Constantine
Review by Jason Donner
Keanu Reeves is Constantine, a supernatural detective
and exorcist who "deports" demons back to hell when they get out of
line. Constantine, you see, is a man walking a thin line between good
and evil since he's bound for Hell after he dies and is told that no
matter what he does, he's going to end up there anyway.
But when he
comes to the aid of a grieving cop investigating her twin sister's
suicide, Constantine discovers that the son of Satan is going to make
a play on the Earth and only Constantine can stop him and save all of
mankind!
In my opinion, Constantine should have been a much simpler
movie, but in an attempt to make itself seem like it is more
intelligent or more thought-provoking than it actually is, the movie
is mired in an overly heavy screenplay and a meandering story that
overcomplicates itself and brings its own self down into a burning pit
of its own.
Why pretend you're something you're not? Why, Hollywood? Why!?
That's not saying that it's a bad movie. When it's doing its thing and
gets over itself, Constantine is actually pretty entertaining
and witty. I guess that if you can stomach the Hell that is
Constantine's murk and muddle, it's quite fun when it gets moving.
The movie is a fantastic looking with its film noir feel and some
pretty impressive special effects. The acting ranges from serviceable
to downright hammy. Keanu Reeves and Rachel Weisz do passable jobs in
their respective roles while Peter Stormare, who plays Satan,
practically unhinges his jaw and swallows the entire set rather than
just settle for chewing the scenery.
Constantine is over the top but that's forgivable for a comic
book movie. Constantine has some pretty imaginative action
sequences, some clever plot elements, and some great effects. The
downside is that these elements only comprise half the movie. The
other half is dour, boring, and over-important.
But hey, I didn't hate it. I actually enjoyed Constantine more
than I thought I would. Overall, I'd say that if you want to give this
movie a shot... go for it. It's the first big-budget movie of 2005
that would call acceptable to say the least.
Not bad... not bad at all.