La Prophétie d'Avignon came out in 2007, just after The Da Vinci Code, the film adaptation of the Catholic conspiracy mystery of Dan Brown caused a hype. The comparison with this hit is therefore quickly made.
To start with an open door: where The Da Vinci Code is the norm in this particular genre due to a cast iron plot, La Prophétie d'Avignon is the opposite. This series visually does everything right, but collapses like a house of cards, thanks to the messy story.
It is incomprehensible that such a bad scenario has been continued for a series in which one has clearly invested a lot of time, money and effort.
The basic idea behind the story isn't all that bad:
Estelle Esperanza is a historian, or archaeologist, specializing in medieval architecture. During the restoration of a medieval building, she discovers a beautifully colored glass window. Before she realizes it, she is dragged against her will into a lot of criminal events related to a prediction about the future of the world (hence "the Prophecy") until the year 4000. Estelle learns that her family has been looking for the prophecy for a long time but they were not alone. The dark and secret society of the Brothers of Judas is also looking for it. For this, the Brothers of Judas use weapons and get rid of everyone standing in their way! "
Unfortunately, the viewer is overloaded with historical facts that do not always sound logical. In addition, the Brothers of Judas are presented very implausibly. A sort of secret organization, more powerful than the UN or the European Union, of top politicians and businessmen - Nobody could believe something like that!
Because of this unrealism, you will not be drawn into the story. It would have been better if, for example, the brothers had been a Catholic sect from Rome. Or at least something plausible.
The series, like The Da Vinci Code, is a series of quests for medieval relics. But unfortunately that happens here in a way that as a viewer you feel that this is only an excuse for filming action scenes. Beautifully filmed but very unbelievable screen fill.
The actors did a wonderful job and appears to have been carefully cast. And although Lime-Lights Pictures ensured a very poor quality of the DVD for the release in the Netherlands, everything was filmed very nicely. On a full HD Blu-Ray, everything would probably splash off the screen.
In summary: looks nice but failed miserably as a story. Unfortunately.
