Mature movie, with a lot to learn from the plot

Rating: 9/10 (21 February 2005)

By rules comic-book adapted movies should feature sunny upbeat superheroes who always devote their excessive energy to world peace or environmental protection or the good moods of a beautiful girl. ANy attempts on gloomy mature contents often prove unnecessary and even dangerous.
(some spoilers) The R-rated Constantine seems to stray too far toward the wrong direction: a protagonist who's a depressed chronic smoker, expert in violence as well as cynicism; a hypocrite angel who grows no heart under an immaculate form; and a charming Lucifer who happens to hand out most of the justice in the film...
Yet thanks to a tightly constructed plot and an underlying positive message (which is unquestionably catholic), the movie beats with life and force, and does much more to encourage than to distress. In the end the deliverance of Constantine proves all the more convincing by the contrast of all the doubts and waywardness he has ever had. Without being preachy, the movie packs a nice moral lesson into its many crafty twists and actions. 9.5/10 to the script writer for the wonderful piece of work.