Umm, Who Told Keanu Reeves He Could Act?

The Struggle. On one side, Good, the other side, Evil. On one side God, the other Satan known in some circles both Greek and Christian, as Lucifer, the Devil, the number one Evil-doer. It is a struggle as old as mankind, which by the way is considerably older than six thousand years. Constantine (2005) plays off the Holy Bible’s Book of Revelations, sort of. It seems that God and the Devil have entered into a little agreement wherein the Earth is neutral territory and demons and angels and not allowed…and did you know that there is a Bible in Hell?

Directed by newcomer Francis Lawrence, Constantine stars Keanu Reeves (My Own Private Idaho, Speed, A Walk in the Cloud) as John Constantine a demon hunter who can visit Hell, converse with “half-breeds” (demons and angels who have mated with humans), drive “soldier demons” out of humans. If fact he has sort of a reputation as a demon-slayer. At a very young age, Constantine could see demons and the true nature of half-breeds. His parents thought he was crazy and in a moment of desperation he committed suicide (but was brought back after 2 minutes), and we all know that those who commit suicide are confined forever to Hell.

So, John Constantine, who is dying from acute lung cancer, because he smokes 30 cigarettes a day, is looking for redemption from a God he has little respect for. At one point when asked if God has a plan for us all, Constantine responses the “God is like a child with an ant hill, he has no plan.” He exorcizes the demons as a path to said redemption but there is little hope that he can avoid Hell when he dies. But, there is change afoot (isn’t there always); it seems the Devil’s son wants to claim the Earth as his own private playground, breaking the agreement between God and his father. The only problem: he can’t ascend to Earth without the help of a human who can “see” demons and the blood of God (who knew God bled); in the form of the spear tip that laid Jesus to rest.

Enter Rachel Weisz (Stealing Beauty, The Mummy, Enemy at the Gates) portraying Angela Dodson and her twin sister. Angela is a police detective who also sees the others though she has suppressed the ability since childhood. Her sister Isabel was not so lucky, and after being locked away, again, she commits suicide by jumping off a rather tall building through a skylight and into a pool. Of course she goes straight to Hell. But no before calling out the Constantine for help. Thus Angela and Constantine are destined to work together in an attempt to foil the Devils’ sons’ plan to inhabit Earth.

There are other bit players in the highly caustic drama, including Djimon Hounsou (Amistad, Deep Rising, The Four Feathers), as Midnite the neutral player in the story; and Tilda Swinton (Vanilla Sky, Adaptation, The Chronicles of Narnia) as the Archangel Gabriel who plots to betray God and unleash the spawn of the Devil.

The complicated hagiography of Constantine is based on the DC/Vertigo comic book Hellblazer and a novice—like myself—to the world of Christianity will find the story a little hard to follow. Of course I do not subscribe to religious dogma, period, no matter who is casting about the rhetoric, so Constantine is fiction bordering on mythology in my book. But the story is compelling nonetheless.

One of the weak links in this movie is Mr. Reeves. I have never though much of his acting skills outside of the Matrix films; throughout the entire movie I was asking myself who Reeves wanted John Constantine to be. Reeves attempt to play the character as a cross between The Fonze and James Deans’ Rebel without a Cause, did not exactly wash with me. Ms. Weisz was a littler better, but admittedly there is not much dialog in this movie.

Another weak link is former music video director Francis Lawrence who seems to favor dramatic image over narrative and thoughtful dialog. The man should stick to music videos, no really…In his world the days are seared by burning sunlight, and the (true) night belongs to the demons. And Hell is portrayed as an earth burning with the nuclear fires of Armageddon, crawling with mindless (literally) demons, and damned humans who are ripped apart over and over again as penance for their transgressions on Earth. In the end, as the credits roll, there isn’t much of a story in Constantine, there are far too many loose ends and tangling story lines.


Recommended:
No

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age