Film #1: The Good…I’m Taking a Stand On This One (Constantine)
The hate has gone way too far on this one. I get it — it’s not like the comic book. Guess what? There’s a ton of movies based on comics, novels, plays and what have you, that stray from the source material – deal with it.
Constantine is one hell (pun kind of intended) of a fun yet twisted sci-fi/horror/action/noir mash-up that shows Keanu Reeves in a different light. We see him in the role of the burnt out, grizzled, tortured, chain-smoking supernatural detective, John Constantine. He’s a man battling with demons – those sent from hell and those raging inside his soul. Doesn’t sound like your normal Keanu role, right? More times than not we see him in a role where he’s the fish out of water, the babe in the woods, the blue flame special. I think he absolutely shines in the role and is certainly a better choice than the film’s original, intended star, Nicolas Cage.
Outside of Keanu, the rest of the film is just really well-constructed. It blends the elements of film noir and horror film seamlessly — it’s a hard boiled whodunnit mystery complete with the mysterious dame (Rachel Weisz) who wanders into our hero’s life…she just happens to be haunted by demons…who want to end the world. The supporting cast (Djimon Honsou, Shia LeBouf) and the cameos (Peter Stormare, Tild Swinton) are all perfectly chosen and the actors give strong performances all around. The rewatchability on Constantine is super-high and despite it’s dark nature, it’s just a fun movie to get into.
So, get past your comic book prejudice and enjoy Constantine for the good movie it truly is.
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