Constantine
Hell wants him. Heaven won't take him. Earth needs him.
John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) is a private investigator who believes in things that go bump in the night -- which makes him somewhat of an eccentric in a world ruled primarily by logic. So, it comes as a surprise to him when a female cop (Rachel Weisz) seeks his counsel after her twin sister dies in what first appears to be a suicide. She wants definitive proof of the cause of death … but the answers may only come with blind faith on her part.
Member Reviews
A Good Comin Translation - TheDandyist
'Constantine' is based on the D.C./Vertigo title 'Hellblazer', which is excellent. Rather than compare the two, I'll just rate it as a movie: John Constantine, who has managed to get himself locked out of Heaven and is so wanted by Hell that Kucifer himself refers to Constantine as the only soul he'd come up personally to get. You had to have done some serious wrongs to the devil in order to get that sort of attention. But the movie itself is pretty straightfoward - stop the devil's son from being born on Earth, or we'll all suffer for it. It's in the details that this film is a little different than the rest. It's got some new mythologies we haven't heard before, some new tricks and some pretty cool villians (not all of whom are from Hell or Earth). As an added bonus you manage to feel something even for the ancillary characters, which is a fun bonus. Very nice F/X, especially Hell. Most of the acting is pretty goo, especially the character of Gabriel. Keanu is fine, even if he isn't British.
It's worth the admission.Keanu doing what he does best - chaosensues
Some folks are turned off by Keanu's classic monotone, emotionless delivery, but somehow this role fit him to a tee. In the role of John Constantine, he is a man that has been to hell and back, literally. Once a character goes through something like that, nothing on Earth doesn't faze him. Don't get me wrong, there is a character arc... but Keanu is the ultimate straight man. Rachel Weisz is fantastic as ever contrasted against the stoic Keanu.
This fascinating look at the battle between good and evil, and John Constantine's inner struggle held up against such a dark backdrop had me hooked. I'm only too sad to see that no sequel (starring him at least) is in the works.
http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/03/26/keanu-reeves-destroys-all-hope-of-a-constantine-sequel/
For now, I'll have to satiate my hunger for more Constantine by reading the graphic novels.Wow. See this movie! - FilmMonkey
Constantine is one of those movies that sticks just close enough to reality to make this admittedly far fetched idea work. The writers clearly know a little about Catholic theology, and even though it's by no means an accurate representation of what's in the bible, it does manage to raise some interesting questions about what is redemption, the nature of angels/demons, and even the nature of God.
All this would literally be academic if Constantine didn't provide the thrills to make it all look good. But this is a visually stunning film filled with iconic images and viceral, hard hitting action sequences. The mood is relentlessly sombre broken up by just the right amount of cynical humor.
I'm not kidding, but it is Keanu Reeves that makes you care about this chain smoking, selfish, cynical badass, who ironically faces the ultimately vulnerability - that he is now dying and is going to hell. Reeves seems drawn to these "world within a world" movies and he is very very good in this one. This world is very well imagined and it's one I wouldn't mind visiting again. See this movie.
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A Good Comin Translation - TheDandyist
'Constantine' is based on the D.C./Vertigo title 'Hellblazer', which is excellent. Rather than compare the two, I'll just rate it as a movie: John Constantine, who has managed to get himself locked out of Heaven and is so wanted by Hell that Kucifer himself ...Keanu doing what he does best - chaosensues
Some folks are turned off by Keanu's classic monotone, emotionless delivery, but somehow this role fit him to a tee. In the role of John Constantine, he is a man that has been to hell and back, literally. Once a character goes through something like that, ...Wow. See this movie! - FilmMonkey
Constantine is one of those movies that sticks just close enough to reality to make this admittedly far fetched idea work. The writers clearly know a little about Catholic theology, and even though it's by no means an accurate representation of what's in ...