Constantine (2005)

Constantine is about a supernatural detective who helps a policewoman with the details of her sister's death.

The film is directed by Francis Lawrence who has a new movie coming out called Red Sparrow that I'm excited about viewing. Constantine has great visuals and good CGI for the time. He has some great shots and gets some great moments with everything that this needs to have. This was a real challenge and John Constantine is one of my favorite characters in the DC universe.

It's easy to name of Keanu Reeves movies but people tend to forget this one. Maybe it was just too weird at the time for the regular movie going audience to go see. Now, with movies like Guardians of the Galaxy with talking raccoons, this movie seems a bit tamer. Keanu is Keanu in this film. He doesn't really have the characteristics of Constantine but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Rachel Weisz, the girl from The Mummy, is in this and plays both Angela and Isabel Dodson. Her main character's sister has a small role in the movie. She isn't that bad in this film either. A solid performance and it makes me wonder why she doesn't get bigger roles. I think the last film I saw her in was The Lobster.

Shia LeBeouf is also in this film as Chas Kramer which is basically Chas Chandler if you follow the Hellblazer comics. The comics have him having a much different character as it's implied that he's the God of Healing. Either way, he's basically just Constantine's means of transportation and like in the comics, Constantine keeps Chas at a distance because of the nature of his work.

Gavin Rossdale and Tilda Swinton play Balthazar and Gabriel in the film. Tilda is great whereas Gavin just seems to be there to get all the teen-girls-in-the-2000s up in a frenzy. He's the lead singer of Bush by the way and was married to Gwen Stefani.

Result: B- (It's above average for the type of film it is)

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Rental Family (2025)

Rental Family is about an American living in Japan as an actor who falls into an odd acting gig as a surrogate family member or something similar for other people to cope or find meaning in relationships. Written and directed by Hikari, who brought us the critically acclaimed movie 37 Seconds which was sent straight to streaming back in 2020, so don't feel bad if you've never heard of it. This time around she's getting a proper release. Her direction is very artistic and the character writing is great. There are even moments of laughter in this drama. Brendan Frasier plays the main character a "token white guy" as the movie puts it. He is on a role with these select films. I'm excited for a Mummy reunion and his return with The Whale was great. This wasn't as well acted as The Whale, but it was still good. I'm not too sure this will get nominated for any Oscar or do well at the box office, but it was still good. Result: B

The Black Phone 2 (2025)

The Black Phone 2 (2025) is written and directed by Scott Derrickson , the mind behind Sinister and the original The Black Phone . While Derrickson’s return should have elevated the sequel, the film instead leans too heavily on exposition, losing much of the dread and mystery that made the first entry so chilling. The scares feel explained rather than experienced, and the pacing suffers because of it. Mason Thames , reprising his role from the original, delivers a respectable performance. Now older, he brings maturity to the character, though much of the fear and vulnerability that made him compelling in the first film is gone. His performance is serviceable but lacks the spark of discovery the story needs. Ethan Hawke , known for Training Day and Dead Poets Society , returns as The Grabber. His presence still commands the screen, but his reduced role feels like a missed opportunity. The movie never finds a figure as haunting or magnetic as his portrayal in the original. Madelein...

Him (2025)

Him (2025) is directed by Justin Tipping , best known for Kicks , with Jordan Peele serving as a heavy-handed producer. Despite the talent involved, the film leans into “and then” style writing that feels meandering and leaves the audience more tired than engaged. Marlon Wayans , known for White Chicks and Scary Movie , goes over the top in a way that doesn’t fit the film’s intent, creating more distraction than humor or depth. Tyriq Withers , previously in I Know What You Did Last Summer , turns in an even weaker performance here, offering little in the way of presence or believability. Julia Fox , who gained recognition for Uncut Gems , is strange and out of place, adding little to the narrative. Jim Jefferies , a comedian known for Legit , is barely given anything to work with, and his limited screen time wastes his talent. I found myself bored and not surprised. There is also a bit of sacrilegious writing that might turn off some audiences. Result: C+

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