Constantine

Reviewed by:
Paul Ulane

Keanu Reeves has become the go-to guy when it comes to travelling between worldly realms in a suit and tie to save mankind. Constantine one-ups the Matrix sequels as Keanu drops the dense Wachowski brothers babble and dons his Sunday best to simply kick ass and take names on earth, in hell, and at the box office.

The story of John Constantine (Reeves) is the stuff of comic books—Hellblazer, to be exact—about a man cursed with the ability to see any demon or angel stalking earth. After an attempted suicide, he earns a "Get Into Hell—Free" card and a return trip home. Now his only chance at getting a cushy cloud next to the big man upstairs is by exorcising any demons he encounters on the streets of L.A. But in the midst of taking out the trash, John meets Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz), a police detective investigating her sister's suicide, and the two wind up with the fate of the world in their hands.

The "R" rating ensures that Constantine remains faithful to its dark source material and, with its spiritual undertones, the story has more depth than the typical comic book adaptation. Once again, mind-bending special effects and gunplay shore up Keanu's inner hardcore action hero, and Weisz ain't too shabby either when mixing it up with the boys (or demons, for that matter). Speaking of FX, hell burns hotter than a herpes sore, and the creepy demons will make your skin crawl all the way to the confession booth. If bible study had this type of budget, church would put the NFL out of business.

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