Constantine

Based on the DC comic Hellblazer, Warner Bros.' Constantine is a murky tale of heavenly redemption, which is basically what the comic company has been looking for ever since the slap in the face that was Catwoman. While leaps and bounds above that wretched pile, you could say this flick is basically an American slap in the face to the Brits, who have long championed the bastard character of John Constantine as their country's own. Cue in Keanu, fresh from the intellectually bloated Matrix trilogy, turning in a moody performance full of drawn-out line deliveries that, while stilted, deliver just enough of the original character to make it work, though the screenwriters don't help things by handing him yet another morose guy to deal with instead of retaining the piss and vinegar that made Constantine such a likable chap to begin with. With more attitude and less glum, the movie would have had a better center to keep it from wallowing in its gloomy seriousness. Still, first-time director Francis Lawrence brings an inspired eye to the picture, delivering on the dingy atmosphere with fantastical effects around each corner to keep things interesting. Despite a gutsy ending that hinges on a late but deliciously juicy reveal of the main villain, the flick seems to have been sculpted in the editing room and not on the page. The sidekick characters are hardly used (and in Shia LaBeouf's case, serve little purpose in the story), and some slog the picture for its vague take on the mysticism angle, even though it remains to be one of the flick's strongest and boldest creative choices. In the end, Constantine is an entertaining ride that only slightly misses its mark, but it's certainly worth the price of admission for people that are looking for something a bit different from your usual Hollywood fare. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide