CONSTANTINE
© Warner Bros.

Mania Grade: B
Reviewed Format: Theatrical Release
Rated: R
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, Tilda Swinton, Peter Stormare, Gavin Rossdale, Pruitt Taylor Vince
Writers: Kevin Brodbin and Frank Cappello, story by Kevin Brodbin, based on the DC Comics/Vertigo HELLBLAZER series
Director: Francis Lawrence
Distributor: Warner Bros.

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CONSTANTINE

A riff that's done well, if not as unique as its makers seem to believe ...

CONSTANTINE has the enjoyable, hard-charging energy of a movie being made by people who revel about equally in their characters, lore and special effects. The film is based on the HELLBLAZER comic series (fans of the print version may be unhappy with alterations made to the hero), but it also has concepts that are recognizable from Greg Widen's PROPHECY films and various Clive Barker novels. However, if you don't mind a couple of notions that have surfaced before, CONSTANTINE is pretty entertaining.

Keanu Reeves stars as John Constantine, a man with one hell of a problem. Plagued by visions as a child and believed by no one, Constantine committed suicide in adolescence. He was revived after two minutes with the knowledge that his visions are real and that he's now damned to Hell for having killed himself (despite the revival). He's spent the rest of his life trying to work his way back into God's good graces by sending wayward demons back to the infernal realms, but time is running out Constantine has cancer. Worse, somebody has found the Spear of Destiny, which can bring about the birth of Lucifer's son on Earth.

The screenplay by Kevin Brodbin and Frank Cappello, from Brodbin's screen story, puts forth a fairly intricate yet easy to follow set of rules, making for a multitextured world, envisioned in creepy, weird splendor by director Francis Lawrence, who delivers some fascinating images and good shocks (there's a car crash early on that's a doozy). Reeves is just swell as the cranky, sly and resentful hero who is sincerely pissed off about the fate he's trying to dodge, while Rachel Weisz does a fine job as the LAPD detective who has unusual reasons for seeking Constantine out. Tilda Swinton as the Angel Gabriel is so joyously ethereal and loopy, and such an inspired piece of casting, that we wouldn't mind seeing the character's other adventures.

CONSTANTINE is a bit tradition-bound in some ways, but it is satisfyingly dense, with visual pizzazz and narrative vitality. As mainstream horror/fantasy goes, it's better than many it has been thought out with conviction and executed with flair.