THE history of cinema is littered with unforgettable screen partnerships: Bogart and Bacall, Hepburn and Tracy, Kermit and Miss Piggy.

I think it's safe to assume that Keanu Reeves and Rachel Weisz won't be joining the hallowed pantheon any time soon.

The last time these bright young things shared the big screen, the result was the deeply unimpressive 1996 techno-thriller Chain Reaction.

In Constantine, Reeves and Weisz reunite for a special effects-laden descent into the underworld, based on the Hellblazer graphic novels.

John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) was born with a terrible gift: the ability to recognise the half-breed angels and demons who walk the Earth in human form.

Tormented by these visions, Constantine took his own life - a sin condemning him to eternal damnation.

Resuscitated against his will, Constantine is cast back into the land of the living where he hopes to earn his salvation by banishing the Devil's foot soldiers back to the fiery gates of Hell from whence they came.

He is assisted by aspiring demon hunter Chas (Shia LaBeouf), who must be content, for the time being, to act as Constantine's chauffeur.

In the course of trying to earn his reprieve, Constantine begins to notice an increase in demon activity and he seeks counsel from the enigmatic angel Gabriel (Tilda Swinton).

Soon after, he meets police officer Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz), who is investigating the strange circumstances surrounding the death of her twin sister Isabel (also played by Weisz). The two join forces and embark on a life-or-death journey into the world that exists just below the surface of modern day Los Angeles, which brings them face-to-face with powerful demons including Balthazar (Gavin Rossdale) and Satan (Peter Stormare).

Constantine is a dazzling visual spectacle and the special effects department works overtime creating some arresting imagery plus lashings of gore.

However, most of the big set-pieces are crammed into the trailer; if you've seen the two-minute promo, then Francis Lawrence's film holds few surprises.

Reeves's inability to conjure a single credible emotion leaves us in no doubt that Constantine is a man who has given up on life.

Unfortunately, it fails to make us sympathise with the anti-hero's plight and there's not a flicker of sexual chemistry with Weisz's two-dimensional heroine.

Swinton brings much-needed gravitas to her supporting role but Stormare overacts wildly. Be sure to stay around until the end credits finish for a sentimental coda that suggests a sequel hovering dangerously on the horizon. Damon Smith