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Angels. Demons. Humans caught in the middle. Heroes trying to resist temptation and defeat Satan's emissaries. Sounds a lot like an adventure yarn from the mind of Frank Peretti. But Francis Lawrence's action-horror flick Constantine, which opens nationwide Friday, is a far cry from This Present Darkness. While the hero is an exorcist casting out demons right and left, he's not exactly driven by humility or selflessness. And he's not too fond of God.

Constantine movie poster

Keanu Reeves (of Matrix fame) plays John Constantine, a chain-smoking exorcist who knows he's going to hell after his lung cancer does him in. He spends his days trying to earn his way into God's graces by investing in his favorite side of the cosmic battle between good and evil. That's the premise. The film chokes on some murky theology and crooked logic, and it delivers more than its fair share of gratuitous violence and gore. (Look for our full review on Friday.)

Christianity Today Movies recently traveled to L.A., where we caught up with Lawrence, Reeves and others involved with the film. We asked questions about the film's portrayal—and their personal ideas of—good, evil, the afterlife, and redemption. Lawrence and Reeves joined screenwriters Kevin Brodbin and Frank Cappello, and supporting actors Rachel Weisz, Djimon Hounsou, Shia LaBeouf, and Gavin Rossdale for a number of questions from religious press journalists.

Interestingly, Reeves was particularly reluctant to address any questions about his thoughts on religion or spirituality. When one reporter inquired about his religious beliefs, Reeves responded, "Please don't. It's something that's very personal, that's very private."

Some highlights from the interviews (note: some of the discussion includes mild plot spoilers):

Does this kind of movie scare you?

Rachel Weisz says the film is a little too scary for her to watch

Rachel Weisz: I don't like it actually. It's not scary to make the movie, but it's scary to watch it. It's not a feeling I enjoy. [This one's] right on the edge of what I can handle.

Djimon Hounsou: I don't really like watching movies of this nature. The fact that we did it meant I had to watch it. But otherwise, I wouldn't go. I don't have the nerves for it. I just can't deal with it.

What do you hope viewers will take away from seeing Constantine?

Francis Lawrence: I hope viewers get the simple story—the hero's journey. You have this guy who's dying of cancer and he knows he's going to hell. He's trying to prevent it. He's a selfish guy, doing things for selfish reasons. And then, he has that turn. It's a movie about redemption.

Down underneath that, there are [other] ideas that we play with—like the perception of good and evil. What is good? What is evil? It's not just what we're told is good and evil. We have to think about that for ourselves.

Shia LaBeouf: I don't think this movie was made to push ideas or philosophies on anybody. It's a fun ride. It's purely for enjoyment purposes only. I think if somebody walks into it with a serious mindset, it could permanently affect them and give them nightmares, or put them in a place they don't want to be.

I understand that it's dealing with religious philosophies, and there's probably a lesson in the film. But I don't necessarily think anybody's walking away from the film going, "Now I'm going to change my life because of that." It's not The Passion of the Christ.

Weisz: It's about the capacity that we as human beings have to do good or to do evil. Good and evil occur on the earth, and we have free will. We can choose. But there is also a question of predestination—God's will. There's a tension between these two things, and it's in a state of flux. It's one of the biggest questions you can ask. For me it's a question that is unanswerable. We can't say to what degree we're in charge. We don't know these things. It's a mystery.

Gavin Rossdale: This movie shows us the power of change. It's so poignant, so resonant. Constantine shows us this man's journey, what he learns about himself, and the satisfaction that comes from giving yourself away. It gave me the shivers when I watched it. I'm so proud to be part of this film because it has a positive message.

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