Director: Francis Lawrence
Writer: Kevin Brodbin, Frank A Cappello (Screenplay) Jamie Delano, Garth Ennis (‘Hellblazer’ Graphic Novel)
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, Djimon Honsou, Max Baker, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Gavin Rossdale, Tilda Swinton, Peter Stormare
Plot: John Constantine (Reeves) is approached by Det. Angela Dobson (Weisz) who needs his help to prove that her twin Sister Isabel’s death was not a suicide. The dead woman was a devout catholic and Angela refuses to accept that she would have taker her own life. She’s asked Constantine for help because he has a reputation for dealing with the mystical. In fact, he is a demon hunter whose sole purpose on Earth is to send demons back to the nether regions. John himself has been to Hell – as a young man he too committed suicide and now knows that he is destined to return there on his death – but hopes that his good deeds may somehow find him a place in Heaven. As he looks into Isabel’s death, he realizes that demons are trying to break through to the human world and his battles lead him into a direct conflict with Satan (Stormare).
Verdict: Comic Book Thrills
Story: Going into this you have to remember this is a comic book adaptation, so the story will not be the most logical. It never takes itself too seriously which works well filled with small appearances from a range of colourful characters. It is a simple good versus evil story that works keeping everything together in an easy to watch horror fantasy. (7/10)
Actor Reviews
Keanu Reeves: John Constantine the demon fighter who owes a debt to Satan for his previous sin, he will fight for good as he is trying to buy his way into Heaven. Good from Keanu giving us what you expect from him, which is what is needed for the role. (8/10)
Rachel Weisz: Angela/Isabel Dobson playing twin sisters one dies while the other investigates what has happened to the other, who ends up caught up in a battle between Heaven and Hell. Good performance in dual roles but never gets to show her true ability. (7/10)
Shia LaBeouf: Chas an apprentice of sorts to Constantine who learns more than he should quicker than John is willing to teach. Typical hyper quick talking Shia performance, that works well for supporting roles. (6/10)
Djimon Honsou: Midnite owner of a club for people with the powers go to but can’t use any of their gifts there. Good simple supporting role that is used to only push Constantine to the next part of his mission. (6/10)
Max Baker: Beeman a gadgets man for Constantine who helps build the latest weapons to fight the evil, but becomes a victim for Constantine to gain motive. Good support character who only fills in information for Constantine.(6/10)
Pruitt Taylor Vince: Father Hennessy one of John’s connections who help discover any mysterious goings on cases. Uncovers the secret that will change everything for everyone on Earth. Good supporting performance but only in a few scenes to create additional motive for John. (6/10)
Gavin Rossdale: Balthazar a half breed demon who is playing the fields to make sure that Satan wins his bet with God by taking out the protection on Earth. Good supporting role but never really gets enough time to make the character complete. (6/10)
Tilda Swinton: Gabriel an angel who watches over the world but can’t get involved in the war between good and evil. Good supporting role but like most in this film doesn’t get enough screen time. (6/10)
Peter Stormare: Satan appears to take Constantine’s sole but misses out on what is going on in his own kingdom. Only appears in one scene but really adds something to the film. (8/10)
Director Review: Francis Lawrence – Good first steps into direction leading him onto bigger projects with larger fan bases. (8/10)
Fantasy: The dark fantasy world created makes this very good for fans of the genre. (9/10)
Horror: Not the scariest of films only really dark throughout. (3/10)
Settings: The fantasy vision on Hell is very good setting and most of the other settings manage to mix the idea of good and evil in the back ground. (8/10)
Special Effects: Very good special effects to create the creatures and the fantasy world. (9/10)
Suggestion: This is one to try, I feel some people will find it difficult to enjoy but if you are a fan of the subject matter you should enjoy it. (Try It)
Best Part: Trips to Hell
Worst Part: More character development on support characters would have been nice.
Action Scene Of The Film: Final sequences.
Kill Of The Film: Balthazar
Believability: No all comic book ideas (0/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: It could, it made enough money to, but never been in pipeline.
Post Credits Scene: Yes
Oscar Chances: No
Box Office: $230,884,728
Budget: $100 Million
Runtime: 2 Hours 1 Minute
Tagline: The wager between heaven and hell is on Earth.
Trivia:Alan Moore created John Constantine but after his first two creations got bad reviews he didn’t want anything to do with this one.
Overall: Solid Comic Book adaptation
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