Capsule reviews of films opening this week:
"Constantine" - Picture the music video for Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me a River." You remember it - the one in which Justin glides through a sleek, modern mansion in muted shades of green and gray, exacting revenge on a blonde in a newsboy cap who looks suspiciously like his real-life ex-girlfriend, Britney Spears. Now picture the video as a two-hour movie, with Keanu Reeves standing in for Justin. And imagine that instead of being a boy-band icon, Reeves is a chain-smoking exorcist who trolls the seedy sections of Los Angeles, babbling in a sarcastic monotone about the battle between good and evil that's secretly being waged all around us. And there you have "Constantine." It looks fantastic - director Francis Lawrence helmed the award-winning Timberlake video and many others before making his film debut here - but takes itself so seriously, it's often laugh-out-loud funny. R for violence and demonic images. 122 min. Two stars out of four.
- Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic
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"Son of the Mask" - This sorry little offspring of the 1994 hit features Jamie Kennedy blundering along for the absent Jim Carrey, who starred in the original. The filmmakers have toned down the action and purged whatever traces of adult mentality the original possessed to present the followup as a family-friendly flick. Yet the antics are so dumb, they likely will annoy even young children. Kennedy plays a hubby who takes on shape-shifting superpowers after donning an ancient mask, gets frisky with his wife, then faces no end of mayhem when his baby is born possessing the same abilities. Alan Cumming, Bob Hoskins and Traylor Howard co-star. PG for action, crude and suggestive humor, and language. 95 min. One and a half stars out of four.
- David Germain, AP Movie Writer
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"Because of Winn-Dixie"- If you're the kind of person who thinks dogs are just OK - you're not allergic to them and you've never had a traumatic confrontation with one on the sidewalk - you'll probably find yourself vaguely charmed by this family film. But if you're a dog person - wow. Forget it. Bring Kleenex. You'll be a blubbering puddle within the first 10, 15 minutes or so. And several more times after that. Ten-year-old Opal (AnnaSophia Robb) inadvertently adopts a dog she names Winn-Dixie, after the grocery store where she finds him. He helps the lonely girl make new friends (Eva Marie Saint, Cicely Tyson, Dave Matthews) in a small Florida town. Is "Winn-Dixie" an instant classic, right up there with "Lassie Come Home" and "My Dog Skip"? Probably not. But it is undeniably touching and totally appropriate for the entire family, with its themes of unexpected friendship and unconditional love. PG for thematic elements and brief mild language. 106 min. Two and a half stars out of four.
- Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic
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