Surprisingly Good, If You Don't Know What to Expect

Rating: 8/10 (22 February 2005)

Warning: Mild Spoilers. I will admit I had doubts about seeing Constantine. However, on the advice of a friend I saw the film and left the theater feeling quite content. I thought it was definitely above par for a comic book adaptation and for most fantasy action flicks. The acting is actually quite good, even Reeves delivers a character with believable depth despite what others might say. However it is the supporting cast which delivers the best performances, the characters played by Weisz, Hounsou, Swinton, and Stormare where enough to leave me wanting to see more of them on screen. The writing was also clearly done by a Hollywood outsiders: it didn't follow very many clichés and I was surprised when characters and plot twists surprised me with things seldom seen in Hollywood movies. Last but not least the special effects where excellent: the demon effects, breaking glass, bullet time-like effects when time stops, and Hell itself were all excellent. Hell is especially cool looking so it is fortunate it is visited quite a bit. I definitely recommend seeing this film if you can go with an open mind.