For Something This Early In The Year, Constantine Is Probably Worth Your Time

Rating: 7/10 (21 February 2005)

Another dark comic book movie? After the mediocre Daredevil and the terrible Hellboy, I wasn't sure about this. However, this had the whole fire-and-brimstone thing going for it, and I am always a sucker for that. However, due to the poor luck of this genre, I had mediocre expectations. Was Constantine a mediocre movie? Plot: 16/20: John Constantine (Reeves) has seen hellliterally. He died after committing suicide and was brought back. He sees demons and angels, and whenever a demon breaks the balance by using more than influence against humans, he deports them back to hell. Apparently, God and Lucifer made a wager to see who could take in more souls, heaven or hell. They are not allowed to force anyone, just influence, and only half-breeds of angels or demons, who, to the untrained eye, are the same as normal people, are allowed to walk amongst humans. During an exorcism, Constantine finds a demon attempting to escape, which worries him that hell may be attempting some mischief. Around the same time, Constantine also finds out his chain-smoking has given him lung cancer and he is dying.
Meanwhile, Detective Angela Dodson (Weisz) is investigating her twin sister's apparent suicide, though she doesn't believe her sister, a devout Catholic and someone who claimed to be able to spot demons, would have committed suicide. Of course, the two stories intertwine, as Angela receives a vision telling her to find Constantine, who decides to help her, as they unravel a demonic conspiracy. Also, in Mexico, a scavenger has found the Spear of Destiny, has been granted superpowers and is on his way to the States.
Well, it gets a little more in depth than that, but that kinda sums up the beginning. I guess the plot isn't great, and there are some loose ends and holes, but it holds up pretty well and is filled with that religious irony we all expected. It throws a few twists, and the visit at the end is great, but the plot becomes somewhat convoluted and twisted near the end, and is overall predictable. It brings more good than bad, however.
Action: 13/20: Constantine, much like Hellboy, isn't all about the action. Unlike Hellboy, when we do get some action, it is a real treat. The scene near the end involving Constantine barrelling through a room of demons, which many have dismissed as silly, I found to actually have payoff and be a visual treat. The lack of action is apparent, and some scenes seem as if their sole purpose is to fill the void, ending up feeling a little forced. One particular scene involving a beetle demon just seems there to kill time. When you look at it after it's all done, it really doesn't have enough, but what we are given is pretty good.
Special Effects: 19/20: The effects here are great. The half-breed demons look appropriately goopy, while the full demons are decomposed and burnt, really looking like they've been through hell. The angels aren't really too distinguished aside from the wings, which look believable enough. The only time the effects fail is one scene involving Balthazar (Rossdale), which seems too CGI for it's own good. Overall, great effects.
Acting: 9/20: Surprisingly, Keanu Reeves (The Matrix) is pretty good here. Sure, he's still stoned out of his mind, but it fits the role. Most of the rest of the cast overacts, especially Weisz (The Mummy). LeBeouf (Holes) has almost exactly the same role he had in I, Robot as the young sidekick who doesn't get any respect from his superior, which seems to be his niche these days. Like I, Robot as well, LeBeouf's character gets little screen time (granted, he gets some). Finally, Peter Stormare (Armageddon) has a good appearance as Lucifer. Most of the cast overacts or isn't used or explored enough, so I can't give it a good mark for acting, even if Keanu fits for once in his career.
Entertainment: 17/20: In the end, Constantine is a pretty good time-killer. It probably won't get you to think much after it ends, but it does what it set out to do and proves to be a worthwhile movie to see this early in the year.
Total: 74%: Not incredible, but better than Hellboy and Daredevil. I would recommend this to anyone who wants an action fix this early in the year, though I am very split on this one. It had a decent plot, great effects and, when it got to it, good action, but the action wasn't prominent enough and the acting was mediocre at best. Still, it's worth a look, though unless this really catches your eye, maybe wait for a rental.