The Da Vinci Code: Extended Cut 2-Disc Set brings to high def author Dan Brown's thrilling story about an American professor caught up in a web of intrigue involving a series of shocking murders, a secret society, the Catholic Church and the very foundations of Christianity. Professor Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) gets brought into a murder investigation in Paris when the victim, a museum curator named Jacques Sauniere (Jean-Pierre Marielle), is found shot to death inside of the Louvre. It seems Sauniere mutilated and positioned his own body in an odd way and scrawled a cryptic message asking for Langdon's help. When cryptologist Agent Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou) steps in to assist, things get more complicated. It seems Sophie is Sauniere's granddaughter and is here of her own volition. She warns Langdon that he is a suspect and together, the two crack the mysterious message left by Sauniere and make off with a clue he left for them - a key to a secret safety deposit box. From here on out, it is a cat and mouse game as the pair try to elude capture by determined Police Captain Bezu Fache (Jean Reno), also known as "The Bull."

As Sophie and Langdon dig deeper into why Sauniere might have been killed and what the key leads to, it seems Sophie's grandfather was not what he seemed. He was actually a guardian of the secret of the Templar Knights, one of four members of the Priory of Scion who are being systematically tortured and forced to reveal the location of the secret, before being brutally murdered. Their killer is Silas (Paul Bettany), an albino monk who believes he is doing the work of the Catholic Church under the guidance of the Opus Dei, Bishop Manuel Aringarosa (Alfred Molina) and a voice over the phone known only as "The Teacher." Between staying one step ahead of Silas and The Teacher and also one step ahead of Fache, Sophie and Langdon have quite the task set before them. As their adventure takes them from France to England to see Langdon's old friend, Sir Leigh Teabing (Sir Ian McKellan, X-Men), expert on the Templar Knights, they begin to unravel the mystery of the Templars - that Jesus Christ had a child with Mary Magdalene, his wife, and that the whereabouts of Magdalene's final resting place, as well as their offspring, are protected. In their search for the truth, they just may end up uncovering shocking revelations that were better left undisturbed.

The Da Vinci Code's leap to high definition is a nice one. Although I remember being really impressed in the theater by the special effects, such as cryptic symbols jumping off the page when viewed by Langdon, they didn't blow me away on Blu-ray, but they did look very sharp and crisp. There are certain scenes, however, such as the finale of the movie, that really look amazing. Likewise, the surround sound is excellent and really immersive. What makes this release so special is not only the move to high def, but also the special features that are jam-packed inside. You've got featurettes on everything imaginable (17 in all!), picture-in-picture, plus commentary with Ron Howard on a host of topics from everything to particular scenes and settings to the actors themselves! Probably one of the most exciting special features for fans is 5 minutes of the upcoming film Angels and Demons, also by Dan Brown. While I won't reveal even a tidbit of what I saw, it was enough to make me want to see Angels and Demons in the theater as it looks just as exciting as The Da Vinci Code. This is the definitive version of this film to own. If you haven't yet added it to your collection, you should pick it up. I don't know if the move to high def, plus the additional featurettes, is enough to warrant a second purchase, but if you don't already own the film, this is the one to get.