Constantine (2005, DVD)

Decent yet very incoherent adaptation of the Hellblazer comic lacks that book's sense of humor and complexity and goes for the gusto in stupidity with a very bad performance by Keanu Reeves, who manages to make his last two matrix films look like masterpieces compared to his work here. He not only sucks the life out of every scene he's in but manages to bring the film down to his level of acting in certain scenes. Director Frances Lawrence tries hard but lacks focus in certain scenes and lacks a sense of continually with his work. He steals from the best but lacks the substance to pull it off. The only redeeming things this movie has to offer is the performance of Rachel Weisz, who manages to give a strong, complex and moving performance despite the fact that the movie is not worthy of it. I would have liked to have learn more about her character and her relationship with her sister, which would have been a much better movie than this film was if they just could have based the film around her character instead of John Constantine. Djmon Hounsou, who was so great in the film " In America" only has a bit part here and he does well with it but I would have rather had him play a much bigger role than he was allowed to play in this film. Peter Stormare, who was so great in the movies "Birth" and "Chocolat", gives quite an unusual take of the devil. Unfortunately, he's not in the movie very much at all. The special effects are good but the way hell is represented here is more a variation of the sets that was used in the film than something completely original. It's a decent film if you're in the mood for this kind of movie but I you will end up thinking that it could have been better once it's over.