Sadly Over-hyped

Best movie ever!

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

I absolutely love this film, could watch it on repeat all day long

A well-produced action/drama that keeps you guessing throughout. Not all will enjoy this type of movie, but I thought it was fantastic. A very refreshing break from Reeves' MATRIX movies, the film has great special effects, an engaging plot that keeps you wondering and interested throughout, with an edge-of-the-seat ending that satisfies. I don't give all of the movies with Keanu in them positive reviews (though many are), but this one is definitely worth your time!

I realise this film does have a cult following, and I myself actually enjoy watching this. That does not mean I love it and think it's the best thing since sliced bread...it isn't. Demon hunter John Constantine gets involved with Angela who believes her twin sister was murdered instead of committing suicide. The two undergo a personal journey together where reality may not be the only world that exists. It's pretty much any investigative crime thriller but the suspects are angels and demons. There is so much religious jargon that it rather hurts my brain. Spear of Destiny, Gabriel, Satan's Son...the list goes on. Even though I myself am not religious, I found myself intrigued by the plot and its religious context. Yes, some parts are fictionalised for dramatic purposes but I never became bored. The plot is completely overstuffed with wasted supporting characters, an antagonist with an ambiguous motive and a few plot conveniences. But in saying that, it's just entertaining and intriguing. Plenty of slow motion visual effects and a visceral stylised version of hell keeps this film feeling fresh, even when watching it today. The stand out though, is John Constantine himself. A jaded, experienced and tired individual that consistently questions his destiny. Keanu Reeves was the perfect choice to portray this character, his serious monotonous line execution was sublime. Rachel Weisz was slightly underwhelming but was functional. Everyone else? Wasted potential. Tilda Swinton, Peter Stormare, heck even Shia LaBeouf just needed more screen time. The film is solely focussed on Constantine. For 121 minutes, is there enough substance to the character? Yes and no. I found the scene editing to be slightly rushed. No real transitions for the most part, where some scenes just feel like they were stringed together with no real thought. A good adaptation for a comic, I just wished there was more substance and a more intelligent approach.

The Three Acts:The initial tableaux: The titles say, 'The Spear of Destiny' has been missing since the end of World War II. So what is this spear? Perhaps we will find out.In the present day, Manuel and friend are sifting debris. Manuel almost falls through some rotten floor boards. Beneath the boards he discovers a spearhead wrapped in a Nazi flag. He walks away from his friend with the spearhead, but is immediately hit by a car. He receives a mark, then rises and trots away, seemingly unharmed. What could this mean?In the second thread, John Constantine and his allies watch for incursions from hell, and act against them as best they can. Hennessy calls John for an exorcism, and the type of demon that John scotches tells him that something is afoot.In the third thread, Detective Angela asks her priest for guidance. Her twin Isabel commits suicide. Angela is at a loss.Delineation of conflicts: Lucifer and company have plans for broaching the barriers to invading Earth. The archangel Gabriel (heaven) and the demon Balthazar (hell) each has plans of his own. John is dying of cancer while he's trying to protect as much of Earth as possible. Angela wants to know what is going on with her life, and what happened to Isabel. Chas wants to get more out of his apprenticeship with John. Hennessy would like to live a bit longer, and help John if he can. Midnite tries to stay neutral between heaven and hell.Resolution: I thought the film came to a good, though harsh, conclusion. What did you think?