Solid film

Rating: 6/10 (7 July 2005)

There has been much savagery leveled against Constantine's re-imagining of the comic book Hellblzer. It's re-location from London to LA, and its disregard for John Constantine's Liverpudlian origins are actually artistic decisions which in some ways benefit the film. Constantine's LA is a dark, seedy place of insidious characters and shadowy alleys and Constantine's hard-drinking, hard-smoking paranormal private dick is played relatively straight by Reeves. It is beautifully shot by Phillippe Rousellot and the effects are also noteworthy with interesting designs and an inherent quirkiness in the execution of set-pieces (Constantine's bizarre method of entering hell through the use of cats and foot-baths and knuckle dusters inscribed with holy crosses etc)that holds the interest. There is some fine support from Rachel Weisz, Djimon Honsou and Tilda Swinton, and Peter Stormare excels in his brief appearance as Lucifer (worth waiting for). Despite some drastic alterations to the source material, it is best to make your own mind up with regards to Constantine as it is worthy of praise (it is Francis Lawrences first film). It is an underrated film that deserves a certain cult status.