‘Angels & Demons’: At least Tom Hanks has better hair

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The reviews are in today for the Tom Hanks-starring ‘Angels & Demons.’ The good news for Sony Pictures is that the critics, who really gave ‘The Da Vinci Code’ a drubbing, are -- how shall we say it? -- slightly less hostile when it comes to Ron Howard’s ‘religious action thriller,’ to steal a phrase from my colleague Betsy Sharkey’s must-read review in today’s L.A. Times. Rotten Tomatoes, which gave ‘Da Vinci’ an embarrassingly feeble 24 rating back in 2006, upgraded that to a merely lousy 38 for ‘Angels & Demons.’

With the film generating such low expectations, the only real question left to answer was: How would the critics react to Hanks’ hair, which was roundly mocked last time around for its preposterous shagiliciousness, even apparently becoming an issue with test-screening audiences. According to Sharkey, Hanks’ new trimmed-down locks in ‘Demons’ are less of a turn-off, with her noting in her review that the star ‘is back, with much better hair.’

But the media can’t seem to let that locks issue go. Even with such far worthier candidates running around loose -- think Mickey Rourke and Nicolas Cage -- Time magazine has weighed in with a wonderfully voyeuristic photo gallery, titled ‘The Top 10 Tom Hanks Hairstyles.’ The gallery hits all the high and low notes, including my own personal fave Hanks hairdo, the wavy, Col. Sanders-style hair and goatee he wore in the Coen Brothers comedy ‘The Ladykillers.’

Remember this look?