Superhero Media: Constantine (2005)

Although panned by comics fans upon release, the Keanu Reeves fantasy/horror/superhero vehicle Constantine has enjoyed something of a reappraisal in recent years, especially in light of the state of the DCU films and the rise of the Alt-Right on the internet. Even aside from being a fun "one-and-done" superhero outing with a great cast, gender-blind antagonist, and brilliant design work, Constantine has enough to recommend it for at least the one watch. Under the surface of the world, the forces of Heaven and Hell battle for the souls of mankind, and John Constantine is caught in the middle, doing the best he can to earn his way into Grace. When John uncovers a plot hatched between the Archangel Gabriel and Lucifer's son, he and Angela (a local police detective) must race against time to prevent the birth of the Antichrist. Even as far as these kind of plots go, Constantine is nothing terribly exciting, but the mood and brilliant cast keep it engaging from start to finish, even on repeat viewings. 

Let's seriously talk about the cast on this one; Keanu was considered a bit of a limp fish at the time, but looking back with post-John Wick eyes, you can see the effort he's putting in. Rachel Weisz and Djimon Hounsou provide solid performances in the supporting cast, however, Tilda Swinton as Gabriel is a masterful piece of casting, even putting the extra points for wokeness aside. The star of the cast is Peter Stormare as Satan, whose screen presence literally drips vileness all over the set and has a ball toying with Constantine in the climax of the film. Oh yeah, the epic climax is a conversation, not a fight! Holy shit, I can't think of too many superhero films that go down that route. There are, however, plenty of fights in the film to keep the action junkies engaged, probably the best is between Constantine and a bug demon in the rain outside a petrol station; it's brutal, the CGI meshes well with the physical acting and the payoff is well done. 

I spoke earlier about the design work in Constantine, but if you can get a copy to the DVD and watch the "Holy Relics" featurette, it's a masterclass in props and set dressing. One set of "holy knuckledusters" alone has more thought put into it than some entire films. Everything is planned to painful detail, which only makes the world feel all the more real while we're in it. Hell as an endless stretch of LA freeway on a hot day is inspired, as are the flying demons who can never land without legs. Much as with Mystery Men, I'm kind of glad there is only one Constantine, as I'm not sure any film[s] following would have held themselves up to the same standards. As it stands, Constantine remains a fun and unique film that manages to be grim and dour without overdoing it on the "hardcore" BS. As a final note, I really don't care anymore that Constantine isn't too much like the comics it spawned from. Adapting the comics would be pretty difficult, not to mention violent and weird, and the film stands on its own.