A movie that starts out with two title cards mentioning 'The Spear of Destiny' doesn't usually bode well. Fortunately for "Constantine," a jarring moment in the first five minutes of the film signals a jumpstart to a rise in quality that matches its titular character's descent into the shadowy plots of demonic forces.
"Constantine" follows exorcist John Constantine (Keanu Reeves), a man who has the "gift" to see the half-demons and half-angles that populate earth. On a routine house call, he realizes that something in hell is amiss when a demon tries to use a little girl to gain access to earth. Accompanied by his wannabe sidekick (a just-funny-enough Shia LaBeouf), Constantine visits half-angel Gabriel (Tilda Swinton). Receiving no help, he is then asked to investigate the apparent suicide of Isabel Dodson (Rachel Weisz) by her twin Angela (also Weisz).
Constantine explains to Angela that God and the Devil once made a pact: no angels or demons could visit earth, but half-angels and half-demons, appropriately called "half-breeds," could influence humanity. The pact is called "the balance." Constantine knows this because as a boy he attempted suicide and died for two minutes, causing him to spend a near-eternity in hell. Ever since that moment, Constantine has been exorcising demons and taking brief trips to the netherworld in order to secure his place in heaven.
Although the plot is a bit thick, it unfolds at an even pace and is secondary to the atmosphere. Mixing magic with Judeo-Christian religious beliefs, the film does a wonderful job of creating a convincing underworld of Los Angeles, full of sacred religious artifacts, demigods and powerful mages. First-time feature director Francis Lawrence's interesting little details neatly populate Constantine's world: bottles of holy water lining his apartment, a club where half-demons turn water into blood, and an electric chair from Sing Sing Prison that sends its occupant to hell. With some nice comic touches, the movie also proves that it doesn't take itself too seriously, especially when Constantine tries to introduce Angela to hell by submerging her in a bathtub.
Some comic book purists may be upset that Lawrence took some license with the setting and character, but the changes are only on the surface; in the end, Lawrence gets the spirit of the original Steven Seagle comic right. Instead of a blonde Brit from Liverpool, Constantine is a dark-haired Angelino with the trademark Reeves detachment, but no great loss of authenticity is suffered as a result of the switch.
Keanu's acting is typical Keanu: a breathy, low voice, little emotion, and squinty eyes. This is not very interesting, but Reeves is able to redeem himself by fully committing to Constantine's dour outlook and caustic one-liners.
Weisz, on the other hand, is a weakness in the film, with her monotone voice and perpetual frown adding nothing compelling to the screen. The rest of the supporting cast performs well, including Bush frontman, Gavin Rossdale, as a smarmy half-demon Balthazar, and Djimon Hounsou as the enigmatic witch doctor, Papa Midnite.
The visuals in the film are used to great effect by former music video director Lawrence. Often comic book movies get lost in a sea of poorly animated CGI, but Lawrence is able to put the focus on the characters and story. Make no mistake, computer-generated graphics still look fake (as they do in all movies), but the art design, especially the post-apocalyptic mirror world of hell, is superb. Additionally, Lawrence doesn't have the hyper-stylization that most music video directors bring to their first feature project. Instead, the film has a restrained but visually appealing look that serves the onscreen action.
At its core, "Constantine" is mindless entertainment that alternates between tongue-in-cheek originality and banal clich?©s. For every scene of a character being choked or reaching for some crucial object, there is a comment about cats existing half in hell or brass knuckles with crosses on them.
What thematic merit can one derive from a film whose defining moment comes when the hero gives the middle finger to the devil? "Constantine" won't set the world on fire, but it is an entertaining movie, and in a film world increasingly filled with derivative drivel and unimaginative sequels, that's an admirable trait.
