Blog #66 Constantine 2005 Movie Review

Constantine 2005

*Be aware- some spoilers

Genre

Dark Fantasy, Hard-Boiled Detective

Directed by

Francis Lawrence

Based on

Hellblazer by Jamie Delano

Garth Ennis

Starring

Image 2 Keanu Reeves in *Scanner Darkly* 2006.

Keanu Reeves- played John Constantine. Mr. Reeves played in Neo Matrix 1999, Ted ‘Theodore” Logan in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure 1989, Johnny in Johnny Mnemonic 1995, Bob Arctor in Scanner Darkly 2006.

Rachel Weisz- played Angela Dodson. Ms. Weisz also played Evelyn in The Mummy 1999.

Shia LaBeouf- played Chas. Mr. La Beouf also played Farber in I, Robot (2004), Sam Witwicky in Transformers (2007), and Mutt Williams in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008).

Image 3 Rachel Weisz in *The Mummy* 1999

Image 4 Shia LaBeouf in *Transformers* 2007

Tilda Swinton- played Angel Gabriel. Ms. Swinton also played the White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia 2005, The Ancient One in Doctor Strange 2005, and Dr. Hinkenlooper in Asteroid City 2023.

Pruit Taylor Vince- played Father Hennesy.

Djimon Hounsou- played Midnite. Mr. Hounsou also played Korath in Guardians of the Galaxy 2014, Henri in The Quiet Place Day One 2024,

Gavin Rossdale played Balthazar. The Current performed in the ending credits of ” Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines 2003 by Blue Man Group, featuring Mr. Rossdale, and the single “Bullet Proof Skin” was used in the motion picture soundtrack of the movie Stealth 2005.

Image 5 Tilda Swinton in *Chronicles of Narnia* 2005

Peter Stormare- played Satan. Mr. Stormare also played Lev Andropov in Armageddon 1998 and Dr. Solom Eddie in Minority Report 2002.

Production Companies

Warner Bros. Pictures

Image 6 Pruit Taylor Vince as J. J. Laroche in *The Mentalist*

Village Roadshow Pictures

Batfilm Producitons

The Donners’ Company

Weed Road Pictures

3 Arts Entertainment

Distributed by

Warner Bros. Pictures

Release Dates

Image 7 Gavin Rossdale playing Balthazar in *Constantine* 2005

February 7, 2005 (Paris) February 18, 2005 (United States)

Running Time

121 minutes

Country

United States

Language

Image 7 Djimon Hounsou as Juba in *Gladiator* 2000

English

Budget

$70-100 million

Box Office

$230.00 million

Synopsis

An attractive but unhappy man, John Constantine spends most of his time getting demons out of people and smoking. We learn he is fatalistic because when he was a teenager, he tried to commit suicide, and was successful for two minutes. John’s universe runs on Catholic rules, which means he committed a mortal sin and will go to hell. A place he has seen. He knows, not believes, which doesn’t count. The rules are cruel for people like Mr. Constantine, someone who can see through the veil at the demons and angels. We are privileged to see the Angel Gabriel, who delights in the idea that John will go to hell, explaining it’s all his fault.

Image 8 Peter Stormare as Lev Andropov in *Armageddon* 1998

In the meantime, Mr. Constantine tries to send as many demons as possible back to hell. During his various exorcisms, he learns that some demons are crossing into the human world, a very forbidden act. A hybrid can walk around, and demons both can tempt, but no more. The same is true for angels helping humans. A policewoman gets mixed up in this problem, absolutely sure her twin did not commit suicide, and is trying to get the proper burial from her priest while Constantine is having his conversation with Gabriel.

So, the adventure begins with John fighting against getting involved- Oh, it’s so sad, too bad for your sister! And with a reluctant pragmatist, the police detective. Together, they investigate what happened to her twin sister, and it’s not good; she is in hell. However, due to the reaction of all the demons on the block, John realizes he has stumbled upon something involving his discovery: demons trying to break into the human world.

Positives

Image 9 John wrestles with the possessed Angela

This is a complicated and interesting movie. I like the characters. Mr. Constantine is a very good anti-hero. Underneath, he seems to be a good person who has been through too much and is doing the best he can. He doesn’t want to get involved with Angela because her problem is similar to his, and there isn’t much to do.

John has many friends who try their best to help, but it’s all very dangerous, especially when no one will believe that this betrayal or treasonous behavior is happening. As John has nothing to lose, he is dying of lung cancer again (believe it or not) and hopes he can get into heaven by these good deeds. Seems the rules don’t work that way, even though that’s what most people seem to operate on. I’m referring to the real world outside of the movie.

The special effects are good. I especially liked the wings on the angels as they unfurl. John knows all sorts of things, mostly, I think, to ward off the demons, but he does have some good stuff to catch them and throw them out and back to hell.

Image 10 Angel Gabriel and the magnificent wings

Negatives

This movie is rated R, and I agree with that. It is rough and on the verge of being too rough for me. I must admit that it would have to be to believe enough in what you are seeing. That roughness is too much for a little child. An adolescent could love it, like Robocop, in a way that critics and parents probably didn’t appreciate, especially when it first came out. The cruel way people are treated, good and evil are definitely seen, but if you go against or get in the way, too bad. Like I said, a bit rough.

Image 11 John catches Isabel’s hospital tag

Conclusions

I like it. The movie plays with the supernatural very well. It’s very cynical, colorful, dark, and scary. There is some gore, but the fright comes from the demons actually being there, hissing and showing their claws. John knows how to take care of it.

It has a philosophy like Legion and Dogma, where good doesn’t work on the level we expect and definitely want. Lots of rules and choices to get what should be. If this isn’t your idea of interesting or fun, I wouldn’t watch it. One of my favorite writers, Robert A. Heinlein, wrote a book titled Job: A Comedy of Justice, which was not my father’s cup of tea. He passed on to me, along with Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. The humor and worldview were not what he could get along with, similar to Constantine, but I adored that kind of flip. In Job, when the hero got on the bus going around heaven, and the angels were mad he didn’t sit in the front (he just got a halo), and in Hitchhiker’s, when the hero sticks a fish in his ear to translate, I got a good belly laugh.