Constantine (2005) - Keanu vs. Hell (and Lung Cancer)

I am surprised it took me this long to watch. It's a comic book movie, though one I never heard of when I collected back in the 20th century. has gotten good buzz and reviews. I think it had to do with those mid-2000s CGI comic movies that turned me off. I'm talking about you, Ghost Rider!

Anyway, it was worth the wait. It's an entertaining movie that, while it breaks no new ground, does a more-than-adequate job of piquing my curiosity.

Keanu plays the lead, a man who can see demons from (literally) hell and sends them back via exorcisms. It's more a curse than a blessing, and he's clearly not into it. There is this whole other world under ours where Satan and God are playing a game, and humanity is the pieces. He knows it, knows the players, knows the stomping grounds and underground clubs. Yeah, there are biblical underground clubs in this movie.

Without giving the plot away too much, it looks like some demons have found a way to actually get out of a person and take over Earth. It will be the end of days. It's up to Keanu and Rachel to figure out how to stop them.

This might be one of Keanu's best acting performances. The script doesn't give him too much to say, and there is not a lot of monologues where he needs to emote. The surrounding cast is all character actors you've seen in a dozen movies, and if you look closely, you'll recognize Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale as Balthazar and a young Shia LaBeouf as Constantine's sidekick. 

The CGI holds up, the directing is actually quite impressive, it moves quick and knows when to linger. I was evident they wanted to put real effort into getting this thing made. 

Warning: Keanu chain-smokes through the entire thing, and as an ex-smoker, I gotta say my mouth started watering after the tenth cigarette was lit. If you're an ex-smoker, you might be tempted to run to the market for a pack. 

A random stranger's opinion - Just a solid movie with some mysticism, action, humor, and depth. Can't go wrong with that.

Grade: B