When she sits around the house, she sits AROUND THE HOUSE...

Did you know that Hugh Laurie is a published author? I recalled today that I read a novel of his a few years ago. I looked it up on Amazon today: The Gun Seller. The story concerns an ex-soldier who runs afoul of the international illegal arms trade. If I recall correctly, it is pretty funny and a little outlandish in an action-movie sort of way. Not a bad way to spend one's time.

My wife and I saw Constantine last night. The comic bloggers are all over the map on this movie: some love it, others hated it. I read the comic upon which the film is based in college and enjoyed it (despite its graphic depictions of various forms of depravity) but I am not so loyal to the original concept that I found this adaptation untenable. Changing the location to LA and the nationality of the hero to American did not detract from the story. Keanu Reeves did a decent job, as did the rest of the cast. It hit the right notes and kept a good pace.

Upon reflection, I think what suffered in the translation was the tone of the original comic. Constantine is a smart-ass, but he's also a more-or-less regular guy thrust into the biblical struggle between good and evil. Despite the fact that he deals with angels and demons on a pretty regular basis, his world is shabby and threadbare. He shambles through a London worn down by years of corruption and complacency. The comic dealt with social issues and social commentary as much as it dealt with sorcerous cabals. Like the best fantasy, its fantastic elements are a fun-house reflection of real world themes and problems.

The movie did not deal with anything more than the conflict between otherworldly forces. The LA in the movie lacks character and context. The characters simply move from one room to another, rushing to right the big wrong. This was fine - so far as it goes - but it suffers a bit in comparison with the comic. And the gun was a bit silly.