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Volume 70, Issue 94,
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Life & Arts Reeves returns to battle evil Film's disturbing depictions of
war between God and the Devil banned
By Tony Hernandez
Keanu Reeves comes back to the big screen to go against the devil, this time as John Constantine in Francis Lawrence's first film, Constantine. This time Reeves doesn't play Satan's son, but rather tries to stop him from taking over earth. While the government of Brunei has banned this movie because the depiction of God and Satan is inappropriate for its citizens, fans in this country will see a movie based off DC Comics' Hellblazer written by comic book legend Alan Moore.
Keanu Reeves stars as a link between the dead and the living in Constantine, a film that features graphic scenes of the battle between God and Satan, who are vying for the souls of humanity. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures The movie is centered on a wager made by God and the devil for the souls of humanity. Only God and the devil can't directly interfere with mankind -- they can only influence them through "half breeds," aka angels and demons. Constantine was born with the ability to see the half breeds that tormented his childhood. The "gift" drove him to commit suicide at a young age. Since suicide is a cardinal sin, he got to sample the tortures of Hell and somehow found a way back to life. Determined to buy his way back into Heaven, Constantine chooses to battle those demons that break the wagers rules by possessing humans. Unfortunately for him, Heaven is not easily bought and the devil is eager to get a hold of his soul for all the demon's Constantine has exorcised back to Hell. In a time when there is an unusual rise in demons crossing the ethereal planes, Constantine crosses paths with Detective Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) whose twin recently went to Hell because of a questionable death. Both discover their faiths are intertwined and set out to stop the devil's son from crossing over and taking over the world. One of the films best qualities is its vividly different characters. Constantine gets advise from Archangel Gabriel (Tilda Swinton) and butts heads with Balthazar (Gavin Rossdale) one of Satan's top half breeds. Constantine gains help from an unconventional priest (Pruitt Taylor Vince), a witch doctor (Djimon Honsou) who runs a neutral club where half breeds can gather and meet, and a Q-like character (Max Baker) who supplies Constantine with creative weapons to fight the demons. And of course Constantine eventually runs into Satan himself (Peter Stormare) who steals the show. However, perhaps the best aspect of this movie is its fearful, eerie atmosphere and overall look. One of the most incredibly detailed scenes of the movie is when Constantine, in various points throughout the movie, crosses over to Hell, a burning version of Los Angeles. All the tormented souls are underground and ripped apart by demon soldiers who have human like bodies. Lawrence, who is better known for directing music videos for Britney Spears, Will Smith, Sarah McLachlan and Aerosmith, does a good job transforming a comic book story onto the big screen. And while this movie may not generate numbers like Spider Man or Hulk, moviegoers who enjoy this type of genre will be entertained from beginning to end. Constantine Rated: R for violence and demonic images Starring: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz Warner Brothers Pictures Verdict: Who knew Hell could be so fun. Send comments to dcshobiz@mail.uh.edu |
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