I loved it for what it was

Rating: 8/10 (22 February 2005)

Now, I've never read the Hellblazer comics from which this movie is apparently based. I've heard the fan base was screaming in outrage, but I decided to ignore that and try to take the film for what it was worth as a piece of celluloid. And I really, really enjoyed it.
Personally, I've been fascinated with mythology of all types from around the world, which is why I hated "Troy" for taking out the gods, and why I loved the Matrix trilogy. This advertised itself as a demons-vs-angels take on Christian mythology, and I was intrigued. Glad to say, I was rewarded in that respect.
I admit Keanu Reeves is a terrible actor. No, I take that back a bit. He's very good at playing himself: stoner/hacker/clueless type, which is why he worked so well in the first Matrix, and not so well in the sequels. Here, however, Reeves is asked to play a chain-smoking, hard-drinking bad-ass role, which he is not suited for. Luckily for us, the character of John Constantine is so strong that for the first time, I saw a character that actually carried the actor. I wasn't bothered by Reeves' delivery of his lines, I enjoyed the lines themselves.
Aside from Reeves, it was great. The mythology element was well implemented, and the other actors play their parts to perfection (my favorite being Peter Stormare's Lucifer). The story is intriguing and though the path of the story may be very linear and formulaic, the spin of the lore in this film far outweighed any predictability. In addition, the CG is cleverly and refreshingly done, and I loved such sequences as the liquor store and the bleak, apocalyptic depiction of Hell.
All in all, it was great for what it was. I give it an 8/10, and the only reason it's not a 9/10 is because of a few of holes and scattered sloppiness with the storytelling and editing and such. Go see it! It's fun.