Campus Times
March 4, 2005
“Constantine,” starring Keanu Reeves, is the latest comic-to-movie adaptation to hit theaters.
Movies based on comics do not always have to be well made to be successful, and can rely solely on the popularity of the main character to attract an audience. However, with a comic as niche as “Hellblazer” (the comic which “Constantine” was based on), a good film has to be made in order for it to achieve mainstream success. Depending on how you view the movie, it can easily be perceived as either a failure or a success.
There are those who may be fascinated by John Constantine’s struggle with thenetherworlds. People engrossed by such stories will probably take interest in this film.
However, while some people will be intrigued by “Constantine’s” supernatural story, others will find it disturbing. The demonic aspect of the story is prominent throughout the film, particularly in the first 15 minutes, which contains a very rough exorcism scene. It sets a mood for the movie, which may be hard to look past. Sensitive moviegoers are advised to look elsewhere for entertainment.
There are certain aspects of the film that everyone can have the same opinion on, regardless of how they view the subject matter.
First, the movie does a poor job of explaining some things. I cannot go into detail on examples at the risk of spoiling the movie, but you can be assured that you will have some questions once the film ends.
Second, “Constantine” had some problems with pacing. The first half of the film had multiple scenes that were both suspenseful and action-packed. Unfortunately, there were many other slow scenes, including the finale. The last twenty minutes wrapped up the movie nicely in terms of story, but it could have been done in half of the time.
Lastly, the choice of some of the actors is questionable. Keanu Reeves is not the best choice for any movie that does not have the words “Bill and Ted” in the title, and the decision to cast Shia LaBeouf as Constantine’s apprentice Chas Chandler left me wondering why Louis Stevens was hanging out with such a rugged person. Both of the actor’s characters are outside of the respected actors’ range. Although, to Keanu’s credit, this was his first movie where I was not waiting for him to exclaim “Excellent!”
Mainstream audiences will probably be able to look past the many flaws and enjoy the action and special effects. However, movie fans wanting an excellent adventure will probably find the trip to the theater to be a bogus journey.
Matthew Loriso can be reached at mloriso@ulv.edu.