Product: Constantine [Blu-ray] (2012)
Rating: 4.0
A Hell of a good time. . .
"Cats are good. Half-in, half-out anyway."For fans of theological thrillers or graphic novels, there is something incredibly enticing about the character and adventures of John Constantine in the cult favorite comic Hellblazer. Seen by some as a powerful magician fighting against demons, and by others as a smarmy con-man out for a quick buck, the world behind the world that he inhabits is one ripe for a good mystery with a healthy dose of the bizarre.The movie adaptation helmed by director Francis Lawrence and starring Keanu Reeves is more of an extrapolation of some of Constantine's comic adventures rather than an adaptation of the exact world and character. John Constantine is now a dark-haired american living in a demon-infested Los Angeles (mmmm, irony) instead of the snarky blond Brit that rowls the comic pages. However, the important things about his character remain largely unchanged. He retains the same pitch-black sense of humor and "screw you" attitude to the minions of both heaven and hell, and Keanu himself does an admirable job in the role. Perhaps it's just that John Constantine can be such an emotionally dead character, but Keanu does what is easily his best work since donning his trenchcoat and shades in the original Matrix.The story for John is fairly simple; he sees dead people. Or rather, John Constantine has the rare ability to spot the semi-demons and quasi-angels (termed "half-breeds") that live among the human population. As a child, it drove him insane and desperate to the point attempted suicide. However, it didn't quite work, and now, knowing that he's destined to burn, Constantine acts as something of a bouncer for the city; whenever a demon tips the balance between good and evil by stepping too far outside the line, he deports them back to hell. he does this not for the sake of doing good, but in the forlorn hope that it'll buy him back into the good book.This grabs the attention of Racheal Dobs, a detective who can't believe that her Catholic sister would comit suicide. Suspecting foul play, she enlists the unwilling help of Constantine, and the two start down a road to unravel an unholy mystery involving the Spear of Destiny, psychic powers, and ancient prophecies.The story for the film is solid enough, but it's really the visual style and the supporting cast that make it enjoyable. Francis Lawrence creates a brilliant atmosphere for the film, along with some geniunely disturbing images of Hell, and does a great job of fitting each scene to its mood, whether it's being defined by performances or music.As for the supporting cast, they're all incredibly enjoyable. Gavin Rosdale and Tilda Swinton provide great contrast as Balthazar and Gabriel, and Djimon Honsou does a great mystery man as the militantly neutral Pappa Midnight. Even the usually annoying Shia LeBeouf is palatable, and in actually adds a lot to the character of John Constantine. As author Niel Gaiman proved in The Books of Magic, Constantine is most enjoyable to watch when he has a young charge to act as his foil. And watch for a scene-stealing performance from Peter Stormare as the Morning Star himself.Overall, the film isn't meant to be much more than an exercise in entertaiment with a heavy dose of the macabre, but it manages to be very good at what it does. With very effective use of effects and visual style, along with solid performances, if you like your supernatural thrillers with a touch of the hellish, this is where you should look.And the two-disk DVD is easily the best deal if you're planning on picking the film up. It has all the special features that the one-disk edition comes with (including some deleted scenes that actually might have improved key points of the film), but also a full second disk of extras looking into the making of the film. It also comes packed with some selected Hellblazer comics, for a look at the original vision of the Constantine character.Constantine has a different sort of feel overall than something more fun and self-aware like Hellboy, but it's certainly worth a look if you enjoy films like The Devil's Advocate or The Exorcist. Just come in expecting something. . . different.