Product: Constantine [Blu-ray] (2012)
Rating: 2.0
Hellvacationer
DC Comics' Vertigo imprint joins the comic book to film frenzy with Constantine, based on the rich anti-hero John Constantine from the comic book Hellblazer. In the comic, Constantine is a foul-mouthed, beer swilling, two pack a day smoking, dirt bag of a blonde Brit. In the movie, he's Keanu Reeves. Why the producers behind this film would select a none-to-well known character like John Constantine, and then proceed to virtually dump all pre-existing character information about him, is beyond me. In my mind, you pick an established character for either the name recognition (capitalizing on a built in audience) or because that character is such a great one (in which you keep very close to the source material). Constantine chooses to eschew both these alternatives and instead goes for the dubious `let's totally change a character that nobody knows just to piss off the ones that do know' approach. And they do so successfully. While my unwitting cohorts were dazzled enough by the now expected veneer of special effects and thrown together artifact-related plot to at least not hate it, I found myself stupidly wondering at the terrible loss of potential.Tilda Swinton is great fun to watch as the archangel Gabriel, and Peter Stormare does his best to deliver some pretty bad material as Satan. Otherwise, the cast is flat and unmotivated. The plot circles around a special dagger that can somehow unleash the son of Satan into the world that otherwise only allows half demons and half angels. Needless to say, Constantine saves the day, and indirectly, himself from eternal damnation. If you are a fan of the comic, do not see this adaptation under any circumstance. If you are not a fan, then there's really no reason to see it unless you just really like Keanu Reeves. With these people running things, look for Sandman, the Romantic Comedy starring Rosie O'Donnel as Death. Oh, those silly Endless.