My God, it's not bad.

Rating: Null/10 (20 February 2005)

I walked into Constantine with rock bottom expectations. It's a February release, which usually hints that the studio is not confident in the film. It's a comic book movie, and unlike the good ones of the last few years, it strays from the source material. And of course it stars the old oak bloke himself, Keanus Reeves.
That said, the movie is actually pretty good. Despite it's R rating, one should not expect a serious horror movie in the traditional sense. This is a comic book movie, with overblown cgi and slo-mo battle sequences. I say overblown cgi, but I was actually impressed with the restraint the director showed in this sense. The movie is propelled mostly through dialogue, and it helps that most of the characters are well cast.
Tilda Swinton was the perfect choice to play the ambiguous angel, and Peter Stormare as Satan was an inspired decision. However, Keanu Reeves as the chain smoking cancer stricken Exorcist is the key performance, and the best. It is truly a revelation to Reeves fit so snugly into this role, for the first time I could not imagine him saying 'Whoa'. I've heard his performance likened to a modern day Shatner or Heston, and I think that's accurate. I am please to see that Reeves has finally found his calling as an actor, after being wasted over the years on romantic comedies and the Matrix sequels (He was pretty good as a man discovering the truth about the world and his role in saving it in the original Matrix, but I don't think he pulled off the part of the messiah in action in the latter two.) and here he really shines.
The script is above average at best, but the moody sets, pacing, and Reeves' performance keep it from burning in the same fires as 'Elektra'.