***SPOILER FREE***
I' m absolutely in love with this movie.
At my movie theatre they post Roger Ebert' s reviews of blockbuster movies on the counter. I tried really hard not too look, but I did and I saw he gave it 1 and a half stars. Now, I don' t have much faith in Ebert anymore, but a shred of doubt always enters your mind when you see a movie score that low. But I' d wanted damned long for this movie and was seeing it regardless.
Honestly, for like the first fifteen minutes I thought Ebert was right. The story seemed broken and jumbled, like it wasn' t going to have a clear sense of direction. And since I' ve seen other movies start that way, and eventually end that way (often bad), I started to question Constantine. But listen to me - don' t doubt this movie. The story is absolutely amazing. It brilliantly pulls together subplots, character development, entertaining fights and special effects -- everything.
The movie also does a great job immersing you into Constantine' s world. It feels real and alive. Or in other words, the believability factor is really high here. And I just love how the movie keeps bringing up new and interesting ideas for your mind to work with. It doesn' t leave you feeling empty like you haven' t seen or learned enough. You get so much content in that small two hours it' s amazing.
Furthermore, the actors all did a great job as well. I thought Keanu delivered a couple flat lines, but not enough to distract me from the movie. His portrayal of Constantine was freakin' amazing though. He earned the title of hardass without over the top stupid stunts filled with crappy CG and bad, choppy cuts. Plus Constantine' s demeanor is just intriguing. I got really interested in his character throughout the flick. He' s deep and complex. Nicely done on Keanu' s part. Furthermore, Keanu and Rachel Weisz play off each other well. A great screen pairing if you ask me.
Overall I got nothing but good things to say about Constantine. Granted there are a few bad spots, but that goes for every comic book movie I' ve seen. The story' s deeper than just " heaven vs hell" or " good vs evil." ALL the characters are well acted and properly developed. And while the action is sparse, it' s great to see characters win using their mind instead of just their physical might.
Constantine isn' t perfect.... but it' s definitely my favorite comic book movie ever. Gotta see it again tomorrow. I also fear I could never like the comic version of Constantine. I like Keanu' s portrayal too much.
