Artless farrago has lots of CGI effects but little genuine style

Rating: 6/10 (29 July 2005)

In an attempt to get back in good with God, chain-smoking Keanu Reeves, who has seen demons on Earth all his life(which led to a suicide attempt), dedicates his life to driving the demons back to Hell; meanwhile, a female police detective, investigating the murder/suicide of her twin sister, believes occult forces may be to blame, AND someone out in the Mexico desert has come across the same sword many believe was used to kill Jesus. Sometimes baffling, mostly bizarre graphic novel concoction will probably blow a lot of people away, and indeed it has some arresting sequences, but too much of it is thrown at the screen simply give the audience a jolt. When Reeves, hacking up blood on a busy street in Hollywood, is attacked by a demon made up of insects, we're never quite sure whether others can see this, where this monster came from, or why he's attacking just then. The picture is very jaded and thematically sloppy and a little stupid, with one very funny supporting character shafted in such a way that it left me only feeling revulsion. We get glimpses of Heaven and Hell(mostly Hell), but for all its bravado, "Constantine" isn't very memorable. I had nearly forgotten about it the next day.