Product: Constantine [Blu-ray] (2012)
Rating: 3.0
You might be surprised
**Possible Spoilers**I have never read the source material for "Constantine" (the "Hellblazer" comic series), so I can't say whether or not it's faithful. However, based on the movie itself, I can say that the idea shows promise.After a short intro, in which a Mexican man picks up a mysterious object and gains some odd powers, we meet John Constantine as he evicts a "soldier demon" from a little girl, in an intense exorcism scene. As we proceed, we're introduced to Constantine's assistant Chas, and his "spiritual adviser" Father Hennessy.If the setup seems familiar, it is: the "Blade" series also featured a tortured protagonist who fights the forces of darkness with a little help from his friends. Does Constantine work?The short answer is, Yes. Despite a few cheesy, over-the-top scenes, by and large, Constantine is a moody, gripping, and reasonably intelligent supernatural action-thriller.Reeves basically plays a mature Neo here: he's pulled back the curtain, seen the wizard, and been to Hell and back (literally). Reeves will almost certainly be lambasted for another two-dimensional performance, but actually, it works. Reeves' quiet voice and relative lack of facial expressions work perfectly for a cynical and bruised man like Constantine. I'd say that this is his finest hour.Of course, the movie doesn't rest on his shoulders, as the supporting cast puts in some fine performaces. Tilda Swinton is convincing as the asexual angel Gabriel, and Peter Stormare puts in a characteristically creepy performance as the Prince of Darkness. Even former Bush-X frontman Gavin Rossdale puts in a credible performance as the demon Balthazar.Not to say that the entire film works. As I mentioned, there are several cheesy moments, as well as some breezy and superficial criticisms of Catholic dogma and God. But when the movie works, it really works. The film's brief look at Hell is, according to everyone I've talked to, creepy and utterly effective. And the climatic conversation between Constantine and Satan at the end is pulled off with style.In the end, you can basically expect "Blade" with demons, instead of vampires. If this is to your taste, you'll love "Constantine"; if not, then you were probably going to hate it anyway. It's not particularely profound, but it's fun, and worth the price of admission.