Awesome Effects Keep Constantine From Going To...Well...Hell....

Rating: Null/10 (9 March 2005)

Keanu Reeves is the coolest looking guy around. Take for example in his newest film, Constantine, where Keanu Reeves plays the title character John Constantine, a chain smoker, dying of lung cancer, and is one of the few who can see the demons and angels that walk the earth. He walks with an internal brooding, for he is a man who committed the ultimate of sins as a a young man, and has spent his whole life since trying to redeem himself in God's eyes.
Jon Constantine is one of the most interesting comic book characters I have seen in some time, The Character has a complex and troubled past, and does good deeds only so he can somehow buy his way into heaven. Now Keanu Reeves may look the part of John Constantine, but he most definitely can't act the part. Any scene where he is simply walking around, he's wonderful. Pick ANY scene where he actually has to talk, well, that's a different story.
The one character that I just found to be annoying as heck would be Shia LaBleof, who basically plays and even DRESSES as the exact same character he plays in I, Robot. Here, Shia acts as Constantine's private taxi driver and wanna be apprentice. He's your stereotypical wise guy, given the funny lines, and always left behind till the final act where he proves himself. the movie would have been better without him.
What really saves this movie from total disaster is the awesome visual effects that are used. There are genuine creepy moments in this film, such ads the demons themselves, or the hell that Constantine enters several times throughout the movie. the world Constantine lives in is utterly cool, dark, neutral. You have to be tough to live in a place such as this (here, LA). The plot comes off as somewhat trite, in that it never fully grabs your attention and en cloaks you in its story. there's no plot holes, per say, but there is a definite lack of meaning behind what happens to these characters and how the viewer only observes them but can't really relate.
Constantine is a total guy movie, boasting a cool character, and placing him in a world full of danger and action. The movie is mostly that, with an ending that takes its sweet time concluding and a hot chick (Rachel Weisz) who for most of the movie wears wet, low cut shirts. Can I recommend it? Sure, but I'll be the first to say, it has got plenty of faults.
MJR