Vatican: 'Angels' is harmless entertainment

The Vatican's official newspaper has branded upcoming film Angels & Demons "harmless entertainment".

Writing in L'Osservatore Romano, a representative for the church praised the movie's "gripping" and "splendid" special effects and "magnificent" reconstruction of historial locations such as the Sistine Chapel.

"[It offers] more than two hours of harmless entertainment, which hardly affects the genius and mystery of Christianity... [It's a] video game that first of all sparks curiosity and is also, maybe, a bit of fun," said the reviewer.

However, the church did criticise the "stereotyped characters" and pointed out a number of historical inaccuracies in the script, concluding that the production was a "gigantic and smart commercial operation".

Earlier this week, the Vatican denied director Ron Howard's claims that it had exerted pressure in order to prevent him filming in certain locations, branding the accusations a publicity stunt.

Angels & Demons opens on May 14.