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Battle fatigue may set in

"Close your eyes and whatever happens, don't look."

That advice from a hard-boiled, cigarette-smoking guy called John Constantine refers to his initial, muscle-flexing, warm-up exorcism, but it may as well refer to the movie that bears his name.

Warner Bros. Pictures 'Constantine' C The verdict: Assault with a demonic weapon, plus another minimal performance from Keanu. Director: Francis Lawrence Starring: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Max Baker, Djimon Hounsou, Tilda Swinton Run time: 121 minutes Release date: Feb. 18, 2005 Rating: R for violence and demonic images See showtimes On the web Official movie site View the trailer   -- Trailers require Quicktime [an error occurred while processing this directive]

It is not that there isn't anything worth watching in this mythic tale of good versus evil, based on the graphic novel — yeah, a comic book — called Hellblazer. It is just that only those who enjoy paying to be assaulted for two hours need apply.

Such primal battles have long been the stuff of the movies, but now comes music video director Francis Lawrence to show us how to apply computer effects to these skirmishes. How did the forces of heaven and hell face off previously without the movie wizardry to conjure up swarms of maggots, slithering serpents and disintegrating faces?

Some moviegoers simply like to be jolted by nightmarish images, while others prefer to have something to think about. Oddly enough, Constantine tries to appeal to both camps. The easy part is coming up with visuals to creep us out. Somewhat harder is devising a coherent story, so credit the original DC Comic for building its heady yarn from bits of John Milton's Paradise Lost. If word of that gets out, it might be enough to keep teens from flocking to Constantine.

You see, despite their pact declaring Earth offbounds, half-breed angels and demons have been popping up around here, disguised as humans. But Constantine (Keanu Reeves) was born with the ability to recognize them, a knack which turns out to be part gift, part curse. You would chain-smoke too if you saw satanic figures prowling about and then, like Constantine, you would have lung cancer and spit up blood.

Along the way to beating back the latest scourge of demons, Constantine collides with policewoman Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz), who needs answers about her twin sister Isabel's death. She jumped or fell from the roof of the hospital where she was undergoing psychiatric treatment, and Angela wants to prove it was not suicide. Isabel, you see, was driven nuts by her ability to see these otherworldly creatures and now Angela recalls that she had such visions when she was younger too.

Oh, and there's a subplot with the Sword of Destiny, whose possessor is said to rule the world. Found in Mexico, wrapped in a Nazi flag, the sword proves to be a red herring.

Reeves' acting has always tended toward the minimal, a style he sticks to again here. Weisz puts in double duty as the Dodson twins and gamely accepts being submerged — something about water being a conduit to the supernatural. Besides, she looks good wet.

Adding flavor in offbeat supporting roles are Tilda Swinton as the dark-winged angel Gabriel, Djimon Hounsou as a witch doctor with his own kinky nightclub and Pruitt Taylor Vince as a priest with a drinking problem. Either Lawrence is very persuasive or Constantine had a large budget for cast salaries. It sure wasn't the screenplay that drew these folks.

It would not be giving away too much to say that Constantine seems to be setting itself up for a sequel by the time it fades out. That good versus evil thing seems to have a future.