Constantine

Year: 2005
Genre: Action / Horror
Director: Francis Lawrence


Plot: A supernatural detective tries to stop evil forces from unleashing hell on earth.


The gist: Constantine is based on DC Comics book Hellblazer, where the lead character is John Constantine, a chain smoking, cynical detective who fights demons.

Some will take exception to the fact that Keanu Reeves was given the role because the character is actually British, but for me, that's not really the problem. The problem is Keanu's acting, which isn't up to mark.

Anyway, the film follows Constantine as he teams up with a detective played by Rachel Weisz, who is investigating her twin sister's death. The duo come across a plan by certain parties who want to unleash hell on earth. 

To his credit, Francis Lawrence keeps the film engaging from start to finish, throwing all sorts of interesting stuff into the plot and making them all stick, such as angels, demons, magic weapons, possession, exorcisms and such. It could have potentially backfired but Lawrence keeps it together firmly.

The good: Weisz and the supporting cast all deliver solid performances. Weisz in particular is believable. Peter Stormare damn near steals the show as Satan himself. Out of all the supporting roles he's had over the years, this is surely his best one ever. The camerawork is also solid, and the film's version of hell is awesome.

The bad: Reeves' acting, which is as wooden as when he was Neo. He does have his moments, but it's not nearly enough. Some of the CGI was kinda choppy, but most of the time you wouldn't notice it.


Verdict: It's an entertaining film, though it could be better if they went with a slightly darker approach. But I love it anyway. (4/5)

P.S.: Stay till the end credits finish for one last scene.