Constantine: Frank's Take
01/04/2005 . Source: Frank Ochieng 

There are many considerations—both good and bad—that you can drum up when describing the captivating but convoluted supernatural comic book thriller Constantine. On one hand, music video-turned-motion picture director Francis Lawrence helms a stylish, overextended action-oriented sacred meditation of gothic imagery that stimulates the visual senses.

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Constantine (2005) Warner Brothers
2 hours 1 minute.
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Tilda Swinton, Djimon Hounsou, Shia LaBeouf, Gavin Rossdale. Directed by Francis Lawrence.

There are many considerations—both good and bad—that you can drum up when describing the captivating but convoluted supernatural comic book thriller Constantine. On one hand, music video-turned-motion picture director Francis Lawrence helms a stylish, overextended action-oriented sacred meditation of gothic imagery that stimulates the visual senses. But on the other hand, Constantine feels overwrought in its incoherent presentation while waxing the familiar virtues of recognizing fierce forces pertaining to good versus evil.

Lawrence’s frivolous film is no doubt ambitious in its attempt to examine the undercurrent of demonic influences given the hostile existence of the cynical world we live in. Still, Constantine’s ultimate flaw is that it’s a belabored spectacle that loses its soulful edginess amidst the meandering contrivances of a spiritually spry yet lumbering fantasy.

Lawrence’s nuanced narrative is based on the DC comics/Vertigo Hellblazer comic book series. As a moody and mundane production, Constantine can be rather intriguing courtesy of its risk-taking stance on conveying religious themes in a dazed philosophical state of mind. There’s nothing wrong with what Lawrence is trying to accomplish by addressing the issues of its metaphysical message. In questioning the moralistic compass of its convictions, Constantine can be intermittently compelling but nevertheless garrulous.

The problem mainly stems from the fact that the ambitious movie gets bogged down in its elaborate murkiness to the point that it seriously overshoots the purpose of the thought-provoking debate it is trying to bring to the forefront. Instead of pinpointing the direct challenging agenda about the dark side of religious consciousness, Constantine wallows into other territorial static that deems it uncontrollably ineffective. The film hastily invites more inquisitive baggage to the table than it can account for.

Screenwriters Frank Capello and Kevin Brodbin are in over their heads as they conjure up an exhaustive story of the seedy underworld without showing some restraint to confine the flourishing developments to a reasonable expectation that enhances their colorful yet aimlessly busy-minded exposition. In fact, Constantine occasionally forgets its comic book-rooted origins and curiously strays into an indescribable web of the psychedelic surrealism that compromises the sensational feel of its exploration into the chaotic tug-of-war between angelic and demonic factions. Unlike The Matrix movie series, Constantine never really is comfortable in presenting its gaudy elements of thrill-seeking sci-fi high-tech symmetry to compliment the thematic whimsy of its theological allure.

Stoic Matrix icon Keanu Reeves is on board in this raucous religious roller-coaster ride as Los Angeles-based John Constantine, a tortured soul blessed with the uncanny abilities to acknowledge the hoards of saints and sinners roaming the vast surfaces of Earth. Because of a mutual agreement between God and Satan to curve whatever control they had over their sacrificial human subjects, both mighty entities agreed to slightly tamper with the mere mortals by randomly placing “half-breed” representatives on the planet to test the temptation of the human factor. Constantine has always struggled with the special gift that was afforded him.

Feeling rather conflicted by his talents to distinguish between delightful and divisive parties Constantine took his own life only to end up at Hell’s doorstep. Once revived, Constantine had a serious decision to make. Will he linger on in Hades for eternity or will he take the road to redemption?

Constantine decides to do the right thing and defend all of humanity from the nasty hellions that want to dominate our vulnerable universe. His task is to patrol the planet and ensure that the satanic evildoers remain in the depths of their own depravity.

In fighting these fiery devils, Constantine will need assistance as he enlists a smug occult enthusiast (Shia LeBoeuf) to join him in this monotonous effort. Also involved in this crusade is curvy police detective Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) whose personal tragedy involves her suicidal sister’s demise. How fitting that delicious-looking Detective Dodson is on the scene since she can serve two purposes: a.) be personal eye candy for cretin-fighting companion Constantine and b.) unintentionally tease the warped sexual interest of Lucifer himself.

Constantine can be complex in its mystical makeup. The movie feels hectic when shuffling with its various subplots pertaining to rebellious angels, the son of Satan’s arrival, and all the bombastic pseudo-biblical references that one can throw at you at one sitting. As a flashy contradiction, Lawrence’s cinematic scope can be both dreamy and dreary which makes for a heavy-handed load that distorts Constantine creator Alan Moore’s vivid vision. The technological flourishes are a marvel to behold but the film’s erratic journey is as choppy as a country dirt road.

Reeves revisits his expressionless demeanor as the sullen heroic hunk weaving in and out of two eye-popping worlds. There’s a “been-there-done-that” sentiment to his sensationalized turn in this overproduced escapist techno-yarn. In reference to the supporting cast, Tilda Swinton is rather winning as the androgynous archangel Gabriel. And the last minute appearance of Satan (Peter Stormare) is quite fascinating and worth the wait. While this tandem shows some relish to their limited roles, the rest of the characters seem to be on cruise control.

They say that going to the movies nowadays can be hell. Figuratively and literally, this is certainly true when sitting through the kinetic goings-on of showcasing Reeves as another trademark monotone devil-slaying dude in an oversized opulence of a disjointed drama.

Frank Ochieng

(c) Frank Ochieng 2005