if not for the supporting cast, this movie tanks

Rating: 7/10 (27 March 2006)

First off, I must express my deep dislike of Keanu Reeves as an actor...However, he actually does well in this film. His John Constantine is a really cool character...a true bad-ass.
Constantine is based off the awesome 'Hellblazer' comics, and I've been waiting for a movie about these comics for a long time. The movie does not disappoint, but it does not strike gold, either. It follows John Constantine's (Reeves) efforts to enter heaven, using the method of repenting for his sins by means of exorcism of demons.
The supporting cast of Shia LaBeouf as the comedic relief that is John's assistant, Oscar Winner Rachel Weisz as a detective who lost her twin sister to the demons, Peter Stormare as Satan, Djimon Hounsou as Midnight, a club owner, Pruitt Taylor Vince as a minister, and Tilda Swinton as the angel Gabriel is excellent, especially LaBeouf and Stormare. They both make you want to watch them the entire time they're on screen.
The special effects are. Awesome You'll see a real depiction of Hell, which is just plain awesome. The weapons that Constantine uses are so cool, including the "Holy Brass Knuckles". You'll come to love Shia LaBeouf's character, and you'll see that he's really grown as an actor from his days on Disney's 'Even Stevens'. The direction of Francis Lawrence is pretty well done. I also enjoyed the film even more because I saw it on an IMAX screen. It's a good rent for the weekend, and for the die hard action fan, it's a good buy. I recommend this to anyone between the ages of 15 to 25, and the action fan. Lovers of Hellblazer might not like it too much, but it is still good.
7/10 --spy