Constantine

great future prospect in the field of the fantasy genre, but on the whole I found the film overwrought to the point of shame and also terribly uninteresting and slow. Maybe the fact that it's based on a comic book hurt it, because comic book movies have a specific order and attitude that didn't fit this story for me at all. Or maybe it's because I'm not a true connoisseur, as POMO points out in his review, and I wasn’t able to appreciate the film enough the first time. I think the latter option is the more likely :) (06/10/2012)

This is how comic book adaptations should be done – going your own way to the sound of fanboys gnashing their teeth. With Constantine, the filmmakers understood that comic books – not just the mainstream ones but also the overground alternative ones –  are essentially a load of overwrought clichés, posturing and superficiality with a hint of something deeper. When this idea is appropriately grasped and executed, however, it can be tremendously entertaining, covering the full spectrum from camp cringe to unironic love. The casting of Keanu Reeves is a brilliant move, turning the existentially brooding hero into the greatest sufferer in blockbuster history instead of just another dark and gritty cliché. Whenever he lights a cigarette, utters a line loaded with fatalism or makes himself unavailable, you feel like hugging him. This is greatly supported by Rachel Weisz as a cool chick with a gun in a clearing surrounded by demons. Their chemistry together works magnificently, which delightfully enhances the plot to the point that you wish you could diabolically stop time and push them into a kiss. On top of that, the refined camerawork revels in those magnificent faces in unconventional widescreen compositions and the precise production design is part of fun world-building where something is ridiculously literal and something else is simply just happening. When Reeves first flicks open his Zippo, you get a silly grin on your face, which is surpassed only by the unadulterated pleasure provided by Tilda Swinton as the ethereally haughty archangel Gabriel and Peter Stormare in the role of Satan. (24/03/2023)

Well, Constantine may be many things, but its hardly a second Matrix. Admittedly, both the visual styling and the intertwining alternative world motifs seem like a good foundation. But Lawrence's film does not have the figurative power of the Wachowski brothers' opus, and even the main idea is communicated too lazily, intermittently, as if trying to camouflage its simplicity. Yes, all those religious discussions are bearable and sometimes interesting, but it simply cannot match the postmodern straightforward power of The Matrix metaphor. But that's the only negative thing I'd point out about Constantine. Otherwise, it is a very entertaining and interesting film in all respects. I quite like the torn concept of Reeves, even though the dark side is hard to believe with his angelic face... But Constantine needed a star. The craftsmanship packaging, including the effects and visuals, is really good and corresponds pleasantly to the story. In the end the final gradation and a hint of twist outweighed my complete impression and the good side. A four-star spectacle with a hopeful, half-open ending. I'm just not sure a sequel would benefit Constantine. (02/10/2006)

The series about a guy named Constantine is not among the most famous comic book projects (at least in mass pop culture). Therefore, the vast majority of viewers got acquainted with this (anti) hero only in movie form and can appreciate the dark world of film comics and the cynical one-liners of the casual exorcist. Such viewers will feel that it is almost an "underground" film that goes against established stereotypes of film characters and stories. It is typical for this concept to compare it not with the literary original, but with the Matrix trilogy, and thanks to Keanu Reeves, Constantine is compared to Neo. Which is, of course, a mental mistake. For a minority of viewers familiar with the comics, Constantine will be rather disappointing, because, for understandable commercial reasons, the film went only halfway in portraying the comic book atmosphere. However unlikely it may seem, the comic book is even darker and more cynical, and its humor is more morbid and sarcastic than in the film. But many viewers wouldn't have stood for that. The comic book's purity of style is simply missing. However, Reeves is perfectly suited for his role and Peter Stormare is truly charismatic as the devil. In terms of comic book adaptations, it is definitely a decent film with above-average direction and quality performances. Overall impression: 65% (21/05/2007)

Forget about Max von Sydow, here comes the coolest exorcist to ever grace the screen. The digital beasts bothered me the least of all (and they are not overabundant, as others have mentioned), on the contrary, I enjoyed the intriguing plot, the overflowing charisma of the great Reeves, the beauty of my sex idol Rachel Weisz, and several visually memorable scenes. And the last twenty minutes, with a clever and witty twist and the most stylish Lucifer in years (Stormare really is the devil), make Constantine a truly outstanding film. 4 1/2 *. Oh, and don't smoke or you'll go to hell. (27/06/2005)