MPAA Rating: R/Genre: Superhero Horror/Stars: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, Tilda Swinton, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Djimon Hounsou, Gavin Rossdale, Peter Stormare, Max Baker, Francis Guinan, José Zúñiga, Jesse Ramirez, April Grace, Tanoai Reed, Domino Harvey/Runtime: 121 minutes
Among the many lessons that I have learned during my time as a film reviewer, there is one that I think is most assuredly appropriate to bring up at the beginning of this particular review. That being that, contrary to what a vast majority of people might think, not every film finds its audience right at the moment that it is supposed to. To be sure, and in the name of complete fairness, there are those slices of cinema released every single year that do and, in the process, earn more than a hearty degree of box office, critical adoration, or some mixture of the both. At the same time however, there is also no denying that there are films that either don’t find an audience at all or those that do, but it takes a fair bit of time before they do, are subsequently given that time-honored cinematic tradition known as the “reappraisal” and thus finally seen for either the genuinely great movie or bonafide disaster that they were the whole time. Indeed amongst the examples that make up the halls of the former, we see that in 1999 Mike Judge (the guy behind Bevis and Butt-Head) gave audiences a zany satire on the corporate world that might not have been a box office smash yet today is both a beloved cult hit to say nothing of endlessly quoted in workplaces across the country. Along with that, we see that in 1982 Ridley Scott presented audiences with a sci-fi rooted film noir that may not have been best friends with either critics or the general movie going public, but has since gone on to be viewed as a seminal entry in its respective genre to say nothing of 80s cinema in general. Perhaps the reason I bring this up to you incidentally dear reader is because I feel that the 2005 slice of superhero cinema, and film I happen to be reviewing for you today incidentally, Constantine is definitely an example of the first category as well. Indeed here is a film that, upon its release, was judged perhaps a bit unfairly by critics as made evident by its 46% score on Rotten Tomatoes and which did alright with audiences making about 230.9 million on a 70-100 million budget, but which I feel definitely deserves a second look nowadays especially in the wake of where exactly comic book cinema has gone since its initial release. To be sure, it’s not a flawless film by any means, but with the aid of fairly solid work on both sides of the camera Constantine “05” is still a dark and fairly well-made plus acted film that I promise will entertain you while maybe even give you something to actually contemplate upon time and time again.
The plot is as follows: A loose adaptation of the Hellblazer graphic novels from DC/Vertigo Comics, Constantine gets its spine-tingling story underway in Mexico where a scavenger makes a discovery of potentially grave importance which I shan’t spoil for you here. From there, our story moves forward to Los Angeles where we see a mother discover that her daughter, who she had thought to be sick, is actually suffering from something far worse than a common cold or flu. Rather, she is stricken with that particular ailment known as demonic possession. Fortunately for her, we see that hope soon arrives in the form of a suit rocking, cigarette-smoking enigmatic individual by the name of John Constantine. A man who, among other things worth knowing about him, is a more than slightly cynical individual that is blessed (or cursed dependent on perspective) with being able to see angels and demons walking the Earth and as a result has become an expert in the supernatural and decided to devote his life to hunting down demons and sending them back to….where they belong. In short: this is the guy who very much inspired the creation of the characters Sam and Dean Winchester from the hit television show Supernatural. Yet despite being successful in his attempts to rid this latest “client” of her otherworldly possessor, we see that something is really weighing on the grumpy exorcist. That being that not only has his smoking addiction started to seriously catch up to him, but also that the demon he exorcised wasn’t like a lot of the other lesser-grade demonic presences he has banished up to this point which he finds more than just a tad bit troubling. As bad as things are though, we see that they might just be about to get worse when our intrepid hero finds himself being paid a visit by a detective in the LAPD named Angela Dodson. It seems that her twin sister Isabel had decided to take an Assassin’s Creed-style leap off the roof of the hospital she had been a resident at. A death that is a bit on the suspicious side for Angela since her sister, being a devout member of the religious group known as Catholicism, would’ve known that going out the way that she did would most assuredly, according to Catholic teachings, condemned her soul for all eternity. As a result, and upon seeing her sister say his name while reviewing security footage filmed just before she took the plunge, we see that she has decided to track down John in the hopes that he would utilize his expertise in the supernatural and otherworldly in order to help her get to the bottom of what really happened. Thus can our reluctant hero get to the bottom of this rather unusual death and in the process thwart a dastardly plot by parties unknown to bring about the end of the world as we know it? That I shall let you see for yourself….
Now right off, it should be said that the work engaged in by the assorted groups operating behind the camera on this slice of cinema is definitely, whilst by no stretch of the imagination flawless, most assuredly solid much to the benefit of both the film and audiences in equal measure. Without a doubt in my mind, this starts with the work done from the director’s chair by Francis Lawrence (2007’s I Am Legend and the last 4 Hunger Games movies among others) and this honestly is not that bad of a directorial debut. Indeed there are several things which Lawrence manages to do really well here. The first is that Lawrence does an incredible job of really shooting this less like a superhero film and more like something in the vein of Seven from 1995. A feat he is able to pull off not only through the utilization of an incredibly ominous tone that runs consistently throughout the film right from the word go, but also in providing this film with an aesthetic that is equally as ominous while also being a welcome degree of rooted in reality as well. It is also that aesthetic that Lawrence utilizes when it comes to how he shoots the various action beats that this film has to offer. Yes they are grounded in a welcome degree of reality, but what I really appreciate is how Lawrence is able to incorporate the more otherworldly components present in the narrative in these moments in a way that really brings out the best of both rather than having one completely override the other. Finally, I also really appreciate how Lawrence does a wonderful job of really trying to construct the characters in this in such a way that they feel less like archetypes we’ve seen before in other films such as this and more like three-dimensional individuals with their own quirks, flaws, etc. Along with the work done by Lawrence at the helm, this slice of cinema also has a fairly well-written screenplay by writing duo Kevin Brodbin and Frank Cappello respectively. Yet even though the screenplay definitely gives us a bleak and moody story that feels in synch with the character, there is one big issue. That being that the script doesn’t give a lot in the way of backstory about some of the characters and their relationships to each other. As a result, some of the characters are robbed of having the same amount of substance as others. Besides the prior two departments, this film also contains some truly intriguing work from Philippe Rousselot in the cinematography department. Indeed not only does Rousselot’s work utilize an impressive range of colors to help give the film a haunting visual style, but it also adds to the ominous atmosphere on display wonderfully especially in the way that the film depicts Hell less like something you might see in Hercules and more in the vein of an irradiated wasteland a’la Fallout: New Vegas or Blade Runner 2049. Last, but by no means least I definitely feel like I would be robbing this section to a degree if I didn’t take at least some time in it to talk about the work done by Brian Tyler (The Expendables 2, Final Destination 5) and Klaus Badelt (16 Blocks and Poseidon) on this film’s score. Yes there are moments where it can feel a bit run of the mill, but overall there is no denying that the score is able to reinforce the gritty and otherworldly tone of the movie fairly well. Suffice it to say that when you also take into account solid work from both the editing and visual effects departments among others it’s clear that this slice of cinema, despite a 46% score on Rotten Tomatoes, is most assuredly an actually well-done effort and I think it can definitely be said that the work behind the camera is a significant component of that success.
Alongside the undeniably skilled work done by the assorted units operating behind the camera, it also doesn’t hurt this slice of cinema in the least that the work done by the highly skilled collection of talent assembled in front of the camera is able to be just as effective even if some of the performers are given a fair amount more to work with in terms of material than others. Without any question at all this starts with the work done in the titular role by the iconic Keanu Reeves and honestly I feel like this is definitely one of his more underrated efforts as an actor. Indeed this could’ve been a very difficult character to really care about since, for at least the first 30-40 minutes, he can be more than a tad bit on the unlikable side. Thankfully, the film made the brilliant choice to cast Reeves, known for being one of the nicest people in Hollywood, and yes he does give the character the necessary sarcastically grumpy exterior, but he also does a terrific job of also slowly yet surely peeling that back to reveal a fair bit of genuine emotion and vulnerability that effectively comes to play as the story goes along. Besides the truly engaging work done here by Reeves, this slice of cinema also contains a really solid co-starring turn from Rachel Weisz (the first 2 Mummy movies and The Constant Gardener). Indeed as Det. Angela Dodson, we see that Weisz is fantastic at playing a character that is not only meant to serve as the audience surrogate in this particular cinematic situation, but also someone who is driven to get the bottom of her sister’s mysterious death even if her motives for doing so are rooted just as much in grief as they are in seeing that justice is done. Besides the wonderful work done by both Reeves and Weisz, the film also contains an incredible support turn from the always engaging Peter Stormare (Fargo from 1996, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, and The Big Lebowski). Yes it might take awhile for him to show up in this and yes he may only have 20-25 minutes of screentime tops, but even so there is no denying that Stormare does an excellent job at being a character that is both perversely charming to a degree whilst also incredibly menacing and sinister in equal measure. Last, but by no stretch of the imagination I feel like this section would be lacking if I didn’t take some time in it to talk about the work done by screen icon Tilda Swinton (The Ancient One in Doctor Strange, Burn After Reading, Snowpiercer) as the archangel Gabriel. Indeed, much like with Stormare’s role, this role might not have a lot in the way of screentime (30-35 minutes if I had to guess). Even so though, it can definitely be said that Swinton does a masterful job of giving us a character that, without going into spoilers, is definitely one that is both calculating while also a wonderful degree of morally ambiguous as well. Suffice it to say that when you also incorporate into the mix fairly well-done efforts from such individuals as Shia LaBeouf (in one of his thankfully less whiny roles), noteworthy character actor Pruitt Taylor Vince (Jacob’s Ladder and Identity), Max Baker, and Djimon Hounsou (though I think Keith David would’ve been just as good) among others it’s clear that this slice of cinema might have a few issues scattered about, but thankfully the work done by this cast does what it can to keep things running as smoothly as they are ultimately able to.
All in all and at the end of the day is Constantine “05” a flawless in every single way imaginable slice of superhero cinema? Honestly, and as much as I would love to say that it is due in large part to being a pretty decent-size Keanu fan, I am afraid that I cannot though most certainly not for lack of effort on the part of either the cast or crew that were assembled to bring this film to life. With that in mind, is this the worst entry on any of the individuals involved in the making of its creative resumes? Oh no. Not at all. Trust me when I say that there are definitely slices of cinema to be found therein that can definitely give you a worse headache than this film could ever begin to imagine providing you with. To be sure, and as stated previously, this is by no means a perfect cinematic outing. A claim that I am prepared to make chiefly because of the fact that this film’s script, as well-penned as it is by and large, not only doesn’t really give a fair amount of the characters involved in the story a lot in terms of material to work with, but also because it doesn’t provide us a lot of clarity in terms of the relationships between the titular hero and a lot of the individuals he is affiliated with. As a result, there is a lot to this film that is very much uncertain and not in the way that Kubrick would smile and give his approval to, but more in a way that I feel one more polish of the script should have been engaged in to clear up. With that in mind however, there is also no denying that the direction is well-done, the score is on-point, the cinematography is hauntingly beautiful, and the performances (with regards to the ones given by Reeves, Weisz, Swinton, and Stormare) are all absolutely engaging despite the aforementioned inequal distribution of material to work with. Suffice it to say then that it might not be The Dark Knight, but there is still no denying that Constantine “05” is a dark, edgy, spooky, fairly thought-provoking, and entertaining slice of superhero cinema that you are sure to enjoy time and time again. Now if you’ll excuse me: I just noticed something really weird going on with my friend and, seeing as Max von Sydow plus Ed and Lorraine Warren are sadly no longer with us to say nothing of Father Karras having taken quite the nasty tumble with down a flight of stairs recently, I guess I’m going to have to give the titular hero a call…even if he’s still mad at me for hiding his pack of cigarettes the last time we crossed paths….Make of that what thou will dear reader. On a scale of 1-5 I give Constantine “05” a solid 3.5 out of 5.
