Constantine (2014–2015) User Reviews (163)

Why did they cancel this?

[ThunderKing6 · 6/10 · 2 October 2020]

Constantine behaved like your typical American which is irresponsible and obnoxious so why would they cancel such a jerkish character. That's what the people love.

Constantine was a very enthused interesting show that touched based on dark magic and mysticism. Generally it was a funtastic, underrated show.

Verdict: Sad to see Constantine go so early, yet Batwoman is still on air and no one wants that show.

JC is back! Woo-Hoo.

[MisterHOH · 8/10 · 26 October 2014]

I've been waiting almost ten years for some sort of sequel or reboot of the first Constantine movie back in 2005. I'm not a big comic book fan and I never knew the character prior to the film, but for what is worth I enjoyed it back in the day and I was hoping for more for a long time.

The series starts off on the right note and with a proper rhythm. The protagonist (Matt Ryan) looks ready to undertake a main role. The script isn't the strongest point so far, but it almost never is after just the pilot. I'm sure that in time, it will become much more detailed and interesting.

For me personally, it is a very good alternative to the Supernatural series, that keeps taking a dive for the worse with every season passing. I love Supernatural, but that show should have ended 5 seasons ago.

Overall, the pilot was cohesive, concentrated and left me curious for more. The scares were also very good with awesome make-up and CGI. If this level of quality can be sustained, I'm sure that we will be on a great ride with John Constantine.

This Show Needs To Be Renewed.

[syedsuhaib-36185 · 7/10 · 14 August 2021]

The first season is amazing, Loved it, the characters are amazing, the storyline is good too, disappointed that show got cancelled left the viewers with suspense, i think show would gotten a great audience after the season 2, Matt Ryan did an amazing job playing John Constantine. Fingers crossed hope to see more of Constantine in Arrow-verse and CW should definitely renew this show.

Needs more seasons

[jreyeslpn · 9/10 · 30 August 2018]

The first season was awesome. I loved it. I was very disappointed that the series did not continue. That was a horrible way to end the first season without any follow-up. I feel that it could have been a very popular show had it been given the opportunity. Some of the criticism that I have read about it I didn't even see in the show. If there had been more episodes I would have rated it a 10 for sure. I have also watched the movie which I did enjoy, as well as John Constantine's limited presence in other series.

Bloody Fantastic

[black-x-cherry-x-blossom · 10/10 · 27 October 2014]

Being a MASSIVE fan of the Hellblazer comics, I was dead excited to see that they were finally going to bring an accurate version of John Constantine to life. No offense to Keanu Reeves, who did a badass job, but Matt Ryan has done a brilliant job of capturing this character for who he really is.

To anyone comparing this to supernatural, PLEASE don't. Give me a break. Supernatural was INSPIRED by the Hellblazer comics (it's in the Supernatural Wiki). i.e., Constantine came first. Saying "we don't need another Supernatural" couldn't be more wrong. Supernatural has lost the plot, and is no where near as good as it was before. This brings an entirely new, fresh viewing of demons and angels and possessions. So far I absolutely love it and I really hope they stick true to the comics. I hope they won't rule out the chain-smoking just to calm viewers down. On a network that shows the Hannibal series, I sincerely doubt that chain-smoking is the thing to worry about when it comes to bad habits.

I loved the actual comic art they showed at the end of the first episode too. I can't wait to see where this series is going and I REALLY hope it continues. This series has what Supernatural has lost; a dark, gritty ambiance that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Definitely worth a watch, especially if you're a DC fan.

Fast-paced, action-packed, and hard to dislike

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 23 September 2016]

Another week, another comic book TV series. CONSTANTINE was a 13-episode series that was ignobly cancelled after just one series and it's based on the Hellblazer comic, just as the Keanu Reeves big screen adaptation of the same character was. This is distinctive and stylish enough to stand on its own right, although truth be told it's simply another monster-of-the-week show.

I wasn't too taken with Matt Ryan's acting as the lead character. I found him arrogant, unfunny, and self-centred, and his British accent particularly annoying which is weird when I'm British myself. Still, the show has much in common with other successes like ARROW, so it's weird that it was cancelled. It's very fast paced and there's plentiful action in each of the episodes. It does feel very clichéd throughout without bringing anything really new to the screen but at the same time it keeps your attention so it's never dull.

CONSTANTINE makes frequent use of a CGI effects budget to bring some impressive creations to the small screen. It's refreshingly gruesome in places and the various demons are well realised and well designed, coming across as genuinely scary on occasion. Some of the guest actors give performances that can best be described as hokey but overall the series makes for light and engaging viewing.

Saved My Sodding Television

[eric45-1 · 10/10 · 24 November 2014]

Constantine is the best thing currently on television, in my opinion. It's a show about a human doing bogus metaphysics and not a metahuman doing bogus physics, which makes it different from Flash. It's true to the source material (making it different from both Arrow and Gotham) without being a slave to it (making it worth watching instead of just reading).

Matt Ryan and Angelica Celaya's on-screen chemistry is exquisite, sexual tension real but not overpowering. Special effects whose corniness is justified by the circumstances, and to my mind the most important bit: real, human stories.

Amidst the occult, the psychic, the voodoo and the demonic, the show is about redemption, worldview, escaping, and struggling with "inner demons." Constantine is entertaining, but more than giving you something to care about, it gives you something to relate to. And as far as I'm concerned, there's room for humans to do business in a TV world bigger than sit-coms.

Constantine ...QUIT smoking!!

[Dr_Sagan · 31 October 2014]

Based on a comic (Hellrazer) this supernatural thriller series follows the adventures of John Constantine, a dark exorcist, occult detective and con man.

An anti-hero himself, Constantine, struggling with his own sins as he tries to protect humanity from evil supernatural forces.

Matt Ryan is suitable for the main role although his qualities are totally different from those of Keanu Reeves who played the titular character in the 2005 movie.

The series will remain more faithful to the comic than the 2005 film but the depiction of Constantine's as a hard smoker will be absent due to broadcast television restrictions!!! Anyway, I watched the pilot and so far seems OK. If you are in to this kind of series check it out!

Magic and Demons and more

[pensman · 7/10 · 27 October 2014]

Personally I preferred the Dresden Files--Boo SciFi Channel for canceling anything of worth--Constantine tries fill in but after one episode I don't want to pass too tough a judgment. There is some promise here and the series will probably do better with those who aren't fans of the comic book or the horrible Keanu Reeves film. I like Matt Ryan and he brings a been there, sick of it, demon weary attitude that defines what I would expect of the character. And Charles Halford is OK as Chas Chandler, Constantine's version of "Hrothbert "Bob" of Bainbridge." The series has good spot following Grim and may find an audience. I'll give it a few more views and report back,

Love the show, but I hate the hell out of cable networks

[dbennettacc · 9/10 · 19 April 2015]

I love this genre, even though it is easy to go the way of Supernatural" and rely way to heavy on real world religious themes. Constantine has so far maintained this delicate balance and stays squarely within the lines of a core storyline. However, I am afraid this is going to suffer the fate of many of my favorite shows. They are going to do one of two things-- U.S. network programming that isn't specifically called a "Mini-series" either runs- on till it runs out of plot line or gets canceled with no conclusion worth the name. If one of the above happens here...I recommend cutting cable and going an online route.

At least that way you watch on your time table and without having to pay extra.

Matt Ryan is good

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 14 February 2015]

John Constantine (Matt Ryan) is already damned to Hell and struggles to battle evil on earth with his knowledge of the occult. Manny (Harold Perrineau) is an angel who provides mercurial assistance. Zed Martin (Angélica Celaya) is his clairvoyant assistant. Chas Chandler (Charles Halford) is his assistant with multiple lives. Papa Midnite (Michael James Shaw) is a voodoo practitioner who is sometimes Constantine's opponent. There is a rising darkness which Constantine must uncover.

Matt Ryan is quite good as Constantine. He has a bit of humor and charm which Keanu Reeves' brooding version didn't have. On the other hand, the other characters in the gang are played by rather bland actors giving a bland effort. The exception is Perrineau but he's not really a part of the gang. The chemistry isn't really there for the group. Actually Lucy Griffiths is pretty good in the pilot but for some reason, she leaves with the show. This show has some potential but the characters don't gel before the show gets canceled.

John Constantine Hellblazer supreme .

[bluesman-20 · 10/10 · 17 November 2014]

I've read the comics. And I have a soft spot for John Constantine. The Keanu Reeves movie was in my opinion well done. But Reeves missed the subtle characteristics of John. The Hellblazer comic was supposed to be a intelligent look at a warlock named John Constantine who is a complete lying and con man. He has a really nasty habit of having his friends die around him. The Show reminds me of the comic a lot. now it won't be the comic. Anything that is adapted to another medium such as TV or the movies is bound to have changes. It won't be 100% Constatine Comic book. But here they nailed down the essence of what that comic is about. John Constatine is a haunted man. the mistakes of his past are starting to come back and haunt him. Hell wants him in the worst possible way. Heaven doesn't want him . and so John must try to redeem himself somewhat by saving others. Of course John is a cheeky lying con man who is only in it for his own goals. But sometimes. Sometimes the Hero in John rises to the occasion and he fights evil just to save lives. Because he knows what is right and what is wrong. And John Constantine is a regular person who needs to be prodded into taking the right course of action. If you like Supernatural. Give Constantine a chance it's a walk down that same dark road Dean and Sam Winchester take every week. And I'd like to think the Winchester's and John would get along nicely. If it's not your cup of tea well change the channel. but if it is. Watch it you will be surprised and rewarded for your patience. And Loyality.

Like an unpolished diamond

[gabrielle_1 · 6/10 · 30 October 2014]

I was expecting so much more to this show that the actual pilot left me on my craving. Instead of being mesmerized by an original story, I felt like watching an episode of Supernatural season 4 or 5 (which were not bad), but I found that Constantine was missing the originality that made the comic so entertaining.

I look forward to future episodes to see if the series will pick up the pace or if I will move on to something else. I'm also concerned about John Constantine who was originally created with the profile of pop singer Sting. I did not see that reflected in the show and was a bit sad about it and I felt that the show lacked a strong presence at the helm. Again maybe the show will adjust or else I doubt the series will last for very long.

Constantine without the intelligence

[acerbus_8 · 2/10 · 28 October 2014]

John Constantine is (as some people may know) a comic book character from the same company that counts Superman, Batman and such among its properties. But there are 2 main differences between Constantine and his "colleagues". While Superman and the likes are selfless ideals and more archetype than men. Constantine is fiercely human and, for the most part, deeply self-serving. He lives in an occult world of angels, demons, magic & squalor. And this world is never black nor white, but always morally ambiguous and bathed in nuances of grey.

Others have pointed out that the TV series is a more faithful adaptation than the 2005 movie (of the same name). Which is something I actually disagree with. On the surface, yes, this TV Constantine resemble the comic book character a lot more, than the Keanu Reeves of Constantine the Movie. But where the Constantine movie actually had inspired visuals and a shimmer of intelligence. This pilot unfortunately doesn't even have that. And this is my point. If you want to do Constantine. He needs intelligence above anything else. The comics have a long track record of consistent intelligent writing.

In the Pilot we get acquainted with a Constantine who's remorseful for having a hand in the damnation of a little girl. He quickly gets a demonic "letter" telling him to go to America. Why would a demon invite someone to interfere with its plans? Constantine meets a girl that is tormented by, apparently, the same demon who invited him to the party. And after this the pilot is about introducing this girl (and the audience) to the world of John Constantine. Leaving us at the end of the episode with the setup for the rest of the season. Which is a map marked with locations across America where bad stuff happens. Basically the most lazy of plot devices for a show: A new case every week without having to describe how this case came about. Which again is far removed from the story telling of the comics. Where Constantine takes on different problems much more organically.

The writing is far from good with sub-par dialogue, unnecessary exposition dumps, lapses in logic and a character who can't figure out if he wants to be mysterious or give everything about him away. We are far removed from the mysterious & intelligent Constantine of the comics, who only gives enough away, to serve his own selfish motives. One example of this dumb Constantine comes when a demon tries to trick him to let it go, with a very weak trick. Constantine falls for it instantly. Despite the fact that he's supposedly had so much contact with demons that he should be able to see through their tricks. But no.

The direction is serviceable but lack sophistication and undersells the action scenes.

The effects are hit an miss. Some are alright but others are just terrible. On top of that, the visuals of the pilot are just rehashings of the same clichés you see in the lowest budget horror films you can imagine.

The one good thing is Matt Ryan (who plays John Constantine). He looks the part and at times manage to hit the sinister charm of his character. There is great potential in this department.

Unfortunately the pilot generally leave little hope for the series in the future if you're acquainted with John Constantine from the comics. If you have no experiences with Constantine and don't mind less than stellar writing/direction/special effects. Then this show might be alright to kill some time with but nothing more.

Fantastic canon research, high production value

[kirsten-aurelius · 9/10 · 24 November 2014]

The writers and designers have done an outstanding job with filling the script, the set, and the costumes with all kinds of details true the comic books and the DC world. (The arcane laboratory is fantastic!) There is also a rich dark feel to the whole show that is pure Vertigo. The whole vibe is creepy and wonderful, and fills that blurry good-vs-evil void that Buffy and Angel left behind, without getting maudlin and soap-operatic. The chemistry between John and Zed is snarky and fun, and the supporting cast is so good. Papa Midnite is PERFECT, and Chas is brilliant. One thing that really works is the special effects. They don't get hokey or feel CGI'ed to ridiculousness- A contorting demon, instead of being twisted by camera tricks, is played by an acrobat that leaves you breathless the 15 seconds she is on scene. I so hope NBC doesn't let this one go; it would be as bad a move as Fox dropping Firefly.

Bloody awesome!

[mckeesean · 10/10 · 12 August 2019]

Fantastic series. It should never have been cancelled.

Closer to the comics, different than the movie

[lescarian-93-555837 · 6/10 · 25 October 2014]

I'm a bit disappointed. The effect quality was nice though.

I'm not sure if the events are happening before or after the movie. But it appears to me they just run through explanations to give it somewhat sense while it's being a bit dully presented (hey John, I'm an angel, let me explain what I'm doing, since you surely don't know after spending 10+ years under these circumstances as master of dark arts...). It occurs to me it's even unrelated to the movie because he doesn't smoke but is still damned. Is it close to the comics? Haven't read them. But from the info I have gathered it looks like it is.

Matt Ryan as Constantine is quite okay I think. The appearance seem to be closer to the comics though. I am missing the noir style of the story and the main characters' cynicism. The character seems to be completely different and I don't like that. Compared to Reeves' Constantine, Ryan is playing a talker who tries to stay interesting with sarcasm and arrogance (and unnecessary sunglasses). Less is often more and would they have given the main character an a bit less annoying charisma with the nice side effect that the "event with Chas" later on would have had more emotional impact on the viewer. The supporting role "Chas" should have been given more text to be actually supportive/helpful or to put it bluntly, to matter at all.

The first episode had a bit too much of every interesting aspect from the movie, thus it felt a bit like Supernatural (and even for that it felt like too much) with the "quick, let's run over there, then there,..." pace of Charmed. A bit influence from the The Dresden Files would have helped I think, ironic since TDF is seen as being influenced by Hellblazer. The amount of effects and action scenes is hopefully not always that much. However, the second half of the episode was slightly better. I'd wish for a bit more clever writing in the upcoming episodes so that an event has the chance to build up rather then been thrown in my face directly. Star Wars pacing? Suspense? Anyone?

Conclusion: There is much potential and a lot content to cover. But in my opinion they have ignored the strength of the movie: noir, cynicism, self-righteousness with a tightened character that takes the unusual things as natural, annoying stuff that just happens as the usual day in the office. Hopefully they slow down a bit, give the atmosphere time (and us) time to breathe and think about the situation. We don't need another Supernatural. It's already there and successful, give us something new - or rather, something that we know already, liked and would love to see more (movie).

Easily the greatest ever adaptation of anything to do with John Constantine.

[iwatchsooprnateral · 10/10 · 11 April 2022]

He's a natural. It's as if Matt Ryan is actually Constantine. He plays the character like no one else! The snarky remarks, and overall rude behaviour is executed perfectly.

10/10. The story itself was really going places when this show got cancelled. Its really a shame since there's other DC Shows that are more cancel-worthy than this one was. Its possibly the biggest crime DC had ever committed.

Great Fun

[adriantorrance90 · 18 September 2014]

I just saw the Constantine pilot and I'm impressed with what I saw. It was a fun and entertaining episode and I'll tune in for the next episode.

What the show did well:

• Good special/visual effects

• Fun atmosphere

• Good-humored

What NBC did well:

• Compatible scheduling (airs after Grimm on Oct. 24)

What the show needs to improvement on:

• Not too much. The show's "flaws" are probably what was intended.

OVERALL: A very cool new show. 7.8/10 rounded to 8.

Could have been better

[macchiedinchiostro · 6/10 · 16 July 2019]

It is quite evident that the writers struggled to find a direction to this show. The pilot had some reshootings due to some cast and storyline changes and the first episodes suffer from a repetitive scheme. It took half a season for the series to find its way but it did and the second half is damn good. Worth watching.

Still waiting more seasons

[notevenslightly · 9/10 · 26 October 2021]

Cannot believe why they cut this show. After first seasob, there were rumors of more seasons coming, then it just disappeared.... I like how Matt performed, stories were will well designed, watched it a lot times, still hoping one day they gonna bring it back.

Angels and demons

[Lejink · 6/10 · 6 January 2016]

I'm not familiar with either the original DC comic creation or the earlier movie involving this character in the 90's but I enjoy the other DC TV shows "Arrow", "Gotham", The Flash" and "Supergirl", indeed I saw him first in an "Arrow" cross-over and was intrigued by him.

The central character reminds me a bit of Paul Blackthorne's "The Dresden Files" which too, sadly got cancelled after just one season, concerning itself with devils, demons and the dark side in general, with our charismatic hero taking them on at every turn. I've watched two episodes so far and will watch more as I find these DC programmes tend to improve the longer they go on.

At this stage, I quite like it. Matt Hall has a good line in designer stubble, trench coat and loose tie and can pull off a goodish Liverpool accent whether talking tough like the evil-eye-private-eye he is or incanting in Latin. Constantine appears to be hunting down evil spirits wherever they are and for the second episode at least looks to have hooked up with a young female acolyte to give him his "assistant" a la Dr Who.

The production values are good, the writing acceptable and the overall plotting fine. The SFX are okay too but this series hangs on the charismatic Hall in the title role coming across like a punky Philip Marlowe Vampire Hunter. I like him, he's tough, cynical and driven, the overarching plot here appearing to be his quest to reclaim the soul of a young girl who was lost to the dark zone while in his care.

It's a shame that this show cancelled after just one series, maybe the fact Constantine doesn't wear designer clothes in his civilian alter-ego or a superhero costume when fighting crime, stopped his catching on with the wider public.

Anyway I liked it and will watch all the episodes I can in the future.

Deserves more seasons..

[pratyakshanaithani · 10/10 · 15 March 2021]

If a dumb wit series like Grimm can have 6 seasons, why this intense drama could not get more.

Was expecting more

[nightwing99 · 7/10 · 17 November 2014]

I really wanted to like it. I like the comics, and I liked the movie. The pilot was a little slow and disjointed, but that's how pilots go. As a fan of the hell blazer comics, I was hoping for much more than what the network had served up. The acting is okay, but writing is very poor. I think David S. Goyer shouldn't write for TV. First Da vinci's Demon and now this!! He is one of the best writers currently in movie industry but not impressed with both of his TV series!!

I think the main problem is NBC.Personally I think it should be in Cable. The show needs to become darker. Honestly I liked the performance of Matt Ryan as John but for me Zed was not so impressive. And the angel character was unnecessary. I've watched 4 episodes till now and If the coming episodes does not get better, I think I'll be done with the show

Sad

[frode-hauge · 5/10 · 25 October 2014]

This is based on the first episode only:

Such a missed opportunity.

Given a script doctor to work on the exposition and dialog, this could've been an 8.x show. Instead it's a 6 at best (I landed on 5, after some deliberation -- that's "decidedly average", by the way, not "horrible").

The acting is, in places, decent. In others, it seems like the actors read the script, thought "this is abysmal, how do you expect me to deliver this?" and more or less just read the lines out loud.

Several scenes seemed cut for the sake of cutting. As if they had a two minute scene, were told to get it down to 30 seconds, and just used the first 15 and final 15 seconds and called it a day. There's not a surprising moment in the entire first episode, it's all broadcast well beforehand, but the way it's played out it seems the intent was to surprise. It's like cutting the audio in a horror movie, thinking no one can guess there is a jump scare coming.

It's possible that I'm just too old. That the target audience is 15-18-year-olds (I'm just about 40) and that this is quality to them. However, considering members of my family fall into that age bracket, that seems like an insult.

In my opinion, this should have been a rejected pilot. Re-shot and resubmitted as a great supernaturals show. As it stands, it's a missed opportunity that does not deserve a time slot unless what it's replacing is a reality show of some sort.

I'll watch an episode or two more, hoping my first impression is off, but I don't have high hopes.