“Underestimated from day one. You’d never think I was a master of the universe, now would ya?”

Justin’s rating: One-and-a-half tines of a pitchfork

Justin’s review: Here’s a fun conversation starter for film nerds: Who played the devil the best in cinema? We are not lacking in candidates, after all. From Elizabeth Hurley (forgot that one, eh?) to Viggo Mortensen to Gabriel Byrne to Tim Curry to Ray Wise, the role of Lucifer seems to be a favorite among stars who enjoy chewing the scenery now and then.

And we most definitely should not leave off that list the king of scene chewing, Al Pacino, who went whole hog in 1997’s The Devil’s Advocate. This film seemed to get a lot of play when it came out on DVD, thanks to the legal movie craze of the ’90s, the rising star of Keanu Reeves, and… Al Pacino, of course.

The Devil’s Advocate is a twist on Paradise Lost, as John Milton (Pacino) is the devil in disguise as a high-powered lawyer in New York City. When you think about it, the whole premise of the devil as a lawyer makes so much sense you wonder why it wasn’t done before.

This was around the time that Hollywood knew it had a huge star in Reeves and kept plugging him into a variety of roles before realizing that, yes, he’s best with scifi, action, and minimal dialogue. Maybe something with a dead dog and evil artificial intelligence. He’s edging out onto a quivering limb here trying to be a conflicted lawyer with a southern accent, but he’s young and likable enough that he gets a pass.

Reeves is Lomax, a skilled trial lawyer who gets snapped up by hell’s all-star defense league. Seduced by power, potential, money, and not a little bit of hero worship for his new boss. He also brings his wife Mary Ann (Charlize Theron) for the ride, which proves to be a pretty bad miscalculation once he realizes what he’s stepped into.

While it’s pretty obvious to all of us — and anyone who reads classical literature — who Milton is, Lomax takes a while warming (heh) up to the truth of his new boss. Milton is charming, ruthless, and smart, and Lomax is ripe for some moral corruption. Whether the young lawyer will be seduced by the pleasures of evil or take a stand in the devil’s den is the crux of this tale.

The Devil’s Advocate begins as a law firm fantasy in the vein of John Grisham, flashing wealth and status as the ultimate perks of being a legal eagle. But as its two-plus hour runtime progresses, it descends into creepy, unsettling supernatural horror. The charm of John Milton is replaced by anger and wild speeches, which is kind of what Al Pacino does best.

This is a great example of ’90s cheese masquerading as serious fare. It’s entertaining, don’t get me wrong, but it is not nearly as slick as it believes it is. That’s actually what may make it more entertaining.

It’s got Theron stumbling through one of her early major roles, some freaky bits of CGI, so many religious references, really dumb plot beats, some pretty punchy cinematography, and loads of great quotes (and speeches). It also may be the only movie I’ve seen that draws out a sensation of dread by lingering on religious paintings and statues (a technique that even got this movie sued).

Sure, it’s basically The Firm with demons instead of the mob, but that’s a fun variation. It’s not one of my favorite Keanu Reeves roles, as Lomax is a bit too dense and out-classed to be a proper protagonist. And it’s probably about 20 minutes too long. Still, it was quite the trip revisiting it.