Constantine (2005)

Great For HD

I had seen this movie when it was first released and was impressed by the special effects. But with my endless quest to find hd movies (blue ray is taking over) I knew I had to purchase this one. And I am not disappointed. The extra features are easy to operate and the movie looks fantastic,not 3D like blue ray seems to bring out in their dvds. Hd movies are just that, it has outstanding clarity but doesn't give that fakey look that blue ray does. July 5, 2008

Hellblazer, it ain't.

Hmm, my earlier review has gone up in smoke. Let's see if I can remember what I said... Okay, probably fewer than 10% of the viewers are aware that this film is (at least theoretically) based on a comic series from Vertigo entitled Hellblazer. John Constantine is a bit of a meddler, really, investigating all kinds of weird happenings, and generally pissing off the bad guys. He's also supposed to be a magician, although you won't see him casting fireball.. at least in this movie.

Keanu does an okay performance here, but what's really lacking is his ... hm, body-type? Constantine is actually a blue eyed, blond haired guy with a british accent. Keanu in no way resembles that. They would have been better off hiring his opposite from Bill and Ted. While his performance captures some of John's world-weary, grim and fed-up persona.. well, it's not exactly spot-on. Also, Shia... erg, just as badly miscast as Keanu. However, the movie is fairly entertaining, containing both Gabriel and Lucifer. Unfortunately, while the books are full of occulty subtext, the producers mainly give the impression that they don't know what they're talking about. Okay, yeah, angels and demons. But... then what? And the spear of destiny? That would be a major find, but it somehow.. .doesn't go anywhere. Also, the demons are.. eh, look like a video game or something.

So, this is the first Vertigo title to see film, and judging from its success, probably won't be the last. Hopefully they'll manage to not mangle the premise quite so badly next time. Yeah, Sandman! (I wish...) June 17, 2008

Why does anyone still hire Keanu Reeves?

I'm sorry but the guy can't act. Period.
I'll always see him in Bill and Ted.
He's a screwball who should have went away after those two movies.
That said, Hollyweird screws up the comics again.
Another movie to watch with the volume turned off.
Pretty FX don't make a good movie.
Fun to look at, painful to listen to.
Rent it if your curious, don't be prepared to enjoy it. June 16, 2008

One of the worst movies starting Keanu Reeves

It's one of the worst movies starting Keanu Reeves. The plot is ridiculous. The special effects are below par. There's no suspense nor horror here. June 8, 2008

Three Stars

When I was a teenager I would sew garments, and my Grandma would point out the sloppy parts saying "Take your thread ripper and undo this part and resew it." I always hated that, but I knew the garment would be better after I fixed it. The guys who made this movie needed a Grandma to gently tell them to rip out the sloppy parts and redo them. I thought this movie was compelling entertainment until the scene where Angela gets dropped into the same pool where her sister died. After that the movie becomes a screeching train wreck; there's a wierd mish-mash of events clumsily crashing into each other. You wince and look away, wondering why, oh why did they not take some time to work out the ending so that it was as good as the beginning?
Despite that, this film has a lot of artistry to recommend it. The creators did a wonderful job of establishing a creepy, somber mood with the sets, music, costumes and dialog. The lead characters do a wonderful job with the material they are given. The secondary characters are quirky and interesting. The special effects are out of this world - heh. This film had a lot of potential and I would love to see a sequel where all the problems that plague #1 have been worked out. May 12, 2008

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