Review: Constantine

I liked Constantine. I liked it a lot. Fans of the long-running comic Hellblazer dismiss it because it barely resembles the source material. It's no masterpiece like Class of Nuke 'Em High 2: Subhumanoid Meltdown but I'll be watching this again soon.

Constantine was shot on what looks like 1970s film stock and people are lit like cadavers in a David Fincher film. It looks great. The effects are scary and the depiction of hell terrifying. Keanu Reeves aside, the acting's great, especially Rachel Weisz, Tilda Swinton and Peter Stormare as Satan, who chews the scenery in a most satisfying fashion. He's insane, sadistic and also having way too much fun being Satan.

The story makes little sense and defies its own logic but I enjoyed not having a clue what would happen next. It's thick with mythology of both the religious and comic book kind, adding to the WTF factor, but WTF. The Spear Of Destiny prop was the same one made for Hellboy, a film I love, and maybe Constantine has a similar appeal. Hey, this runs rings around End Of Days!

Keanu Reeves seems nice enough. He gets more roles than his talents dictate but hey, good for him. He cannot express emotion through his eyes, which in a less pleasant face is creepy. He looks too young for the role of John Constantine. Bruce Willis would have been better (as long as he didn't smirk). Reeves isn't a bad actor but his face is like a mask.