites are also returning: Lemon Blueberry Danish with blueberries and a lemon cream center, Lemon White Chocolate Chunk Cookie with tangy lemon glaze, and Lemon Poppyseed Muffin with a sweet lemon glaze drizzle.

Dog Haus has a new creation: the Pepperoni Pizza Sausage, a savory link with pork and fennel Italian sausage, pepperoni, mozzarella, tomato, and oregano. Guests can get it the Würst Way, served on King's Hawaiian rolls with spicy basil aioli and grated cheese; the Corn Dog Way dipped in Dog Haus’ root beer batter; and “Sliced Way” grilled and sliced with spicy basil aioli. A new item in the Absolute Würst Sausage Series arrives each month.

Cowboy Chicken, famous for its rotisserie chicken, has added chicken tenders to its menu, served with honey blaze, ranch, BBQ, and honey mustard sauces.

Genghis Grill has partnered with renowned chef Robert Kabakoff on a trio of new Fried Rice bowls: Kimchi Fried Rice with spicy pickled cabbage, fried rice, scrambled egg, in spicy Korean chili sauce; Jambalaya with chicken, sausage, shrimp, onion, bell pepper, and dirty rice; Farmhouse with chicken, bacon, jalapeños, ranch seasoning, fried rice with carrots, bell pepper, onions, and a cream BBQ ranch sauce. They start at $8.49.

Dunkin' has new Breakfast Tacos, served in pairs consisting of scrambled eggs, sharp white cheddar cheese, fire-roasted corn, and tangy lime crema in a soft flour tortilla, with or without bacon. What sets Breakfast Tacos apart is the fact that fire-roasted corn taking center stage.

Cicis Pizza is collaborating with Mike’s Hot Honey to offer a Hot Honey pepperoni pizza, drizzled with the signature chili pepper-infused honey. Now through April 30, the Hot Honey Pizza will be in the third slot after Garlic Cheesy Bread and Pepperoni Pizza, or to-go, $10 for a medium, $12 for a large, or $15 for a giant.

Yogurtland, the self-serve frozen yogurt brand, has two new seasonal fro-yo flavors: Thai Tea and Boba Milk Tea, their take on two classic tea experiences. The Thai Tea frozen yogurt is newwith a bold black tea flavor and sweet cream notes. The Boba Milk Tea is a returning flavor, with brown sugar notes that enhance the milk experience. They also have a new limited-edition topping: rainbow mochi.

Chick-fil-A has brought back Watermelon Mint Lemonade after six years. It's available in all of their signature beverages, including Watermelon Mint Sunjoy, Watermelon Mint Iced Tea, and Watermelon Mint Frosted Lemonade, starting Monday, April 3. According to a release, the Watermelon Mint Lemonade still has a devoted following six years after it was first introduced, sparking its return. "Guests loved the Watermelon Mint Lemonade in 2017, so we are thrilled to bring it back to our menu and introduce new ways for guests to enjoy this flavor," a spokesperson says.

Gong Cha has a new Sparkling Series of bubbly beverages featuring combinations of fruit flavors, pearls, jelly, milk foam, and sparkling water: Sparkling Milk Foam Mango with Star Jelly, a bright, fruity and fizzy mango drink topped with milk foam and chewy, peach flavored jelly in star shapes; Sparkling Lychee with Mango Popping Pearls, a tropical fruit blend of lychee with bursts of mango in each pearl; and Sparkling Hibiscus with White Pearls,-aA sweet & sour hibiscus drink with tart, floral flavor and chewy white pearls. The chain has seven locations in DFW.

Häagen-Dazs® Shops has a new ice cream confection: Pineapple Coconut Shake, an alcohol-free ode to the classic piña colada, made from Häagen-Dazs Pineapple Coconut ice cream, topped with whipped cream and a slice of fresh pineapple, available April 1-June 14.

Milk Bar, the New York dessert company, has launched two new cookie types in grocery stores: bite-sized crunchy cookies (“crunchies”) and ready-to-bake cookie dough. Known for familiar-yet-unexpected items like their Compost Cookies, Milk Bar entered into the Grocery category in 2020. Crunchies will come in four flavors: Brown Butter Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon Toast, Pretzel-y Chocolate Chip, and Vanilla Butter Crunch, and sold at Whole Foods. The cookie dough comes in two flavors: Cornflake Chocolate Chip Marshmallow and Fruity Cereal, and is sold at Target and Kroger.

El Chico has two new cocktails in its Mama’s Flavoritos collection featuring tropical flavors: Guava ‘Rita: with Monte Alban 100% Agave Silver Tequila, Gran Gala Orange Liqueur, Reàl Guava and margarita mix; and Mama’s Sangria Swirl, a house frozen ‘Rita with El Toro Silver Tequila and red sangria swirl. Both are $7 and will be available April 3-July 3 at participating El Chico locations: 1549 S. Bowen Rd. Pantego; 7621 Baker Blvd., North Richland Hills; and 503 I-30, Rockwall.

Manhattan Project Beer is launching a blond beer called Peacekeeper as a permanent offering. It's a blond ale with a hint of guava and a crisp finish, and will be available in cans, and on tap at some bars, still TBA.

WES Brands, the Dallas-based company launched after the $610 million sale to Diageo of Aviation American Gin, has a slate of executive hires: Shawn Thurman as CEO, Sean Penn to President & COO, Kyle Stein as President, Lauren Ryan-Kiyak as Senior VP of Marketing, and Chris Jebbia as Senior VP of Finance. The company is focused on the growth of its existing brands - Mark Wahlberg's Flecha Azul Tequila and Jamie Foxx’s BSB Flavored Whiskey - and soon-to-launch spirits brands.

Chili’s after the company confirmed to the group that it is no longer using children’s activity placemats that promote keeping parrots and monkeys as “pets.” The news follows a complaint over one of the placemats being used at a Chili’s location in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. It was first reported to the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance, which collaborated with PETA to bring this issue to the attention of the restaurant franchise.

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