Certificate:

Director: Francis Lawrence

Release Date: 18 March 2005

Tagline: Hell wants him. Heaven won’t take him. Earth needs him.

Main Cast:

Keanu Reeves … John Constantine

Rachel Weisz … Angela Dodson / Isabel Dodson

Shia LaBeouf … Chas Kramer

Tilda Swinton … Gabriel

I’ve never read the comic that Constantine is based on, so I watched this as a purely stand alone film without any preconceived ideas about how it ‘should’ be. In my view, this is how to make a comic book conversion but, as I say, fans of the comic may disagree. The look and feel of the film is classic comic book, full of silent and moody moments.

This is a dark and atmospheric film that draws you in from the first scene. Keanu Reeves is perfect as the ultimate anti-hero John Constantine and gives a great performance that makes us both respect and like him.

Tortured by the fact that, in the eyes of God, he can never make amends for taking his own life and will be damned to spend eternity in Hell, John wages a constant war against the demons that enter the mortal plain in the futile hope that he will be forgiven for his mortal sin and accepted into Heaven.

The plot is simple yet perfect, as you want to spend much of the time just enjoying what you’re watching. The special effects are fantastic and I loved the depiction of Hell.

I’ve not only been inspired to seek out the comics, but I may also sit with my feet in a bowl of water whilst staring at a cat’s face…

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