| (07.26) | Lady in the Water  |
| (05.21) | Da Vinci Code, The  |
| (05.06) | United 93  |
| (02.05) | King Kong  |
| (01.29) | Syriana |
| (01.24) | Walk the Line |
| (01.05) | Chronicles of Narnia, The: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe  |
| (01.02) | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire |
| (12.30) | Jarhead |
| (12.27) | Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit |
| (12.05) | randy: Polar Express, The |
| (12.02) | Geoff: Polar Express, The |
| (07.27) | Jen: Lady in the Water |
| (07.27) | Justin: Lady in the Water |
| (07.12) | Sarah: Da Vinci Code, The |
| (05.25) | Chris: Da Vinci Code, The |
| (05.25) | Acceler8: Da Vinci Code, The |
| (05.21) | Mr Plow: Da Vinci Code, The |
| (05.11) | Sarah: United 93 |
| (05.11) | Bread: United 93 |
The best thing I can say about Keanu Reeves's new comic-book action flick is that it's generally well-made. The worst I can say is that it's a really convoluted and silly movie covered in a deep layer of cheese, despite Reeves's ever-present oh-so-serious acting. I'll split the difference and say that Constantine was just barely half-decent.
No matter how well-made a movie is, I guess I just can't get worked up about a 'religious action movie' in which the good guy battles demons with high-powered automatic weapons. And not just any high-powered automatic weapons though; those wouldn't work against demons. Nope, these ones are blessed high-powered automatic weapons. I kept waiting for our hero, John Constantine (Reeves) to pull out the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch.
Speaking of Keanu Reeves, he's just not a good enough actor to carry a film like this. In Contantine he continues to use the same befuddled and distant acting style that worked so well in the Matrix trilogy, except he ratchets that up a bit here and adds a 'pissed-off edge' to it all. His 'acting' style worked in films like The Matrix because there were many other characters around him that carried the sort of emotional weight that I doubt he's really capable of. In Constantine, there are no such characters.
Anyway, I think I'm bashing this movie a little more than it probably deserves. Still, it's not really worth paying much attention to.
Anyone that hasn't seen this movie... don't put too much into this review. Sorry Geoff, I had to say it. I agree, Keanu's acting is something to be had, you go to a Keanu Reeves movie, you are going to get Keanu Reeves acting, expect it. But overall it was a very entertaining and fun movie. I appreciated your deep analysis of the movie, however, keeping in mind it is a Keanu Reeves movie, I think you tried to delve too deeply. There were a lot of attention to detail concerning religious things that I found were very interesting. Overall entertaining. Don't try and pull more out of something that you know what its going to be, and you just might enjoy it.
I read the review and decided I had to post a comment. It's funny that Rye also posted the same day, but I swear there is no connection!
I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. Yes, it is Keanu's acting but the attention to detail was amazing. Here is what I wrote about it in my LJ after we saw it:
"Last night we went and saw Constantine. It was actually very good. Kind of like a Catholic version of Men In Black. Keanu was tolerable as an actor, and the accuracy of things, such as the androgyny of angels, was very impressive. Interesting use of the camera. But don't go see this movie if you are trying to quit smoking. On the Sarah Scale, this gets 4 out of 5 stars."
I agree with Bread on this one. I liked this movie. Despite Keanu's same old kind of character. It was definitely an entertaining movie.
Way to go on this essay, hepeld a ton.
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