I really enjoyed this film. Having never read the HELLBLAZER comics I was able to enjoy this film without the pretense that one oft encounters when approaching a movie based on a beloved work.

I was able to see this film for what it was: Pure bubble gum, but God it was enjoyable. It had the tendancy to drag on at parts but just when it was getting tiresome there would be some witty dialouge or a classic Keanu facial expression (he has 2) to bring a smile to my face.

Overall I left this film with a happy feeling and wouldn't mind seeing a sequel.

This review may be flawed because the last three movies I watched were White Noise, Boogeyman, and Catwoman. Compared to the infecta-trifecta this film was a rare treat.

It also didn't hurt that there was a preview for BATMAN BEGINS at the begining. Overall it was good to see DC comics bring a dark feel to the screen. Kind of gives me hope that there may be a decent Superhero franchise from DC on the way.

In Closing: Constantine won't win any awards and it wasn't the most spectacular film to hit the screen in a long time, but with it's tounge in cheek take on the horror/action genre this is one wicked ride.

I was able to see this film for what it was: Pure bubble gum, but God it was enjoyable.

Minor Spoiler

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This is what confused me about Constantine: I wasn't sure it was suppose to be bubble gum. There were moments of comedy (some intensional, others not) but the majority of the film tried to be serious and moody. It felt like the movie failed on its first edit of being serious so they cut in some comedic bits to try and save it.

This is not to say I didn't like it. (Common... Keanu giving Lucifer the finger was classic!) The acting was actually pretty good and the idea was interesting, but the ending just didn't have the payoff I was hoping. And, without giving away the ending, there were no hints as to who the final baddy was or why except for one word: insane.

A fun ride but nothing I ever need to see again.

This is not to say I didn't like it. (Common... Keanu giving Lucifer the finger was classic!) The acting was actually pretty good and the idea was interesting, but the ending just didn't have the payoff I was hoping. And, without giving away the ending, there were no hints as to who the final baddy was or why except for one word: insane.

A fun ride but nothing I ever need to see again.

Did we see the same film. The bad guy was clear. It was the one manipulating everything.

SPOILERS.
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.The bad guy was Gabriel the Angel of Death. She/he was manipulating the rules so that the Son of Satan could reign on earth. Gabe was jealous that humans had a soul, very similar to the plot of The Prophecy in that regard.
Satan was just a cameo and I am not sure what the whole point of the Mexican guy was. Anyone else who saw the movie have a different opinion on who the bad guy was?

Did we see the same film? The bad guy was clear. It was the one manipulating everything.

It was clear at the END. That's my argument. If someone is the main villian I prefer the character to be in the film a little more than five minutes in the first 1/4 of the film.

But it was still a fun film. Just wished they'd gone for more camp (like it became) or stayed moody (like it was in the beginning). Or evenly mix it.

It was clear at the END. That's my argument. If someone is the main villian I prefer the character to be in the film a little more than five minutes in the first 1/4 of the film.

But it was still a fun film. Just wished they'd gone for more camp (like it became) or stayed moody (like it was in the beginning). Or evenly mix it.

I haven't seen this movie yet so I haven't read the spoilers and can't address it specifically, but.....

If someone is the main villian I prefer the character to be in the film a little more than five minutes in the first 1/4 of the film.

...that depends on the structure of the movie. Example: SE7EN would not have had anywhere near the same effect had you known who the villain was.

Again, not sure if this applies to Constantine specifically.

...that depends on the structure of the movie. Example: SE7EN would not have had anywhere near the same effect had you known who the villain was.

Valid point. But then again, in SE7EN, we weren't even introduced to the villian until the end (except for the taunting murders, letters, clues, phone calls, etc.). There was no taunting in Constantine. Just a lot of misdirection that went nowhere.

Valid point. But then again, in SE7EN, we weren't even introduced to the villian until the end (except for the taunting murders, letters, clues, phone calls, etc.). There was no taunting in Constantine. Just a lot of misdirection that went nowhere.

SPOILER ALERT
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Killer was the photographer on the stairs. He didn't play a large part in the storyline up until the end. Like I said, depends on the structure. I may see Constantine this week(end), so I will throw in my reaction then.

Saw it yesterday. I used to read the comics but I had the same reaction to those as to the film: I didn't care if John Constantine lived or died. And when that character is in every shot of the film, that's a problem.

Gabriel was way cool but Satan...as the embodiment of evil in the universe, I would have liked just a liiiiittle more gravitas. (That sentence is a syntactical mess, but you get my drift.)

Saw it yesterday. I used to read the comics but I had the same reaction to those as to the film: I didn't care if John Constantine lived or died. And when that character is in every shot of the film, that's a problem.

Gabriel was way cool but Satan...as the embodiment of evil in the universe, I would have liked just a liiiiittle more gravitas. (That sentence is a syntactical mess, but you get my drift.)

I didn't have a problem with Constantine or in Reeves interpretation of the
character and found it to be a rather interesting take on Catholicism and Gabriel's role in such matters.

If you guys are having trouble with Constantine, just wait and see Nic Cage as Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider- coming soon to a theatre near you....

I didn't have a problem with Constantine or in Reeves interpretation of the
character and found it to be a rather interesting take on Catholicism and Gabriel's role in such matters.

I haven't seen Constantine YET, but your statement above makes me ask whether you have seen The Prophecy with Christopher Walken, Eric Stoltz, Elias Koteas. I thought that was a very interesting interpretation also.