Constantine [Blu-ray]

Constantine is a fair adaptation of the DC/Vertigo comic Hellblazer, which features anti-hero John Constantine in a perpetual battle between good and evil and self-want versus doing what is right. It is apt to say that no overly unjust work has been done to the original form (save, of course, making him American and no longer blonde) but the heavy use of CGI does come across at times, like an attempt to impress without substance. To put it all in perspective, this isn’t The Dark Knight but it’s far superior to The Incredible Hulk. Constantine acts as supernatural enforcer, keeping the balance between heaven and hell on earth, deporting any half-breed demons that cross over. Keanu Revees (The Matrix) is essentially an exorcist who’s become so cold after years of attempting to "buy” his way into heaven that it seems he’s only saving people so that he can prevent his damnation (he tried to commit suicide as a child and is damned for it). Detective Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardner) is investigating her twin sister’s suicide, which leads her to Constantine. The morbid elements become more prevalent when it’s revealed that Satan’s son is attempting to cross over onto earth. With everything set, Constantine has to pick between love and life, right and wrong and himself and the world he has grown to hate so much. Extras are a smorgasbord on this Blu-Ray, with an in-movie experience with director Francis Lawrence giving an explanation of the story, characters, stunts and his first feature filmmaking process. Additionally there are two commentaries from director Francis Lawrence and producer Akiva Goldsman, and screenwriters Kevin Brodbin and Frank Cappello. As well there are 18 minutes of deleted scenes, and cut for a good reason. Other extras include "Channelling Constantine,” where the crew describe the DC/Vertigo character and how they crafted him for his first film, "Conjuring Constantine,” where John Constantine is explained in the context of DC/Vertigo comics and his origin in the Swamp Thing series. There’s also a "Director’s Confessional,” where Francis Lawrence goes through his thoughts, opinions and woes while creating his inaugural film; "Collision with Evil” is an in-depth look at the special effects of a chaotic car crash from a stunt man/director’s perspective; "Shotgun Shootout” is an interesting look at the choreography behind the best action sequence in the movie; and "Hellscape” explains the crew’s thoughts on what hell should have looked like in the movie and how they went about creating it. "Foresight: The Power Of Pre-Visualization:” explains the difference between the movie and the actual happenings in the Hellblazer comic.