A one of kind movie that sticks with you, it's unique and striking. The characters are so well cast and well acted, their chemistry drives this movie. The cinematography is perfectly dark and haunting and the effects/CGI still hold up. Constantine is just a cool dark movie that fits a niche religious/demonic genre.
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Calicodreamin10 August 2021
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LAKERS3425 July 2005This is a fable...it's not supposed to be so rooted in reality that we scoff at the implausibilities and the plot holes... We're not watching it to say "look at how that happened" or "why is it all happening here in L.A. when we have these worldwide problems" or...whatever... It has to happen somewhere; either you buy off on the fable and get into the story or you flush it...
While not being Catholic, through theological edification I was able to make sense of storyline, ironies, metaphors, etc... I liked Reaves' character and again, it's a matter of preference - love or hate - but he played Constantine's miserable demon-cop just right - Reaves continues to find rolls suited to his particular, dark style. Special effects were great, and I give the film kudos for not diving in and becoming an effects extravaganza...it remains online to the story and where we're going... Weisz as heroine and Peter Stormare as Lucifer himself were well-cast. What can I say? It was great diversion and a fun DVD to watch. Check it out! -
John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) can see things, you know. Demons, angels, stuff like that. Oddly enough, though, people believe he can - mostly because he moonlights as an exorcist, trapping demons - who shall not stay in his plane! - in mirrors and smashing them to teeny bits. World weary and constantly sucking on a coffin nail, Constantine is beleaguered and burned out, a noir detective for the afterlife, if you will. But he's alive; he's just cursed with the gift of seeing demons and angels. And he's a suicide, having been clinically dead for two minutes once upon a time, a time during which he literally saw Hell.
Cop Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) just lost her sister, a patient who jumped off the top of a mental hospital; Angela thinks her sister also Saw Something, and so she goes to John for help. Did Isabel know something? Where is she now? Can Angela see, too? Well, she can, actually, because Isabel was her twin sister, and as we all know twins share everything. So, using Angela, Constantine learns that the Bad Guys (demons), who are supposed to stay in Hell, have been crossing over to the plane of the living, presumably to raise hell. But Constnatine knows there's something else afoot, something only witchcraft, voodoo, and other otherworldly things can uncover.
If there was ever a role that the adult Reeves was born to play (besides that of Neo), it's that of John Constantine. Constantine wanders hither and yon, doing good deeds and helping with crimes involving the occult, and so forth, all with a resigned and - pardon another pun - rather soulless attitude. Constantine knows he's doomed to a lifetime of doing this, partly because he tried to kill himself and partly because he has The Gift. It's this kind of dispassionate nihilism that plays perfectly to Reeves' own dull, emotionless acting range. He's perfect for the role, based on a comic book called Hellblazer.
Weisz is pretty good - believable, at least - as the clumsily named Angela, but the real standout among the supporting cast is Peter Stormare as Satan himself. Incredibly creepy; he looks like a kindergarten teacher but behaves like a pedophile. The hair on the back of your neck will rise when Stormare enters the picture about three-fourths through.
Two other things the movie has going for it are a rather simplistic plot and some fantastic special effects (for example, a demon made up of bugs). Movies based on comic books tend to overburden themselves and the viewer with far too many plot twists. It's not tough - you have a good guy, you have a bad guy, and the first must defeat the second. Throw in some ethical and moral conflicts, give the good guy a power of sorts, and you're off and running. Constantine does this pretty well.
The atmosphere of the film is riveting as well, with effects special and otherwise transporting the viewer to Right There, whether it's a voodoo bar, Hell, or the mean streets of the city.
If you watch the movie with the idea that it's a filmed comic book, you shouldn't be dissatisfied with the result. John Constantine lives in a world in which he sees unspeakable evil on a daily basis, and he himself has literally been to Hell and back on more than one occasion. His lot is to suffer for his sin; can he find redemption in a cutie named Angela? -
Tweetienator30 May 2019In my view an underrated and over-criticized movie - Constantine got nice visuals, an interesting story and some good acting. No masterpiece and not Mr. Reeves best movie but a solid piece of horror if you like to watch movies with demons and exorcism and some good ol' action. Thumbs up.
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Despite what people say this film is actually quite good. Sure it had some flaws and the story kind of dragged on but the effects were very good and the acting (which is pretty amazing) didn't suck. Keanu wasn't as bad as he usually is and Rachel Weisz does a very good job with what I think is a well written part. The must annoying actor in the film is in my opinion not Keanu but Tilda Swinton. The actor who I felt brought most passion and enthusiasm to his role was Peter Stormare who obviously enjoyed playing Satan and the scenes with him are admittedly some of the most interesting in the film and even though he is only on screen for something like 5 - 10 minutes he should almost be credited as a main character thats how good he is.
Now story wise the film had some issues but they weren't as serious as many people claim they are. As I stated previously the film does drag a little and it does take a long time for the film to actually reveal its point but its the little things that are really interesting. The exorcism scene is very well done and the effects are generally very well made. Effects doesn't make a film, however, and in spite of the issues the film actually succeeds in telling the story it wants to and the ending is indeed a climax.
I haven't read the comics so I didn't really have any expectations when I saw the film. I have heard that the avid fans of the comic books complained that Keanu Reeves doesn't fit the role. That might be true but to me he really didn't seem that bad. He still has a very clear well defined body language which I feel makes up for his monotonous voice (at least to some degree). I went in to the cinema and saw the film with an open mind which is what I advise future viewers to do and not rely too heavily on what the critics say.
All in all an excellent film
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The movie deals about John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) , a tough detective in charge of exorcisms and throwing out supernatural beings and bizarre creatures toward hell , employing only as weapons a shot-cross and holy water . He has ability to go and back from inferno . He is helped by a sympathetic apprentice (Shia LaBeouf). Constantine teams up with a gorgeous policewoman called Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) to resolve the rare suicide of her twin sister (also interpreted by the same). They try to investigate the deeds at whatever risk . In the beginning , skeptical Angela doubts on the mysterious events are happening but she is caught up by ominous demon . Both protagonists will confront against forces of evil , the devil , Balthazar and underlings (Peter Stormare , Gavin Rassdale) . It's a horrible struggle between Angels- Gabriel (Tilda Swinton)- and demons developed in contemporary city Los Angeles .
From the start to the finish the action-packed and suspense is unstopped . The movie is spectacular and exciting and the supernatural plot is narrated in stimulating and moving manner . The film is plenty of tension , thriller , terror , grisly murders and is developed in fast moving and for that reason results to be entertaining . Picture has a plethora of special effects created by computer generator describing catastrophic series of of otherworldly happenings and weird entities ; they are realized by the master Stan Winston for animatronics effects and for the make-up ; besides the visual effects are created by Phil Tippet (Starship Troopers and Jurassic Park) . Colorful and sensational cinematography by the French Philippe Rousselot . Exceptional as well as lively musical score by two excellent musicians : Klaus Badelt and Brian Tyler . Motion picture was well directed by Francis Lawrence . The flick will appeal to Keanu Reeves fans and fantastic thriller enthusiasts. -
Context.
You need context.
This review penned in 2017, some 12 years after the release.
In this period, Marvel and DC are at each other's throats, each trying to monetize every character, sub-character, plot device and dust bunny from their respective libraries. Regardless of merit. It is all about the dollars.
A story as pure as this one -- penned by Kevin Brodbin -- could never be done today because it lacks the setup for a dozen spinoffs and sequels, as well as the mandatory backstory and product placements.
Sporting two of the most charismatic and photogenic stars of all time, at the peak of their careers, we have a story with no bad lines, no lapses in the arcs, and no time wasted. Just pure, engrossing, film pleasure from beginning to end.
Yes, I know that it was not appreciated in its day. But the future is always the final judge.
((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present)) -
classicsoncall22 September 2020Based on the DC/Vertigo comic book "Hellblazer", the title of this film was changed to denote the principal character, John Constantine. Keanu Reeves makes for an effective protagonist, though it might have made more sense to keep his nationality a Brit as in the original stories. I read the series for a bit back in the day, and a number of the basics the screenwriters got right, like Constantine's chain smoking and a reference to ghosts of those he killed following him around. In this picture, Constantine is apparently going to do the job Papa Midnite (Djimon Hounsou) is supposed to do, that is, keep the balance between heaven and hell that exists just behind our own world. I thought it kind of curious that he would use an old electric chair from Sing-Sing to transport himself to hell to learn of Isabel Dodson's (Rachel Weisz) demise. Learning that she really did commit suicide comes as discomforting news to her twin sister Angela (Weisz in a dual role), who insists on helping Constantine in his war against a demonic takeover of the Earth. Excellent special effects and a creative script combine to underpin a dark and dystopian view of the battle between good and evil, as the Angel Gabriel, remarkably portrayed by Tilda Swinton, switches sides to team up with the son of Satan (Peter Stormare) in a futile cause. Though Constantine himself is unsuccessful in his desire to leave this mortal coil, being recalled, so to speak, by Satan for ultimately doing a good deed. Shia LaBeouf appears as Constantine's chauffeur, eager to join his crusade against the demonic forces at play in the world, and puts in an impressive effort if Papa Midnite is any judge. But it's no comfort for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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Constantine (2005) in my opinion is an underrated Comic Book Film and one of my favorite anticipated supernatural horror flicks of my life. Keanu Reeves and Rachel Weisz reunite in this flick, after 9.years later when they both made together Chain Reaction (1996) one of my favorite sci-fi action flick. Anyway beside End of Days (1999) with Schwarzenegger in the starring role, Constantine is the only supernatural horror film that I know and like. After just watching this film I must say is a far way million times better than overrated The Exorcist (1973) that everyone highly praises that film. I love this movie to death and it is my fifth favorite best Keanu Reeves movie. John Constantine is iconic character that I think that Keanu Reeves did impressive acting performance, including way better job than he did in movies he is doing this days.
I love this film. It has nice, thoroughly believable action for this sort of supernatural fare, and attractive leads in the shape of Keanu & Rachel, supported by Tilda Swinton as god's right-hand, Gabriel (reprising her Orlando persona). It looks great too and does the merging of separate worlds (Earth and Hell) very well. Keanu plays an embittered exorcist with a 30 a day habit and some caustic barbs for anyone he runs into. Rachel Weisz enters as a cop with some private history of her own connected with the occult world, and soon the two of them are drawn towards apocalypse & hell on earth. It's a throughly enjoyable purchase if you like the big theme Good Vs Evil, with the usual blurring, devils, angels, and shotguns firing holy shot. The CGI is also up to scratch, which isn't something you can always say on films being made even in 2008. Very, very enjoyable so long as you appreciate the subject matter and don't expect massive gun-battles, stop frame kung-fu, bullet time etc. An absolutely superb film. Keanu Reeves plays his role perfectly to his characters identity. Interesting throughout I was gripped to this film from start to finish. One of the best comic adaptations without a doubt.
This is the type of comic book movie that I like to see; R rated, good action scenes, badass main character (and in Constantine case he sure is one considering that Devil himself will come to collect his soul), actors who actually do their job right, good direction, good score, no unnecessary bullshit subplots that are not needed and only extend the running time, great cinematography and visuals, and some decent practical effects. CGI maybe doesn't hold up but I personally don't have any problems with it in this case. My only problems with the film are again all the hate that it gets. I still don't get the hate for this film, I love the storyline , the action and the twists. Specially this is Keanu Reeves I see in here. 10.years ago he was a promise actor now he is a sold out washed up actor who just doesn't care about his fans any more. He keeps wearing long hair and he has a beard + he can't act anymore. Watch Knock Knock (20015) and you will see what I am talking about.
Constantine tells the story of John Constantine (Keanu Reeves), a man who has literally been to hell and back. When he teams up with skeptical policewoman Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) to solve the mysterious suicide of her twin sister, their investigation takes them through the world of demons and angels that exists just beneath the landscape of contemporary Los Angeles. Caught in a catastrophic series of otherworldly events, the two become inextricably involved and seek to find their own peace at whatever cost.
That's the basic plot. It is more apocalyptic movie that means end of the world. Gabriel (Tilda Swinton) the archangel believes that by bringing Hell to Earth, humans can become worthy of Gods love through repentance and faith. The movie has everything, ghosts, demons, arch angels it even has Lucifer (Peter Stormare) in it. Rachel Weisz did a perfect outstanding job as female lead in this movie. I seriously love her performance and I love Keanu Reeves. Shia LaBeouf also did a perfect job as Chas Kramer, Constantine's friend and helper, I feel sad that he had to die by the end of the movie and his character was killed off.
Overall I am giving this movie 10/10 because this movie deserves it and it doesn't need to be hated for it by critics or fans. The movie was fun and I have enjoy it! -
radhrh4 July 2022It's a Hollywood mystery why 2005's Constantine wasn't more popular and didn't at least get a sequel. There was a TV show a decade later but that only got a single series and considering some of the dross which get several series, I'm looking at you, Hemlock Grove, that's got to be a shame.
So we have a bankable star, a strong supporting cast, a well written script, an existing lore and decent enough special effects ( for 2005 ). Oh yeah, there's also something about the eternal struggle between good and evil. So what's not to like? I guess it's a little too dark for some and the concept that humans are only the playthings of God and the other guy might be a tough bullet to chew for those who take religion seriously.
Now streaming on Netflix. -
ttbloodlusttt5 September 2005This movie was really great in my opinion. If you like the horror/sci-fi genre then this is definitely for you. The effects are great and the make-up is exceptional as well. Keanu and Rachel really compliment each other in the roles they are in. I wouldn't expect something phenomenal but this genre of movies is rarely gifted with such a insightfully plotted movie such as Constantine.The character build is great and the background of the characters isn't completely clouded which is awesome, there's no feeling of confusion when it comes to whats going on. It seems in some scenes the director was going for a certain emotion which made it feel awkward but the action and reactions are nice. Keanu really came across as tough doomed and uncaring, while Rachel came across as determined and brave. There is no reason to not give this movie a chance, if it seems like something you would like, i recommend seeing it. The concepts and setups aren't something of the usual nature so its a welcomed change of pace. I don't rate this 10/10 because is was astounding and mind shattering, a movie of the century, I rate it 10/10 because it was enjoyable and i have watched it many times without feeling tired of it. The score and soundtrack are great as well, providing some depth into certain scenes. The contrast and colors are good, although looking a little too dark in some scenes. The movie takes you to many places, so there is no feeling that you are in one place, sometimes I feel that movies that take place in the same space create a feeling of urgency, not so in Constantine. Some enjoyable aspects is the historical tie ins and use of terminology. All in all, this is an exceptional movie, it moves from scene to scene with little dragging in one spot, and has a great ending.
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prouddog8 February 2005Constantine was the Roman emperor who recognized Christianity and made if possible for the Church to move from the underground into the public arena. He did it out of convenience, thinking that it would be easier to work with the Christian church than try to fight it. He lived most of his life as a ruthless leader who gave the orders to kill even members of his family. Constantine accomplished much good in his life, even though he had what most would say were impure motives.
But the Roman Constantine is not the same as the same-named title character of the new film, "Constantine," from DC-Vertigo Comics and Warner Brothers Pictures. Or is he? John Constantine, from the comic novels "Hellblazer," is doomed to hell when he dies. His situation may be hopeless, but he operates as if he could buy his way into heaven by doing enough good by removing enough evil from the world. He's a chain-smoking, hard-drinking, rude and uncaring man who is the hero of our film.
Angela Dodson is a pure-hearted, loving sister who is seeking the truth to her twin sister, Isabel's, death. It would seem she has nothing but the best motives, but conflicted people and incongruous motives are what make this movie interesting.
Interesting questions surrounding the death of Jesus Christ, the existence of demons on Earth, the ultimate destination of our soul when we die and even the perfect lack of all evil in angels are woven into a screen adaptation of a character and story with a cult following. It seems as though this ambiguity regarding good and evil may exist in film as well as real life. In "Constantine," it is not good verses evil -- but rather it is good and evil taking turns messing things up and making them better. In life the rule seems to be strangely similar. John Constantine's ability to do good without pure motives may give hope to the rest of us who regularly do things for all the wrong reasons.
The visuals and the sound presentation in this film are wonderful. Philippe Rousselot's cinematography and Brian Tyler and Klaus Badelt's energetic soundtrack are masterful. The acting, however, is only adequate. Keanu Reaves has long since learned how to play Keanu Reaves. He continues with what he knows best. Shia LaBeouf, after a similar role in "I, Robot," is becoming quite an accomplished "plucky sidekick" too. But the standout in this film is the emotional and endearing performance by Rachel Weisz as Angela Dodson. The movie is one worth seeing aside from her presence, but Weisz's performance take it from a "see it if you like action movies" recommendation to a "see it to admire Rachel Weisz's performance" endorsement.
Constantine is rated "R" for demonic images and violence. It opens in theatres February 18. -
kitormitsuug8 February 2005Keanu Reeves plays the title character in this adaptation of the cult DC/Vertigo comic book called Hellblazer, and while the movie does have its merits, it's not very faithful to the source material that it came from. The movie stars Keanu Reeves as a gumshoe whose specialty is in dealing with the occult. He specialty draws the attention of a police detective played by Rachel Weisz, who asks for his help in her investigation of her twin sister's suicide. A suicide that she thinks that is more than it appears to be. In due time, they both will encounter what lies under the surface of their world which is inhabited by both the angels of heaven and the demons of the underworld who are both fighting their own war for the fate of mankind. The movie is shot beautifully in the way it tries to capture both of the landscapes of good and evil that lives in this film's setting and the special effects does the film justice in its interpretation of hell that looks like an apocalyptic version of downtown Los Angeles, which is the setting of this film by the way. Unfortunately, the script is so unfocused that it hurts what this film trying to accomplish and the dialog itself lacks conviction for the material itself. The climax of the film is a major letdown because it just takes all the serious aspects of the film and just tosses them out in favor of a brief Matrix like a gunfight that undercuts the movie's tone and an incoherent ending that leaves more questions than answers. I'm not as hard as a lot of people are on the acting abilities of Keanu Reeves and he does his role well but his performance lacked something here in this film and it felt more phone in than genuine. Rachel Weisz on the other hand delivers a strong and moving performance that does deliver the goods but you will end up thinking that she is giving more to the film that it deserves because her performance is way too good for this movie. She's so good in fact that if the people who made this film wanted to make a faithful adaptation of the Hellblazer comic book, they could have cast her in the role of Kitt, Constantine's one true love. Now being a casual reader of the comic of whom this film is based on, the character of John Constantine is not well represented in this film and the script makes him look like a shill who wants to redemption which is the polar opposite of who the character is in the comic book who only served himself. The character also had a slick side to him that gave you the impression that he knew more than he let on while the character in the movie is flying by the seat of his pants during the whole film. Plus he relied on his wits to defeat his enemies while the character in the movie has a gadget man who makes him weapons (The brass knuckles scene in the movie is a joke because the John Constantine of the comic book can't handle himself well in a fight). The cancer subplot in the film only serves as a footnote while in the comic book, it had more of an impact and certain characters who show up in the film are just watered down versions of their comic counterparts. The most offensive of these characters is Chaz, who is John Constantine's best friend (and is a grown man with kids) but he is reduced to a street kid who is basically a lap dog for Constantine to pick on. The only character in the film that closely resembles the comic book is Papa Midnight, who's really more of an adversary in the comic than the friend he is in the movie. Judging this movie on it's own merits, It's a passable popcorn movie that has a better than deserved performance by Rachel Weisz. Judging the movie as an adaptation of the comic book, it's a letdown.
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The latest comic-book offering from Hollywood is this dark, depressing supernatural thriller which sees Keanu Reeves as a Neo-like hero, this time employed as an exorcist to prevent half-breed demons from entering our plane. The plotting and back story of the film is impressive, with plenty of technobabble to delight the viewers, and the acting isn't half bad either. Reeves is very good as the laconic, chain-smoking star, giving a relaxed and mature performance, one of the reasons I like him more and more as the years progress. Rachel Weisz is also effective as the heroine, proving to be more than just a woman-in-peril, and her natural beauty shines through many of the odd sequences in which she partakes.
Further down the cast, we have a trio of outstanding performances from a) Djimon Hounsou as Papa Midnite, a voodoo practitioner with buckets of style, b) the singer Gavin Rossdale as impossible suave demon Balthazar, and c) Pruitt Taylor Vince, he of the bizarre eyes, as a sympathetic clergyman. Other, odder performances come from androgynous Tilda Swinton as the archangel Gabriel, and Peter Stormare, looking weird and repulsive, as Satan, although this latter portrayal is ultimately disappointing.
One flaw is that the film does feel lengthy, with some repetition, and is let down by a last act which is dragged out to the extreme, with anticlimax after anticlimax. Saying that, it struggles admirably with religious conundrums, and isn't afraid to shy away from violence and blasphemy to achieve horrific effects. The film is not really action-orientated, like THE MATRIX series, instead acting as more of an acopalyptic horror, and there are plenty of jump-in-your-seat scares, especially one at the opening. The best thing by far are the special effects, especially those of the demons and the glimpses of Hell we get, which are simply fantastic and surpass anything else seen recently.
The film does feel somewhat corny in places, and there are familiar elements from THE EXORCIST and HELLBOY which crop up in a clichéd light. It is also pretty dark and depressing, dealing as it does with death, destruction and sin, so don't expect much in the way of enjoyment. Instead, sit back and watch as this visionary ride offers something new and half-original, and ignore the shortcomings which are easily made up for by the good stuff. -
mega-1416 February 2006This movie is actually pretty good. The story is not bad and the acting is not really as bad as people make it to be. Keanu Reeves plays a decent Constantine and manages to maintain the mysterious aura about the character. The only thing wrong about this movie, and it's a big thing for a comic book movie, is that it completely goes against the comics it was based upon...
The movie was designed to depict Christian catholicism and make John out as some sort of exorcist slaying demons and talking to angels. If it's true that in a mainly Christian USA that may attract more audience, it also goes against everything the comic stands for. John is nothing like that, he's never been a Christian in his life, he's a magician.
No religion has favor in the comics, John is capable of talking to angels one day and find himself in the Aztec hell talking to some weird Aztec demon the next day. He doesn't have superpowers and in no way is he a regular hero, he's capable of killing his friends to survive... He's only human, that's what made the comics so compelling.
If it's true that the movie is rather good in his own right, it's also true that it should have no association whatsoever with Constantine or Hellblazer and I'm surprised that the authors allowed them to place Constantine's name in the title... -
ereinion2 March 2005I went to see this movie last Sunday and my expectations were not too high, so I got what I expected, perhaps even more. "Constantine" is another Keanu Reeves fantasy vehicle, but this time it's about demons and angels and not a parallel world aka The Matrix. It's hard to judge Reeves' acting as it shifts from poor and uninspired to solid and credible all the time. Perhaps the scriptwriter or the director are to blame. The direction really could have been better. The effects are on par with what one can expect from a big blockbuster flick, yet they tend to get overwhelming and exhausting.
Rachel Weisz is undoubtedly the film's strongest point and her performance is excellent and as good as it can be in such a film. Her character is also among the few well-crafted ones in the movie. Djimon Hounsou doesn't make much impact this time and Peter Stormare's cameo as Lucifer is...well, entertaining. Although one can wonder what he's doing in this movie. Tilda Swinton's bizarre incarnation as Gabriel is just weird, hard to comprehend. I'm against all this "womanising" of archangels, it's so absurd and cliché-ish, typical product of the 21st century culture. Like "why can't a woman play Gabriel?" Well...because Gabriel was a male, not some androgynous creature.
The biggest downside with this flick is the inexhaustive arsenal of bad jokes and typical Hollywood clichés which never seem to cease. Constantine's finger to Lucifer in the climax of the film is perhaps the only joke that is tasteful. The exorcism scene in the beginning was very intense and is among the better parts of the movie. All said, this is probably as good as a movie based on a comic can get, so I think it deserves a 6. -
And I loved it.
I just watched Constantine on PPV, and like all films, it does have its minor flaws, but overall the story was interesting, and the special effects were nothing short of amazing.
Critics have been saying that Keanu Reeves' acting was horrible, but I disagree. Even though I can't deny that this wasn't him at his best, John Constantine is and angry and distant character, so Reeves couldn't display much emotion. All in all, he didn't do too bad.
Rachel Weisz was the star of the movie, giving a heartfelt performance. Gavin Rossdale was good, playing the bad guy card too perfection. And Djimon Housan, and Tilda Swinton were also great in their small roles. Shia LeBlouf, like Reeves, could have done a little better. Peter Stormare was perfect as Satan and my favorite character. He added a bit of humor to his demonic role.
There are some major differences between the comic book Hellblazer and the movie, like John Constantine was supposed to be British and resemble a rocker named Sting. But I've never read the comics, so I can't complain about these contradictions. But it seems to have the Hellblazer fans disappointed.
I do feel I should advise that this movie has nothing to do with Satanism. And to my knowledge, it was religiously correct. Save the part about demons and angels living on earth.
In the end, like I said before, you either love it or hate it. Simple as that.
my rating : 9/10 -
BrandtSponseller21 February 2005When a Mexican finds the Spear of Destiny (aka the Spear of Longinus) amidst ruins, it sets off a chain of events that could lead to a Hell-fueled Armageddon on Earth. Enter John Constantine (Keanu Reeves), freelance demon-hunter, and Los Angeles detective Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz), who are to play roles in the ongoing "battle" between heaven and hell.
Judging Constantine on visuals, style and attitude, it would easily earn a 10. But as we learn in the film, "there's always a catch". The catch is that the story is a bit of a mess. It was problematic enough to earn a 7 out of 10, or a C, and just barely. For much of its length, I was prepared to give it a 6.
Scriptwriters Kevin Brodbin and Frank A. Cappello seem to want to throw in everything, including the kitchen sink and a lot of other water receptacles, and they want to do it without having to explain very much. So the beginning of the film takes us from the Mexican to an exorcism to a woman in a mental hospital to a detective who looks oddly like her, and so on. During all of this, there are numerous ancillary characters. It takes a long time to be told who anyone is, what they're doing, and what their relationship is to any other characters. It doesn't help that this is one of countless films where the dialogue is mixed at about negative 5 to the sound effects' 11, and where actors are encouraged to mumble. You finally learn that the mental patient and the detective who looks too much like her are twins, but it takes awhile to figure it out.
And it's not just the beginning of the film that is like this. Throughout its length, Constantine keeps introducing new characters, settings, subplots and ideas, with nary an explanation for any of them. Many you eventually figure out, and that led me to believing that I might enjoy the film more on a second viewing, now that I have a half-completed scribbly score card, but I can't guarantee that. There were far too many characters who could have been excised (and probably exorcised) with no ill effect.
The production design, though incredibly attractive and intriguing, is also extremely dense and bizarre but unexplained. Why was Constantine living in a bowling alley? Was he living in a bowling alley, or did he or his friend just have an office there? I couldn't tell for sure. What were all of those odd jars of stuff hanging from the ceiling? What was the deal with the nightclub, anyway? What was all of that stuff they had stashed in the back? What was the deal with the tattoos and the other occurrences of those symbols? No one ever attempts to explain any of this stuff. It's just there and seems important to the story but we're not told very much about it. The film plays a bit like a joke that you're not in on. Like eavesdropping on the middle of a conversation from a group of people in turmoil, where you needed to hear the beginning to put the delectable gossip into context.
I would guess that the problem is that Constantine is based on the Hellblazer comic books, which are already up to number 200-something. John Constantine is a character with an extensive mythology surrounding him. I'm sure a lot of it is fascinating. Unfortunately, I've never read the comic so I'm not familiar with the mythology, and the film isn't about to explain it to me; it thinks I should know what everything means already. Films, at least those that aren't later entries in a series, should not have prerequisites for understanding.
From what I could gather, the basic scenario in the Hellblazer universe is that Heaven and Hell exist as parallel worlds to the universe that most humans know. Full-fledged angels and demons are not supposed to directly interfere with humans, but there are "half-breeds" that can exist in our world and indirectly try to influence events. The basic idea is that God and Satan have a sort of wager going to see who can get more souls. Like a metaphysical game of poker. Occasionally, demons cross over into our world, like interdimensional illegal aliens, and John Constantine acts as a sort of superhero Immigration and Naturalization Service agent with a bad attitude. In the film, beings are crossing over who don't usually, and it's portentous of doom. Much of the latter half of Constantine starts to closely resemble the Prophecy films starring Christopher Walken. The problem with that is that I like the Prophecy films a lot better. They have good stories.
It also didn't help much when I read some of the comments from the filmmakers that resulted from their promo press junkets--for example, in Fangoria #240. Apparently, the stuff that looks like hell in the film--the mostly reddish, very hot, nuclear-fallout-wind-with-demons-chasing-you-and-trying-to-eat-you stuff is supposed to be Heaven. That didn't make sense to me, and not surprisingly, no one bothered to explain why that's supposed to be heaven. I also don't remember anyone mentioning that in the film, but admittedly, I couldn't make out some dialogue. I don't mind heaven looking that way, but when it's so unusual--basically the opposite of what we'd expect, it seems to deserve some explanation.
Still, Constantine is worth a watch for the fantastic visuals and for individual scenes--most of which are very good. Some are even breathtaking, like the opening where the Mexican is hit by a car. Or the beautiful exorcism scene that follows. The film deals with a lot of serious subject matter. It's very visceral. Occasionally it's funny and a bit campy. It has great effects. Reeves and Weisz turn in excellent performances. It's just a shame that director Francis Lawrence didn't ensure that it would make more sense and have more significance as a whole. -
kingofchighs4 August 2005All the actors in it did an amazing job minus Shia LaBeouf who, as usual, did a crappy job in a crappy role. Gavin Rossdale has an excellent performance as Balthazar and plays the role to its fullest. Rachel Weisz also puts out an awesome performance. Heres where I will likely get flamed but...Keanu Reeves also played the part of Constantine to its fullest I believe. Many have said hes too "Batman-ish" however I disagree. Constantine is a man who knows hes doomed to spend eternity in hell. Anyone who's less giddy about it than Keanu acts in the movie would appear to be rather fake. I think he did a wonderful job and is still a great actor, even though he kind of flopped it in the second and third Matrix.
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TheLittleSongbird22 January 2010There were some good things about Constantine. The special effects and cinematography are outstanding and keeps you interested. The music score is excellent, and there are some good performances. I do not care for Keanu Reeves, but he does an okay job in the title role, though his character could've done with more development. Rachel Weisz is a lovely actress and she is good here in two roles. Peter Stormare is fantastically suave and debonair in his villainous role. Tilda Swinton is the best though, she is absolutely delicious as the androgynous angel. Francis Laurence directs efficiently as well, and there are some good scenes such as the discovery of the relic in the desert- daft I admit though. However, the plot is very convoluted, and lacks a clear sense of direction, and the script feels rather sticky. In terms of character and storytelling, the film feels diluted. It certainly isn't a bad film, with the visuals, direction and decent performances, making up for the plot convolutions and the sticky moments in the screenplay. 6/10 Bethany Cox
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bonnie915 May 2006I've seen Constantine three times and I enjoy it more each time I watch it! It is truly well-done and extremely entertaining, and I can guarantee that if you like horror, suspense and/or fantasy you will love this movie! Keanu Reeves plays a very cool Constantine, who is a modern-day exorcist but most certainly not to be confused with a priest, as he has his issues and a burden of sins from his past that he carries with him. Constantine is a very realistic and human hero who is devoid of superpowers but has all the cool gadgets and the kick-ass attitude needed to survive in a world slowly being invaded by demons and scheming angels. He meets Angela (Rachel Wiesz) after she loses her sister, Isabel to the forces of evil. She comes to Constantine in search of an answer on where Isabel has ended up following her apparent suicide. Constantine journeys to other realms/dimensions in an attempt to get those answers, even paying a couple of visits to hell. Needless to say, with such a plot the special effects, acting, sets, script and even wardrobe have to be carefully conceived and executed to make it believable, and they are... in spades.
Constantine achieves what all great movies always do: it takes you into another world that makes you forget everything about your own world the whole time you are watching it. And really, in the end, isn't that what great cinema is all about? -
tedg29 January 2006I knew from the very beginning that this would be a little different from the title sequence. It uses a font that is put together in an odd way. It is a rather jarring effect, just in that one word denoting that we'll have ordinary things presented in extraordinary ways.
This told me before the movie started that they had some professional help in the production and art design... and they gave those folks power. They are the people who gave us that dancing bag in "American Beauty" around which that whole movie is constructed.
This movie is getting panned, and I wonder if folks are seeing the same thing I saw. Yes, the characters are unengaging and superficially drawn, sort of well like in a comic book or a music video. Yes, the story is a bit incoherent. Some script doctoring is apparent, but the important thing in stories like this is the part they get right: the cosmology makes sense. At least it makes sense if you have exposure to biblical cosmology: I think it true that in all the key regards this is much more biblically accurate than Mel's adventure in pain and blame.
What we want from things like this is the ability to tap into another world. The details of the story are superfluous. There are three ways to do this, all exploited here.
1) Use folding. In this case, the fold is us seeing something which has a story about people seeing things that others do not. It seems a simple trick, but it has profound power. It is not done very well here, but it is done ambitiously. We assume subliminally that what _we_ see is something no one else can.
2) Be novel in the design of the alternative worlds. In other words, make it look like we are seeing something no one else has. That's rough in movies where everything must refer to a prior vision. That's the way our minds work. So they have to show us something we have already seen in other films but make it seem different.
3) Use at least a few actors that have the ability to link for us the folds among the four worlds: ours, the "real" world of the movie: the real world of the movie but with demons (Men-in-Black-like); and hell. I suppose they thought at first that Keanu could carry the weight merely by association with the similar layers of "The Matrix."
But it is the amazing Tilda Swinton that does the heavy lifting in the folds here. She's another redheaded Australian-influenced actress that can do folding. You may not know her; she gets few parts I think because her appearance is so striking. But if you have a chance you may want to see her in "Orlando," where she plays much the same character (also ambisexual) and "Conceiving Ada" where she literally conjures up an alternative world. She's been a talisman of folding in other films: "Vanilla Sky" (together with Alicia Witt) and "Adaptation," where she is the ultimate customer of all the folded worlds.
For this character, I believe she channels Jenny Runacre's "Queen Elizabeth" in the punk folded "Jubilee," which is one spooky movie. She's the real thing and I hope we see more of her. In true folding tradition, both her and her character trigger the folds here.
Who cares if the thing doesn't flow well or is poorly constructed in how any of the worlds forms a story. I think it is a point of honor that it doesn't in this case. For a point of reference on this: I thought "The Hulk" was cinematic.
Hell is never really shown. What we see is a vision as it would be translated to someone without the tools: a ruined road in a desiccating landscape. Seems apt. Same thing was done to similar jarring effect in "Songs from the Second Floor," from which this borrows artistically.
Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching. -
gregsrants20 February 2005Looks like our world is in peril again. It would seem as if The Incredibles and Spider-Man didn't rid us of all the evil in our midst last year and we have to turn to ole stand-by Keanu Reeves to again come to the rescue of us mere mortals.
This time round, Keanu plays title character John Constantine, a supernatural detective who is anything but your quintessential hero. John drinks, chain-smokes and generally is not the most approachable person in the world (think of him as like your in-laws on valium). But John does have a gift the ability to see the demons and angels walking amongst us, and John uses this gift to try and gain acceptance into Heaven by deporting these evil spirits back to Hell.
See, God and the Devil seem to have made a wager for the souls of mankind. Their only real rule is to have no direct contact with humans, just influence. That meant that demons and angels are our neighbors, our cashiers and our business partners. They are all around us.
It also just so happens that the son of the devil himself is attempting to encroach our world by using the demons to directly impact the lives of certain humans required for the rebirth of Lucifer Jr. As they say, rules are made to be broken.
This plan is brought to Constantine's attention through detective Angela Dobson (Rachel Weisz) who is investigating the suicide of her twin sister. Angela is in denial about her sister's decision to jump off the roof of her hospital and solicits the aide of reluctant Constantine to help assist with what was obviously evil intervention. Or something like that. The two then put together the evidential pieces bit by bit which leads to the eventual climax full of shouting, screaming, shooting and suicides.
Sounds exciting, huh? Wonder why it wasn't.
Constantine is a mess of a movie that gets by on style and special effects. Based on the comic book 'Hellblazer', it is yet another movie based on a hero of the illustrated page that you would be excused if you had never heard of it (following Hellboy and Punisher). The problems with the film are that it seems as if there is one scene of action followed by an explanation followed by another scene of green screen madness then more revelations as to why what just happened happened. If the film isn't explaining itself it is preparing and setting up another scene of our enlightenment. And when things can't be explained, well, then there is the Devil's bible which contains passages not found in the standard King James version or high level angels and demons that seem intent on revealing important plot points without as much as a feather to the underfoot as necessary truth inducing torture.
All this made it more confusing than a film of this nature should be. With strong roots and references of Catholicism I couldn't help but think anyone without better than basic religious knowledge might be even more confused or uninterested than I was. It was kinda heavy fare for a movie who's trailers lead me into the theatre expecting to see great action and demonic exorcisms.
Don't get me wrong, the action sequences were above average. In fact, the introduction to Constantine as he exorcises a demon from a young girl was high tension and very well crafted. So to were other scenes of fright and fancy that you can get the gist of through any of the commercial advertisements. The design of hell, the ripping of Angela through an office building and a demon made of cockroaches and snakes were all original which allowed me to forgive the mass annihilation of demons at the local hospital which seemed ripped directly from the first Blade movie.
Giving a movie two and a half stars out of five means we could go either way with our verdict. With Constantine, I am giving it a small recommendation even if there seems to be more negative words than positive in the review above. This 'recommendation' is based on the performances (specifically Weisz who looks to be pretty interested in the material even if it probably made no sense on the scripted page) and the special effects. That doesn't mean that Constantine is a good film, but you could do a hell of a lot worse. -
crisuslan8 February 2005I saw a press screening of Constantine a few nights ago in a screening room up here in Seattle and I have to say that the movie was a letdown. It tries to be a mixture of horror, suspends and action but it just ends up very incoherent in it's narrative and you just lose patience with it after while. Keanu Reeves is an OK actor but he's just going through the motions here and it shows by the glaring similarities it has to his work in the Matrix movies. It leaves you wondering on why he's even in the film in the first place because his character really adds nothing to the story other than the ridiculous climax where he turns the movie into a poor Matrix montage with him shooting up a hospital full of demons. Rachel Weisz on the other hand manages to give a very strong and realistic performance that could been used in a much better and serious film and Djmon Hounsou is decent in a glorified cameo that really does not use his talents to it's full potential. Shia LaBeouf is doing his lame and very unfunny slapstick to the hill and Satan himself looked like he just came from a lounge act in Vegas. The worse served by all of this is Tilda Swinton, who perhaps has the worse character in the entire film. A character that is not in the movie much in the first place but has a significant role in derailing the last act of the film with a plot twist that absolutely makes no sense at all. I do have to say that the special effects were pretty good and the hell dimension had it's charm but nether of them can compensate for a bad script that not only has some really bad dialog that makes some of the scenes in the film unintentional funny but has a plot development that makes no sense what so ever and has nothing to do with the story as a whole.
My heart goes out to Rachel Weisz, Djmon Hounsou and to a lesser degree Tilda Swinton for at least giving good performances that respect the audience but regardless of their grand efforts, this still remains a Keanu Reeves film and it's not very good. -
kevinosborne_992 May 2022Very well acted tale of making the devil take the hindmost. This could have been a topflight film for the genre if director/scriptwriter had shown more interest in keeping the pace up. As it is the highs, scenes with Gabriel and Lucifer and a trip into hell, are outstanding, vastly better than the best of an average horror movie. Tilda Swinton is tantalizing in her Gabriel role and leaves us wanting more. Reeves' laconic acting style fits the personality of the lead but doesn't add much. Definitely worth a couple hours especially if you like modern horror.