Highly Overrated But Still Good

Good concept, poorly executed.

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Heaven and Hell are in eternal battle for souls, but angels and demons are prevented from staying on Earth. "Half-breeds" are living among humans, and by them Heaven and Hell affect people, but they are also prohibited from direct influence. They can only direct people to good and evil and provoke situations in which the real human nature of nature will show itself. If they violate the rules and thus disturb the balance of good and evil, John Constantine, a man with a gift to see the world of angels and demons, is there to stop them and "send them home." Keanu Reeves is satisfying as Constantine, but in my opinion he is lousy actor who reduces quality of any movie he's in. I do not like Rachel Weisz in the main female role neither, and there is no chemistry between them. Tilda Swinton is also lousy and the only actor who really leaves positive impression in this flick is Peter Stormare in the role of Lu(cifer). Story is interesting, directing and special effects are good and movie holds attention. It's worth watching, but don't expect too much.7/10

Okay, I haven't seen the comics/graphic novels this is based on. I've seen the TV show with Matt Ryan and I've heard that it comes much close to presenting the true original Constantine than Keanu Reeves does.That being said, when I got around to finally seeing this I was pleasantly surprised. Reeves does a competent job, but I think the movie is very much buoyed by Rachel Weisz playing the unwillingly psychic detective and her unfortunate sister and by other characters in the ensemble, notably Tilda Swinton playing a very "complex" and other- worldly Gabriel and Peter Stormare doing a bang-up job as Lucifer himself.The movie has a lot of special effects and in my opinion they are all pretty good, and the action is varied enough and persistent enough that you neither get bored waiting for it nor get bored in the midst of it.In the course of suspending your disbelief you have to accept that God is pretty much a stickler for rules (about suicides, e.g.) and yet is enough into dualism that he is willing to give the devil's side a sporting chance at winning the game if he plays his hand right. But this is far from the only movie with such conventions. I don't claim that this movie has tons of subtle character development or deep theological truths, but I found it enjoyable. More enjoyable than a lot I've seen.

Constantine (2005) is a fantastical drama by Francis Lawrence about a man, John Constantine, who possesses the unique ability to see the demons and angels that dwell on Earth. Established to be selfishly motivated, John exorcises demons from the innocent to win the favor of God. Upon meeting a detective, Angela, John assists her in discovering the truth behind her sisters supposed suicide.The most present aspect I noticed in this film is thread. A large topic in the film is the idea of demons "crossing the plane" to Earth and the world in which humans interact. To further this concept, the film continually uses physical planes. While many threads exist, such as the cross, water, and John's cigarettes, I found the glass acting as a means of transport to be interesting. Glass is barrier broken in many scenes throughout the film, as a transparent means of moving from one state to another. In this film, it took the shape of a separating between Earth and Hell, between ignorance and knowledge, and life and death. The film quite overtly expresses the archetype of light vs darkness in its cinematography and storyline regarding religion and demonology. The light and dark can be related to aspects of good and evil, but also that of enlightenment, as described in Plato's The Allegory of the Cave. Most notably, it serves as a social commentary on suffering and forgiveness. I found the film to be fascinating, though the plot, at times, seemed obscure. While there are many aspects I can draw out of it, I do not consider it be a film I would watch again. The resolution left me with little satisfaction and the overt hint at attraction between John and Angela didn't seem to add to the plot in any way, making it a distraction and feel unnecessary. I would rate this film an 7/10.

Context.You need context.This review penned in 2017, some 12 years after the release.In this period, Marvel and DC are at each other's throats, each trying to monetize every character, sub-character, plot device and dust bunny from their respective libraries. Regardless of merit. It is all about the dollars.A story as pure as this one -- penned by Kevin Brodbin -- could never be done today because it lacks the setup for a dozen spinoffs and sequels, as well as the mandatory backstory and product placements.Sporting two of the most charismatic and photogenic stars of all time, at the peak of their careers, we have a story with no bad lines, no lapses in the arcs, and no time wasted. Just pure, engrossing, film pleasure from beginning to end.Yes, I know that it was not appreciated in its day. But the future is always the final judge.