Ahead of it's Time in the Land o' Comics.

Rating: 9/10 (24 February 2014)

--WARNING: There may be some spoilers ahead for those who haven't seen the film, so just a heads up. In order to accurately review this film, it may be necessary to talk about some key moments.--
Constantine has had a bad rep in the world of comic book movies for quite some time now; and in some respects it's rightfully so, but in many more ways it is much more than that. Constantine represents a sort of comic book movie that isn't made often anymore, a comic book movie more for the middle of the road movie goer than the blockbuster audience. The movie makes more sense when it blends the screen and the pages rather than bridging the gap between them for non-fans.
As it's well known, the comic book world translated to film is basically "Marvel", "DC" or bust; then there's "Vertigo". Vertigo comics provides a home to more subversive and less accessible series such as "Swamp Thing", "Sandman", "Doom Patrol", and in this case "Hellblazer". However, even more curiously so is the rarity that a film based on previously established material caters so much to it's fan base rather than capturing a whole new audience; and that's what Constantine does. Rather than rally in new fans, the film tip toes around giving pivotal information and making sense of it's world in favor of letting it's already loyal viewers relish in some artistic license. Some of it may not make sense to those unfamiliar with the Hellblazer series, but it's this closed off, insiders club mentality, that helps push it into a more unique and testing territory rather than feeding all the answers to a new crowd.
The CGI in the film doesn't add to it as mere eye candy, but rather serves a more necessary purpose to accent the film or lend a helping hand to parts that would've looked out of place or dated if created using props or backdrops. While the script serves up a cautionary tale that is perhaps the only solid turns off, while it's dialog and interactions from actor to actor, mainly leads Keanu Reeves and Rachel Weisz, light up the screen all the way till the climatic confrontation conversation that sees to the films to it's near end.
If there is one thing Constantine lacks, it's a clear and original imagine in which it utilizes to encapsulate the viewer. Everything is more or less a glorification of ideas already set in place by other films, and it's marvel is in the world it lets you into and the story it tells rather than the blockbuster look it sports. I see time being good to this movie as it's relevance in the 2000s has given way to later viewings by newer fans of the series or avid movie goers looking for a film showcasing the battle between good and evil; almost like a more serious "Dredd" or less campy adaptation of sorts. In all it's generic casing, lays a true gem of film-making in Constantine.