A Very Entertaining Film

Rating: 6/10 (9 May 2005)

John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) is a die-hard cynic with the unwanted childhood gift of being able to see angels and demons that walk the earth. When a police detective (Rachel Weisz) comes to him for help finding out why her twin sister committed suicide, the duo is thrown headlong into a war between heaven and hell.
Constantine is a very enjoyable and exciting film to watch. The execution of the premise was done pretty well. I found the film to be engaging even though I was unfamiliar with material. I liked the way director Francis Lawrence handled the movie. He made it stylish but he also added plenty of substance to back it up. The majority of the first half was just talking and the film did a decent job of introducing the characters and story. Actually, the first half featured a bit too much talking and it was a little dull. However, the second half was very nicely done with a lot of cool scenes and dialog.
At first, the running time of 121 minutes seemed to be really long but the second half was wonderfully paced and the film just zoomed to the end. The script was a little weak but that wasn't the movie's main draw so it wasn't a major flaw. The script wasn't too original but I wouldn't say the entire film was derivative. Also, there weren't too many characters so it wasn't hard to figure things out. The special effects were awesome though and it was the best thing the film had to offer.
I think Constantine worked so well because of Keanu Reeves. A lot of people have blasted him for being a bad and boring actor. However, I think his mundane personality suited the role perfectly and he did a fine job. Rachel Weisz also played her role well and she's kind of underrated. Shia LaBeouf gave an awful performance as Chas. He was just annoying and over-the-top. I liked Tilda Swinton's performance and I think she's also a pretty underrated actress. Surprisingly, Gavin Rossdale gave a good performance. It wasn't amazing but it was much better than I expected. I think Constantine is a love it or hate it type of film. The movie will either wow the viewer or bore the viewer with it's story and effects. In the end, Constantine is a pretty good movie that's worth checking out. Rating 7/10