Product: Constantine [Blu-ray] (2012)
Rating: 3.0
Disappointing adaptation, but worth watching...once.
For fans of the comic book on which this movie is based -- "John Constantine: HELLBLAZER" -- it will doubtless be a disappointment. I myself am an avid reader of said comic, and when I think of how much better the movie could have been...SHOULD have been...it makes me a little sad. For one thing, the John Constantine of the comic lives in London, not Los Angeles, and this is a critical difference, both for the character and the story. Constantine is supposed to be British through and through, and turning him into an American -- even worse, a Californian -- just destroys the whole foundation of the character. Putting a gun (a crucifix gun?) in his hand puts the final nail in this coffin...the John Constantine I used to read about never used guns. He never had to.The storyline they chose to adapt is one of the best of the whole series, the "Dangerous Habits" story in which Constantine, a lifelong smoker, is diagnosed with lung cancer, and spends the rest of the story wrapping up his affairs on Earth before taking the trip he knows he is destined for. The movie adaptation, however, borrows only slightly from this story and then throws a bunch of predictable Hollywood crap into it to botch it up. It looks like they tried to mix the subtleties of "Hellblazer" with the over-the-top action of "Blade," and the result is a hodge-podge mix of horror and action which really doesn't fly -- at least, not in terms of what John Constantine's followers from the comics might expect. "Hellblazer" is, in the end, a character-driven story more than an action story, and there's precious little character to be found in the film. And, if you know and love John Constantine as I do, the last shot of the film will leave you, as it did me, cursing at the screen in rage.Taken on its own, if I ignore the comic for a few moments, the film isn't a bad one. The effects are well-done, and the story clips along nicely. The visions of Hell were detailed and gruesome, and I appreciated the effort that went into them. Keanu doesn't fully convey the nature of the lead character, but he also doesn't lapse into his usual lazy style -- not a single "whoa" moment to be found in the whole movie! The real star, for me, was Rachel Weisz, as Angela. She pretty much stole every scene she was in, and was clearly the better actor of the two leads. Another highlight in terms of acting was Tilda Swinton as the Archangel Gabriel, trapped on Earth and giving Constantine advice on how to redeem himself. Swinton lends a cold, androgynous quality to the angel which was quite remarkable. There are also a few really good "gotcha" moments, especially for Constantine, moments when his character did glimmer through a bit.Basically, "Constantine" is a good action movie with horror overtones. Those going to see it expecting nothing more than this will likely be pleased.However, those seeing it hoping for a decent adaptation of the comic book are going to be let down in a big way. This Constantine has an American accent, he uses lots of guns, and he isn't as blithe or as harsh as he could be. In short, he's not OUR Constantine.And that last shot in the film...oh, I could just spit fire over that one.