just saw Constantine

[Governator]

I live in South Florida and my older brother attends Palm Beach Atlantic University, as many of you may already know this is a Christian school. Grace Hill Media, one of the main producers of the film is also highly Christian based, they allowed for one free showing of the film on February 8 (yesterday) at the local theatre (Muvico West Palm) and I went with my brother and some friends. In my opinion the film was great, I liked it a lot (even though I had read the adaptation, and was expecting it to suck). For all of you movie goers who haven't read the original comic, you'll love it. For all of you out there who read and love the comic book, well, you'll hate it. They butcher the main characters (John, Chass, and even Midnite was a little wrong). Now if you can get past the fact that they casted Keaneu Reeves then you're a better person than I, but if you're like me and can't stand the fact that they changed him so he's not even a Brit anymore well then don't waste your money or time on this film. I'll give it a two out of five. It was a noble effort, with good intentions that just left it lacking in style ( I mean really, Anne Hache played Gabriel UGH)

[mckracken]

whoa......

[outlander78]

whoa......

:) Well said.

What's worse, an American or Keanu trying to do a Brit?

[Paul McEnery]

( I mean really, Anne Hache played Gabriel UGH)
No she didn't.

And shame on you for not recognizing the fabulous Tilda Swinton, who's the main reason I'm going to give in and see the bugger.

[The Shadow]

:) Well said.

What's worse, an American or Keanu trying to do a Brit?
Good point!

Keanu acting at all is always dangerous

[WSLer]

No comics fan or anyone who's read even two issues of Hellblazer should be shocked, shocked!! at how bad this movie is.

Let's see:

1. In the comic, Constantine is a blond who bears a striking resemblence to Sting.

In the movie, Constantine has dark hair and bears a striking resemblence to Keanu Reeves.*

2. In the comic, Constantine is British and his "base of operations" is London.

In the movie, Constantine is American and his "base of operations" is Los Angeles.

3. In the comic, Constantine is forever having to sponge rides off of friends, especially his cabbie friend.

In the movie, Constantine has a way cool car to drive around in.

*This automatically qualifies it as a failure in the eyes of most comic book fans.

All that being said, I really can't understand why those same people who bleat and screech about how Reeves should never have been cast and how it's the worst movie ever made, are the same people who will shell out $7.50 to see it in the theatre.

There is no way in hell the movie will even begin to meet these people's outlandish expectations, so why even bother wasting your money on it? That makes no sense.

'Course these are the exact same people who are peeing their pants in anticipation of a possible Preacher movie.

Got some news for y'all.

Given the current social and political climate in the US, there is no way in hell a movie that was closely based on Preacher will ever be made, never mind released. It would get slapped with an NC-17 rating so fast your head would spin, and the studio would simply bury the film and never release it.

[Governator]

Whoa whoa whoa in the movie he didnt have a car and this "Chazz" is a shitty version of Chass from the comic (his cabbie friend) and he is the one that drove him from place to place in the film... and are you guys positive that wasn't anne hache? (either way I wouldn't have called her performance wonderful...).

[Core]

Good point!

Keanu acting at all is always dangerous

Heheh....that's the gospel truth.

[devildinosaur]

No she didn't.

And shame on you for not recognizing the fabulous Tilda Swinton, who's the main reason I'm going to give in and see the bugger.You got to him before I could. Hear, hear!

[Shellhead]

1. In the comic, Constantine is a blond who bears a striking resemblence to Sting.

In the movie, Constantine has dark hair and bears a striking resemblence to Keanu Reeves.*

2. In the comic, Constantine is British and his "base of operations" is London.

In the movie, Constantine is American and his "base of operations" is Los Angeles.

3. In the comic, Constantine is forever having to sponge rides off of friends, especially his cabbie friend.

In the movie, Constantine has a way cool car to drive around in.

*This automatically qualifies it as a failure in the eyes of most comic book fans.

All that being said, I really can't understand why those same people who bleat and screech about how Reeves should never have been cast and how it's the worst movie ever made, are the same people who will shell out $7.50 to see it in the theatre.

There is no way in hell the movie will even begin to meet these people's outlandish expectations, so why even bother wasting your money on it? That makes no sense.


I'm not planning on seeing Constantine in the theater, but maybe I'll watch it on dvd in a couple of years if a friend loans it to me and I'm otherwise bored.

Outlandish expectations? Not really...

1. Sting has acted in several movies over the years, and Constantine is not a young character. In fact, I suspect that Sting's performance in Brimstone and Treacle might have served as partial inspiration for the Constantine character.

2. Although it may seem outlandish to some Hollywood fans, quite a few movies have featured characters "based" in London.

3. In recent years, there have been more than a couple Hollywood movies where a cab driver played a prominent role. It wouldn't have killed the director of Constantine to have worked that into this movie.

I don't think it would have broke the budget to cast Sting, film the movie in London, and have the Constantine character get rides from friends, especially the cab driver. Hell, Sting probably doesn't cost as much to hire as Keanu these days.

[Cash Lone]

Good point!

Keanu acting at all is always dangerous

His acting in Bram Stoker's Dracula: "Like, Dracula, duuuude. Your castle is so heinous but those vampire chix, like, rule"!

[mastaflan]

Is good for Constantine.. Damn You AOL WHY??!! WHY??!! WHY?!?!

[mckracken]

Hollywood types with a comics passion trying to secure their dream adaption, is one of the most dangerous species in show businesss.

Last example would be Affleck with Daredevil. Hes infected in turn Garner, for Elektra. (probably over some pillow talk)

Before that weve had a crazy half-bald man almost sucedding in playing Superman.

Oh and who could ever forget Shaquille O Neal as Steel. Was there a movie? Who cares...

Mind you, not that ive seen any of this crap. :p

[The Xenos]

Actually, also with Daredevil, the director claims to be a fan of the comic. Unfortunately, he had no idea how to fit it into a cohesive movie and it all just seemed a jumble and a generic hollywood movie. Also I'm sure the studio had a part in watering down the characters to that generic hero 452, villian 232, and love interest 345.

-Xenos

[barbgrayson]

its weird with the hair thing. and why didn't they just had sting play the role? and not to mention that there weren't enough pub scene conversations that john's in which is my favorite in the comic. and why's there too much action there?

[Sean Whitmore]

1. In the comic, Constantine is a blond who bears a striking resemblence to Sting.

In the movie, Constantine has dark hair and bears a striking resemblence to Keanu Reeves.*

2. In the comic, Constantine is British and his "base of operations" is London.

In the movie, Constantine is American and his "base of operations" is Los Angeles.

3. In the comic, Constantine is forever having to sponge rides off of friends, especially his cabbie friend.

In the movie, Constantine has a way cool car to drive around in.


Believe it or not, I find all that forgiveable. Not ideal, mind, but forigveable. I'd grudgingly bear it with the same fortitude as I did a teenage Cyclops, organic webbing, a half-vampire Blade, a Batman who shoots people, etc...

What I can not condone is them changing John's character on such a basic, motivational level. John is a working-class bastard who knows the rules, isn't impressed with Heaven or Hell, and is constantly suffering from guilt of his loved ones dying because of him (and he has more of a right to than Spider-Man or any other whiny hero). How the movie can change this to

Professional demon-hunter who kills demons for the sole purpose of getting into Heaven

and still claim to "capture the essence of the character" is BEYOND me.


SEAN

[LuckItSelf]

Having never read Hellblazer, it looks like a fun movie. That said...

Movies aren't a good way to capture an episodic story anyhow, I know, I know, we've all got the dream of seeing a realized real life version of our favorite comics (I think it has more to do with explaining our geeky fascination to our friends and family than anything), but I wouldn't worry about it too much. Movies aren't the holy grail of cool, and if our favorite stuff never becomes mass market, well screw the mass market.

I've had to sit through 5 incredibly bad incarnations of Captain America on the Silver and Tiny Screens, and while it seemed like some giant tragedy at the time, I came to realize that the best way to appreciate Cap is in the funny books themselves, if for no other reason than that it's an episodic medium that can really mine the richness of the story.

If Hollywood ever gets back to creating serials, and THEN they ream your favorite comics in the rear for a buck, THEN that'll be a horrible tragedy. Until then, my advice, enjoy what you can about it.

[hugh45]

Attention hollywood: Sam Rami University is now open!! ;)

[josh straightedge]

It's better than Daredevil.

I'd probably go see this again.

[Screwtape]

I've had to sit through 5 incredibly bad incarnations of Captain America on the Silver and Tiny Screens, and while it seemed like some giant tragedy at the time, I came to realize that the best way to appreciate Cap is in the funny books themselves, if for no other reason than that it's an episodic medium that can really mine the richness of the story.I can't even conceive of a decent Captain America movie. There are enormous name and costume problems to be circumvented, but without the name and the costume, he's hardly Captain America, is he?

[sixstringguild]

Sting doesn't put kids in the seats of theaters and create marketing opportunities like the MTV Constantine special. Kids like Keanu...that's the way it is.

[Opera Ghost]

If they hired a younger actor like Keanu Reeves to appeal to a wider range demographic, they could have at least have gotten a British actor like James Marsters. His cynical Brit wit coupled with his massive chain-smoking as "Spike" on Buffy would have fit the character perfectly.

[Karl J. Barnes]

If they hired a younger actor like Keanu Reeves to appeal to a wider range demographic, they could have at least have gotten a British actor like James Marsters. His cynical Brit wit coupled with his massive chain-smoking as "Spike" on Buffy would have fit the character perfectly.

Actually Marsters isn't British, he's American from somewhere in California.

[Opera Ghost]

Modesto California. I looked it up. He plays a pretty convincing Brit.

[Karl J. Barnes]

Modesto California. I looked it up. He plays a pretty convincing Brit.

Definitely fooled me. But I agree with the gist of your first post, if you are going to do Constantine then make sure, he is British! Still, I'm going to see the film today for two reasons: 1. I'm bored and have nothing to do and 2. Rachel Wiess is such a hottie tottie!

[cactusmaac]

I really don't care if the movie doesn't hew as closely to the source material as Hellblazer fans want it to.

It's quite possible this will be enjoyable in its' own right like the Conan movie was, even if that was pretty far removed from how RE Howard wrote the character.

[WSLer]

I'm not planning on seeing Constantine in the theater, but maybe I'll watch it on dvd in a couple of years if a friend loans it to me and I'm otherwise bored.

Outlandish expectations? Not really...

1. Sting has acted in several movies over the years, and Constantine is not a young character. In fact, I suspect that Sting's performance in Brimstone and Treacle might have served as partial inspiration for the Constantine character.



Alan Moore has mentioned in a number of interviews that the look of Constantine was based on the way Sting looked back when The police were still together.

[dotdotdot]

the whole sting debate in this thread is remarkably proposterous. there are a million other better closer-suited actors w/blonde hair that could do a decent accent. why are you talking about sting?

[dancj]

Modesto California. I looked it up. He plays a pretty convincing Brit.

Not really. He just about got away with it by the end (or maybe I'd just got used to it), but his accent was terrible in the earlier seasons of Buffy. Never as bad as Drusilla's though

[Sean Whitmore]

Not really. He just about got away with it by the end (or maybe I'd just got used to it), but his accent was terrible in the earlier seasons of Buffy. Never as bad as Drusilla's though


Or Angelus'? :)


SEAN

[Expletive Deleted]

Anybody else read today's Lying In The Gutters (http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/?column=13)?

I realize it's not the biggest thing to get worked up over, but . . . sheesh, talk about missing the point of the character.

[Sean Whitmore]

Anybody else read today's Lying In The Gutters (http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/?column=13)?

I realize it's not the biggest thing to get worked up over, but . . . sheesh, talk about missing the point of the character.


I didn't read it, as I want to go into the movie somewhat fresh, but I'm guessing that:

Constantine doesn't give the devils the finger after he screws them?


SEAN

[Expletive Deleted]

If you don't want it spoiled, I won't spoil it.

That said, you're close.

[The Xenos]

I just ranted on about that in the thread in the LitG forum. It's not that big of a scene, but it's stuch a lame tacked on Hollywood ending due to the change, I gotta laugh at how stupid it is. Antoher thing to bug me about this movie and make me want to not go see it. Plus goes to show you Hollywood's preachy attitude. Yeah, way to completely ignore the character indeed.

-Xenos

[hugh45]

Not really. He just about got away with it by the end (or maybe I'd just got used to it), but his accent was terrible in the earlier seasons of Buffy. Never as bad as Drusilla's though

Hey,no fair,you're from Britain. :D

[IamtheRock3]

Note some spoilers..sense I dont know how to do black text

thought it was kind of slow, I was expecting it to have a lot more action scenes from the preview. Basicly the shot gun scenes..I thought it have stuff like that through most of the movies. So going in thinking that I didn't get that much out of it. Like for instance the beginning when the car hit the guy I was like cool..this movie going to be CRAAAAAAAAAAZY. But nope. If I went in for what it was I may of liked it before. Plus I had a massive headace


Didnt care about the brit stuff sense I am not THAT huge a fan of the comic. So it was ok. when he gave satan the finger was funny. For the people who said their upset John want to be in heaven..think it more he DOESNT want to be in Hell. I mean he dislike both angels and demons but hey if has to choose...thier a lesser evil. Everything he did through most of the movie was for selfish reasons. So dont worry guys he still a doucebag.

Some of the lines of Johns was very cheesy..let didnt add the making fun of itself wink you need for super cheey lines constantine makes

[Perry Holley]

Note some spoilers..sense I dont know how to do black textFor spoilers, you would type this

{spoil}

follewed by the text you want in blackspace, and follow it with

{/spoil}

except that, instead of {}, you use []

[benking]

I haven't seen Constantine, and I'm really not a fan of the comic, but I just wanted to post about how stupid I am, and how I just spent about ten minutes wondering why in the hell do people keep typing "SPOILERS" AND "END OF SPOILERS" but then there's NO TEXT to read??!!?? Are the webmasters deleting the spoiler information??

I swear...ten minutes. :p

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

All this movie needed to be good:

Cast Clive Owen.

Get Mike Hodges, Alan Parker, Roman Polanski (never happen) or at least Alex Proyas to direct.

Leave out silly shit like Holy Water in fire sprinklers (that's how you take out Blue Devil) and make the character a con man like he's supposed to be.

It's like the quote from ellis that howy has in his sig.
Why bother adapting Alan Moore (or comic or anything really) if your gonna get rid of the best bits?

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

I haven't seen Constantine, and I'm really not a fan of the comic, but I just wanted to post about how stupid I am, and how I just spent about ten minutes wondering why in the hell do people keep typing "SPOILERS" AND "END OF SPOILERS" but then there's NO TEXT to read??!!?? Are the webmasters deleting the spoiler information??

I swear...ten minutes. :p

You highlight it with the cursor.

[Titan Slade]

Rachel Wiess is such a hottie tottie!

Yes she is indeed. I think right now, she is the first Hollywood chick on my "to do" list, if hell ever freezes over that is :D

[devildinosaur]

Just finished seeing "Constantine" with a few friends of mine, and I've got to tell you that I was pretty damn impressed with the film. The movie maintains elements of John Constantine that we've all grown accustomed to. You get John's smarmy attitude and downright cantankerous smart aleck wit. Believe it or not, Reeves manages to pull off the role, making you believe he's seen what's going on between Heaven and Hell and he's not pleased about being in the sandbox to be played with. How they managed to transport everything from England to Los Angeles while keeping Hellblazer's soul is a testament to the gentlemen in charge of its production. It was witty, snarky, and downright fun. Go out and see it immediately.

[Sean Whitmore]

Just finished seeing "Constantine" with a few friends of mine, and I've got to tell you that I was pretty damn impressed with the film. The movie maintains elements of John Constantine that we've all grown accustomed to. You get John's smarmy attitude and downright cantankerous smart aleck wit. Believe it or not, Reeves manages to pull off the role, making you believe he's seen what's going on between Heaven and Hell and he's not pleased about being in the sandbox to be played with. How they managed to transport everything from England to Los Angeles while keeping Hellblazer's soul is a testament to the gentlemen in charge of its production. It was witty, snarky, and downright fun. Go out and see it immediately.


PLANT!!!

Oh, I'm sorry, I thought I was on the Ain't It Cool site for a second there. :D


SEAN

[MikeVic]

I just saw the movie. Never read the comic... so I don't know how it stayed with that. But as a movie, I liked it. No lose strings, nice ending, funny lines, some action, some thinking... overall good.

[Karl J. Barnes]

Or Angelus'? :)


SEAN

Yeah, that was a pretty awful Irish accent.

[IamtheRock3]

from the messageboard I seen in general consensus is this

Big fan of the comic- hate it


People who havent seen the comic- Love it


People who read the comic but not huge fans either way- Think it Ok or split

[Ronald Bryan]

from the messageboard I seen in general consensus is this

Big fan of the comic- hate it


People who havent seen the comic- Love it


People who read the comic but not huge fans either way- Think it Ok or split
Basically, that's how it's split yeah. If you can seperate the movie from the comic, and not go in expecting Hellblazer or aren't already pissed that the "ruined the character" you won't feel the undending hate some people seem to have for it.

[Indigo Al]

I'm one who loves the comic (well, I did pre-dog porn snuff) and loved the movie.

[Banner]

I'm a big comic fan but I've never read "Hellblazer". I don't really know anything about the story except it from DC Vertigo. But I plan on seeing it. I'm hoping it's a good movie, because anytime a comic movie bombs it hurts all of us. (not personally you understand, just hurts our chance of getting out favorite character on the screen).

[Expletive Deleted]

I thought it was okay. Not great, not terrible, but okay.

It wasn't John Constantine, by any means, but if you can get past that or somehow rationalize it, it's worth paying a couple bucks to see.

The pace seemed unnecessarily slow in places, and the chunks of exposition were pretty clunky, but not so much that it ruined the experience. I would've preferred a resolution closer to DANGEROUS HABITS, but John's final showdown scene(s) worked fairly well. Tilda Swinton and Peter Stormare stole the movie.

The visuals were good. Not the CGI so much (I'd swear I've seen that hellscape and a few of those demonic effects before), but the general look of the film was nicely put together.

[devildinosaur]

PLANT!!!

Oh, I'm sorry, I thought I was on the Ain't It Cool site for a second there. :D


SEANWhat're you implying?

[devildinosaur]

from the messageboard I seen in general consensus is this

Big fan of the comic- hate it


People who havent seen the comic- Love it


People who read the comic but not huge fans either way- Think it Ok or splitYou forgot "Read every issue of the regular series and loved the movie".

[Sean Whitmore]

What're you implying?


Sorry, I figured people would get it. :) On that site, whenever anybody posts a positive review of a movie, twenty people jump up and accuse the reviewer of being a plant.


SEAN

[hailtothechimp]

I really don't understand why people are disappointed any more by Hollywood adaptations of their favourite comic books. I mean, in order to be disappointed you have to believe that the movie is going to be a decent piece of work in the first place. Hollywood being the way it is I simply assume that these movie adaptations are going to reek to high heaven. When they turn out (the odd time) to be worth watching then I react with pleasant surprise.

Questions of why this or that wasn't done, or why he/she wasn't cast have to take into account one simple fact: Big budget Hollywood movies are made to appeal to the lowest common denominator. They assume that the audience are (by and large) illiterate idiots...and hey, they may be right! Basically if some dipshits who have never read a comic (or a book) in their lives hate the movie at a test screening, then the boys in suits will do their best to make the film fit their wants and expectations. The Simpson's episode with Homer and Mel Gibson may have exaggerated this aspect of Hollywood for comic effect, but not by bloody much!

So really, the best thing is to have zero expectations, because it's an absolute miracle if comic adaptations get through the multi-million dollar filmmaking process with their credentials intact. Stick to loving and enjoying the original text, at least they can't take that away from us!

Oh, and I never thought about this before...but all this talk of James Marsters as a potential John C has got me thinking. Do you suppose Joss W used John C as a template for the Spike character at all? There are certain parallels...

Anyway, that’s my lot. Ta ra.

[devildinosaur]

Sorry, I figured people would get it. :) On that site, whenever anybody posts a positive review of a movie, twenty people jump up and accuse the reviewer of being a plant.


SEANAh, now I get it. I've only frequented that site a few times and I've got to tell you...I think Harry Knowles to be a blowhard.

[Sean Whitmore]

Oh, and I never thought about this before...but all this talk of James Marsters as a potential John C has got me thinking. Do you suppose Joss W used John C as a template for the Spike character at all? There are certain parallels...


I wouldn't be surprised at all if John's look was the template for Spike's, because Whedon has admitted that John's character was a template for Giles'. Remember that episode where Giles, Ethan, and some others raised a demon, but they screwed up and the demon started slaughtering them? :) Joss said that Giles was a Constantine who had actually grown up and matured.


SEAN

[hailtothechimp]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if John's look was the template for Spike's, because Whedon has admitted that John's character was a template for Giles'. Remember that episode where Giles, Ethan, and some others raised a demon, but they screwed up and the demon started slaughtering them? :) Joss said that Giles was a Constantine who had actually grown up and matured.
SEAN

Hmm, interesting. I do of course recall the episode. They raised the demon when they were young, punky occultists and it came back to kick ass when they were in middle age. Never thought of there being a connection between Giles and Constantine before (!), but I suppose young Giles (aka "Ripper") was a bit of a tearaway.

Must tell my girlfriend this titbit as she runs a Buffy Trivia website!
www.restlessbtvs.com

[Turd_Ferguson]

I'm not going to sit here and rant and rave about how I've read every comic in the series, but I've read a couple of trades, and I thought they did an excellent job of capturing the themes and main character. For those that say Keanu is too young, how old did you expect Constantine to be? Keanu is in his early 40s now.

I thought it was a very good movie, but not great. Anyone that sits and whines about it needs to try and make a better movie themselves.

[Nikita]

I liked Constatine, but I've never read the comic. I don't carry such huge expectations for comic book movies though because things are always going to be "tweeked" or even changed. As long as there is a good basic story there, I don't mind changes too much. For example, I love Wonder Woman but for her to work in a movie these days, there gonna have to change some things if they ever make a movie. That's just how it goes I guess.

I liked Keanu as Constantine but again, since I've never read Hellblazer, I suppose I have no bias. I just enjoyed the movie for what it was. I liked the movie version of Spawn even though that supposedly didn't live up to comicbook geekdome expectations either. No movie made from a comic book is ever going to be able to live up to those expectations. If you love the comic book, you're always going to be slightly or very disappointed with the movie adaptation. I just except that and enjoy the movie for what it is. Even though Daredevil was lame, I did enjoy parts of it.

Spiderman, Batman (the first one) and the first Superman movies are kind of exceptions to the rule. They stand alone as truely great comic book hero movies. Oh, and X-Men was great too. In my opinion anyway. But what the hell do I know? Absolutely nothing. LOL. ;)

[hailtothechimp]

I liked Constatine, but I've never read the comic. I don't carry such huge expectations for comic book movies though because things are always going to be "tweeked" or even changed. As long as there is a good basic story there, I don't mind changes too much. For example, I love Wonder Woman but for her to work in a movie these days, there gonna have to change some things if they ever make a movie. That's just how it goes I guess.

I think most fans would accept the reality of (and even the need for) some changes to make a movie adaptation work. I certainly have no problem with that, and consider issues like the colour of Keanu's hair, or the ethnic background of Jessica Alba, almost completely irrelevant.

What many fans do want to see, however, is the essence of the comic maintained. In other words, what is the 'X' factor that makes this or that comic so memorable, enjoyable, meaningful etc? If the essence of the comic is thrown out the window in order to make the movie version more palatable to the kind of audience that wants generic, formulaic garbage, then naturally fans are gonna be up in arms. As long as you stay true to the core of the thing you're adapting (as in Raimi's Spiderman) then fans will cheer you, and hopefully the average Joe in the street will enjoy it too.

Look at the Lord of the Rings trilogy. There were pretty radical changes to Tolkein's novels in Jackson's adaptation, but the film-makers managed to keep reminding themselves what the core of those stories were, and what aspects of them were really important to fans.

The worst kind of adaptations are the ones where you feel nobody really gave a shit, and the whole thing was a cynical exercise to squeeze a few coppers out of the hands of the gullible public.

[Viking Bastard]

It was a crappy John Constantine movie, but a darn good Keanu Reeves flick.

I was entertained, but I went in knowing I would be disappointed of this as a Hellblazer adaptaion.

[Karl J. Barnes]

It was a crappy John Constantine movie, but a darn good Keanu Reeves flick.

I was entertained, but I went in knowing I would be disappointed of this as a Hellblazer adaptaion.

About my feeling of the movie. Though I went into it trying to pretend that, well maybe not pretend, but that I resigned that it wouldn't be the comic book John, but Holywood version. It wasn't bad and Rachel Weisz was hot as usual and Keanu wasn't half bad as the troubled hero. Still it would have been nice to have a Constantine that we;ve known in the comics.

[Grant]

In theory with the whole Keanu as COnstantine if they ever did an adaptation of the first Sandman arc or Books of Magic you could technically have a chainsmoking blond british working class magician named John in them. In theory.

[stealthwise]

In theory with the whole Keanu as COnstantine if they ever did an adaptation of the first Sandman arc or Books of Magic you could technically have a chainsmoking blond british working class magician named John in them. In theory.

Sure, after they cast Ashton Kutcher as Morpheus.

[Grant]

Sure, after they cast Ashton Kutcher as Morpheus.

Like I said. In theory.

[Karl J. Barnes]

Sure, after they cast Ashton Kutcher as Morpheus.

Then Mila Kushner can play Death...Hell, get all the The 70s Show gang and they can do it as a comedy!

[wingsofdamnation]

i loved the movie. i thought it was great. i didnt care that reeves played the part or it took place in los angeles. besides since when did directors stay true to the comic book?
spiderman having organic webbing
wolverine not being created in department h cancelling out the weapon x project
kingpin being black
catwoman being black
wolverine not knowing sabertooth

[EmeraldArcher]

I saw the movie saturday, and sunday afternoon. The movie was good for what it was. I've seen hollywood butcher tons of properties, but sooner or later you have to start expecting it. Right? Did everyone think "hey they are gonna get it right this time!" I dont think so. So unless your so engulfed in Hellblazer that you cant even see straight when your eyes arent glued to the comic book; Spend your money on the movie and appreciate it for what it was...Please...It was a movie that many people spent lots of money, time and efforet on and if you cant appreciate that, know that the writer and director were obviously aware of everything that made the comic work, but come to your senses some things dont translate. And when it comes down to someone making the bigger buck just by casting Keanu...I say cast Keanu...The movie was great and I think that following the hollywood trend and not staying true to the comic was ot be expected, so be like me...move on...If they were trying to reach an audience of ...comic bookers, hwo much money do you think would have been made...honestly...at least they are keeping the dream alive....I mean people...come one.
whoa is it past my bed time

[Sean Whitmore]

spiderman having organic webbing
wolverine not being created in department h cancelling out the weapon x project
kingpin being black
catwoman being black
wolverine not knowing sabertooth


No offense, but all of those are examples of minutiae that only the most rabid whiners complained about. At the end of the day, Spider-Man was still a crimefighter, Wolverine was still a psycho with claws, and Kingpin was sill a mobster. What they did to Constantine goes way beyond his hair color or base of operations. They changed the very theme of the character...his origin, his motivations, everything that made him HIM.

The movie might still be perfectly good on its own merits (I'm waiting til next weekend to see it), but there can be no doubt that it's a butchering of the character as he exists in the comics.


SEAN

[bjtrdff]

I haven't read the comics, but i absoultely loves this movie. Keanu Reeves was perfect as a stoic, quasi-hero, the storyline was excellent, and the effects were pretty spectacular.

I personally think that comic fans should just try accept that anything turned into a movie is going to be modified somewhat. Sometimes it can be more drastic, sometimes it's small details, but at the end of the day, youre still seeing a movie about something that presumably interests you, in a genre you love, seeing characters who are at the very least based on those you know and love.

[Grant]

No offense, but all of those are examples of minutiae that only the most rabid whiners complained about. At the end of the day, Spider-Man was still a crimefighter, Wolverine was still a psycho with claws, and Kingpin was sill a mobster. What they did to Constantine goes way beyond his hair color or base of operations. They changed the very theme of the character...his origin, his motivations, everything that made him HIM.

It's more like he's not like the comic John Constantine just this American guy who's kind of similar to him. I don't know if I'd like the movie more if it wasn't called Constantine but it was still pretty entertaining regardless of the major changes (and even if it had a different name people would probably call it a knock off of Hellblazer).

Anyways it's pretty entertaining despite of the plot holes and major changes.

But hey if you like faithful comic adaptations Sin City is coming out in almost a month.

[tk421atpost]

Saw it today and enjoyed it. Sure the changes can be annoying to those of us who are familiar with the source material, but if you can put that aside and just enjoy the film for what it is, then it's worth it.

[Sean Whitmore]

I don't know if I'd like the movie more if it wasn't called Constantine but it was still pretty entertaining regardless of the major changes (and even if it had a different name people would probably call it a knock off of Hellblazer).


Absolutely right. :) Actually, without having seen the movie, I'd be willing to bet Warner Brothers could have changed very little in terms of plot and sold the movie on the strength of a Keanu actioner.


But hey if you like faithful comic adaptations Sin City is coming out in almost a month.


F-ckin' EY! :D


SEAN

[hailtothechimp]

No offense, but all of those are examples of minutiae that only the most rabid whiners complained about. At the end of the day, Spider-Man was still a crimefighter, Wolverine was still a psycho with claws, and Kingpin was sill a mobster. What they did to Constantine goes way beyond his hair color or base of operations. They changed the very theme of the character...his origin, his motivations, everything that made him HIM.
The movie might still be perfectly good on its own merits (I'm waiting til next weekend to see it), but there can be no doubt that it's a butchering of the character as he exists in the comics.
SEAN

This is exactly the point I was making earlier in the thread. I couldn't care less about changes to the nature of Spidey's webbing, or Wolverine's adamantine. And so what if Catwoman is black? I'm far more concerned about the fact that the movie was rubbish! As you say Sean, those kinds of complaints are pretty pedantic and anal.

As I said in my previous post, all most comic book fans are concerned about is that the adaptation stays faithful to the essence of the comic in question. Raimi did it with Spiderman, Singer did it with X-Men. Once you can tell that the makers of the film had a love of the original comic, and that they were working hard to bring that enthusiasm to the screen, then you can quickly forget about any superficial changes.

The problem with the character of John Constantine is that he's obviously not a superhero, so everything you like about the character is based on mannerisms, his environment, figures of speech and other subtle nuances. Once you change all that then what have you got left? I mean, at least with a regular superhero movie you can just stuff the 120 minutes with action, 'cool' costumes, astonishing gadgets etc., and hope no-one notices the complete absence of characterisation. With a "character based" piece like Hellblazer you just can't do that. The comic IS John Constantine for God's sake. Once you abandon any attempts to make his movie counterpart faithful to the book, then, although you may be left with an entertaining flick on its own merits, you definitely haven't captured the particular essence of the comic.

Also, a previous poster suggests that we should all quit whinging as the people who made this obviously knew what they were doing and worked very hard to make it as good as it could be. Well, I wish had that kind of faith in big-budget comic/sci-fi productions, but I don't. Check out Kevin Smith talking about his experiences working on a Superman screenplay (both hilarious and disturbing), or Joss Whedon reflecting on the pain he went through on Alien Resurrection. The sad reality is that you can't make a movie like this in Hollywood without having to kiss the arses of a load of idiots who know practically nothing about comics, or anything else for that matter! These people couldn't give a toss if the film angers purists or true fans. As long as it makes buckets of green stuff, that's the bottom line.

[Sean Whitmore]

Check out Kevin Smith talking about his experiences working on a Superman screenplay (both hilarious and disturbing),


That should be required listening for anyone involved in comic adaptations. :D

"And I don't want him flying around and saving people, that's horseshit."



SEAN

[hailtothechimp]

That should be required listening for anyone involved in comic adaptations. :D

"And I don't want him flying around and saving people, that's horseshit."
SEAN

And wasn't there something about the uniform being "gay"?! Unbelievable. Mr. Smith responded by saying something like: "Ok, so you want to make a Superman movie, with no flying and no costume...em...."

And as you'll recall the guy (who used to be Barbara Streisand's hairdresser I believe) also wanted Supes to fight a giant spider at some point! Or failing that, he was to beat the crap out of some polar bears up in the fortress of solitude!

God help us all...

[Sean Whitmore]

And wasn't there something about the uniform being "gay"?!"


LOL! And he wanted Sean Penn to be play Supes, because: "He's from the streets! He's got eyes like a f-cking ANIMAL!"


And as you'll recall the guy (who used to be Barbara Streisand's hairdresser I believe) also wanted Supes to fight a giant spider at some point!


And the guy's very next movie, Wild Wild West, featured a giant spider! :D Guess he really did know best.


SEAN

[Forsaken_One]

I was always more pissed with the idea of putting out a miniature sun by dumping it in water in Spider Man 2 than I was about the organic webbing.

[hailtothechimp]

And the guy's very next movie, Wild Wild West, featured a giant spider! :D Guess he really did know best.
SEAN

I know! There's obviously some deep-seated attachment to spiders there, possibly one nurtured during those years when he was fiddling with B. Streisand's hair.

Just remembered too that Brainiac was supposed to attack Superman's guards (yes...GUARDS!) up at the fortress of solitude. And speaking of Brainiac, wasn't he set to have a gay, robot sidekick?

The mind boggles.

[G. Wayne]

never read any hellbazer comics, but i know the basic idea of the character. how constantine got his "immortality" is just...cool. :D

as a movie unto itself, constantine is fine. keanu is, well, keanu, and the movie was entertaining.

i can understand fans complaining that it's so far removed, but it's more like it's inspired by hellblazer. or it's using the current comic movie popularity to get a languished script finally into production by changing a few names around so it vaguely resembles some low-key comic.

one thing i don't get though, doesn't lucifer tend to take the form of a gentlemanly high-society blonde guy in the comics? the movie lucifer was, interesting to say the least, but i was under the impression lucifer was a fairly established character in the vertigo u.

[Sean Whitmore]

one thing i don't get though, doesn't lucifer tend to take the form of a gentlemanly high-society blonde guy in the comics? the movie lucifer was, interesting to say the least, but i was under the impression lucifer was a fairly established character in the vertigo u.


I don't know what he was called in the movie, but in Vertigo, Lucifer and Satan are to different beings. Lucifer is the fallen angel who ruled Hell, but Satan is even older than him. I don't wanna say too much, because it gives away the ending of Hellblazer's "Rake at the Gates of Hell" TPB.


SEAN

[G. Wayne]

I don't know what he was called in the movie, but in Vertigo, Lucifer and Satan are to different beings. Lucifer is the fallen angel who ruled Hell, but Satan is even older than him. I don't wanna say too much, because it gives away the ending of Hellblazer's "Rake at the Gates of Hell" TPB.


SEAN

ah, cool. i did not know that. i like the often tossed around idea of the fallen angels actually replacing/joining the previous occupants of hell. may have to look into this tpb you speak of.

[Expletive Deleted]

Trying to completely reconcile the conflicting depictions of the divine cosmology and the leadership of Hell in the DCU is more trouble than it's worth. Parts of Ennis's setup can be made to fit, but I don't think that was ever something he was particularly concerned about.

You have Lucifer, Neron, The First, two competing triumvirates, Etrigan's brief reign, Baytor (for God's sake, Baytor) . . . I think it really does read better if you don't try to view it as a shared universe unless that's explicitly referenced.

[Grant]

Absolutely right. :) Actually, without having seen the movie, I'd be willing to bet Warner Brothers could have changed very little in terms of plot and sold the movie on the strength of a Keanu actioner.

Well maybe without the British accent.

[Forsaken_One]

I liked the Niel Gaiman's solution to the whole afterlife/supernatural debate.

"So there's only one God?"
"That is a fact."
"But my grandpa says that there's a whole pantheon of gods, and there is no one God above all."
"That's true as well."
"So is there one God or multiple gods?"
"Yes."

[Sean Whitmore]

You have Lucifer, Neron, The First, two competing triumvirates, Etrigan's brief reign, Baytor (for God's sake, Baytor) . . . I think it really does read better if you don't try to view it as a shared universe unless that's explicitly referenced.


Very true. Each writer has his or her Afterlife that they like using with its own set of rules...and if you insist on them all being together, you can easily reconcile any contradictions with "Oh, God, you wacky prankster..." :)


SEAN

[MatthewC]

"It's not always like it is in the books."

Line repeated several times in the movie, and I'm convinced it was a total shout-out to fans of the comic book. (Just read 'books' as 'comic books'.)

[Turd_Ferguson]

I think most of the people that are angry with Keanu's portrayal should turn their anger to the people that cast him in that role. When you have a movie with Keanu Reeves, you know excatly what kind of acting he is going to do. There is never a ton of depth there. I have no problems with Keanu, he did what Keanu does well.

[Reptisaurus!]

Trying to completely reconcile the conflicting depictions of the divine cosmology and the leadership of Hell in the DCU is more trouble than it's worth. Parts of Ennis's setup can be made to fit, but I don't think that was ever something he was particularly concerned about.

You have Lucifer, Neron, The First, two competing triumvirates, Etrigan's brief reign, Baytor (for God's sake, Baytor) . . . I think it really does read better if you don't try to view it as a shared universe unless that's explicitly referenced.

Yeah. I think various authors have alluded to this. There isn't one, constant, editorially mandated "heaven" or "hell."

(Which, I, of course, think is a great idea.)

[Sean Whitmore]

"It's not always like it is in the books."

Line repeated several times in the movie, and I'm convinced it was a total shout-out to fans of the comic book. (Just read 'books' as 'comic books'.)


Now that I know he says that, I'm gonna sit in the back of the theater when I see it and shout: "Yeah, the books are better!" :D


SEAN

[Grant]

Yeah. I think various authors have alluded to this. There isn't one, constant, editorially mandated "heaven" or "hell."

(Which, I, of course, think is a great idea.)

Well that's basically how it is real world religons. So I don't see why comic book concepts of heaven and hell can't contradict each other.

[1blackone]

Yea ive never heard of Constantine other than its in the "dark" VERTIGO universe. So when i saw the movie i was like, ugh this is tight i need to make an effort to read this comic (felt like Spawn all over again) then i went on fan site about the hellblazer series and was.........amazed on how this movie has almost nothing in common with the comic, i mean i understand a few omissions but DAMN THEY DIDNT EVEN PRONOUNCE HIS NAME RIGHT! *note* in the movie, constantine, didnt have a car, leads me to believe the guy who posted that was either whining about said movie for whole time or didnt really see it....
result: they had that story written long ago and just needed to give it a edgy, polished, feel to it and did the latest fad by latching on to a major comic book RELATED STORY: Bruce Willis in Sin City this year...(but that one looks like its filmed really stylistically, at least)

Also (the hellblazer vets are gonna kill me for this) but after reading the synopsis for like the first 40 issues from the site, i didnt know why people liked the series so much to start with! I mean its soo dull : so this guy's an asshole of a kid, gets into occult stuff (rather dorkily by the way), gets into a band(again rather dorkily, not worthy of a protaganist persona, at least), sees some crazy stuff , then....nothing, he just lives like, well, a person, i mean i wouldnt be suprised if they didnt do an entire issue of him thinking about his life doing his taxes! Of course he has his fights but most of every thing seems to be just him tackling his inner demons, witch i cant see compelling after 140 + issues.
I dunno, just from seeing the movie u expect him to always be having deep conversations with various immaculate epic entities and fight powerful foes. Heh,hell, Id think a new/seperate Constantine based on the movies perspective would be tight, the equivalent to Dark Knight to Batman

[dancj]

Also (the hellblazer vets are gonna kill me for this) but after reading the synopsis for like the first 40 issues from the site, i didnt know why people liked the series so much to start with!

I'm pretty luke-warm on the first 40 issues. Garth Ennis's run starts around about issue 41 which is when the book really gets good.

That said, a synopsis is no way to tell the quality of a comic

[hailtothechimp]

Also (the hellblazer vets are gonna kill me for this) but after reading the synopsis for like the first 40 issues from the site, i didnt know why people liked the series so much to start with! I mean its soo dull : so this guy's an asshole of a kid, gets into occult stuff (rather dorkily by the way), gets into a band(again rather dorkily, not worthy of a protaganist persona, at least), sees some crazy stuff , then....nothing, he just lives like, well, a person, i mean i wouldnt be suprised if they didnt do an entire issue of him thinking about his life doing his taxes! Of course he has his fights but most of every thing seems to be just him tackling his inner demons, witch i cant see compelling after 140 + issues.
What's wrong with a protagonist who is 'dorky' and "lives like...a person"? Would you rather all comics had square-jawed, super cool, flawless action heroes? The character of Constantine offers blessed and welcome relief from the proliferation of cardboard cutout protagonists who fill the pages of many comics. The reason people enjoy the series is because they invest something in the characters and are interested in the human (supernatural) drama that is played out.

One of the great contributions European (predominantly British & Irish) writers have made to American comics, is (in my opinion) to usher in a more 'realistic' and gritty style. Maybe it's a question of what you're used to, but if you'd grown up reading the likes of 2000 AD, then you'd be perfectly comfortable with a different type of pacing, and a different type of 'hero'. I guess it's a matter of taste, but I'm sure many fans would consider contemporary comic books to be far more than simply "Slam, Bang, Wallop"-type action extravaganzas with righteous and 'worthy' protagonists. I find that kind of stuff to be truly dull!

[tricksterpup]

Well, I have been a long fan of Constantine, since his first appearence in Swampthing. I loved the idea of him based off of Sting and being british. It was a cool idea of an Occultist back then. I was also a huge fan of the book. I will admit that some stories did drag and were not up to par. But then again what comic book had every issue that Rocked?
So I took my Girl and a friend of ours to the film on Saturday. Well, I must say, originally I was upset that he wasn't British or that the film did not take place in England but I loved the film none-the-less. It was alot of fun and my girl who has read my issues of Hellblazer loved the movie as well and my friend who has never read the book enjoyed the movie and can not wait to own it on DVD.
I say go to the movie and watch it for what it is and have a good time. Its a typical saturdayafternoon popcorn fest.
For some reason, it all worked, yes the character wasn't British but he still was a Bastard as John normally is. The atmosphere was there, it was moody and dark. Made me want to see more of this L.A's Occult world and its behind the scenes. The Movie devated from some of the Basic Character background but still kept it's spirit. I suggest going to the movie with an open mind and have yourself a ball. Don't go to the movie with hellblazer in mind but seeing the movie for what it is.

[The Xenos]

A bit off topic not that it's out of context now, but I wanted to reply to this comment.

I was always more pissed with the idea of putting out a miniature sun by dumping it in water in Spider Man 2 than I was about the organic webbing.

I know, as a science major that whole sun deal and deutridium was such BS it kinda hurt. At the same time it was crazy comic book science which really sounded like something Stan Lee came up with one night while sitting on the toilet, so I enjoued it.

Also, a previous poster suggests that we should all quit whinging as the people who made this obviously knew what they were doing and worked very hard to make it as good as it could be. Well, I wish had that kind of faith in big-budget comic/sci-fi productions, but I don't. Check out Kevin Smith talking about his experiences working on a Superman screenplay (both hilarious and disturbing), or Joss Whedon reflecting on the pain he went through on Alien Resurrection. The sad reality is that you can't make a movie like this in Hollywood without having to kiss the arses of a load of idiots who know practically nothing about comics, or anything else for that matter! These people couldn't give a toss if the film angers purists or true fans. As long as it makes buckets of green stuff, that's the bottom line.

The true god and devil of Hollywood, the almighty dollar, does indeed rule over mvoies. Purists, faithful adapations, or any creativity be damned if you can make one more dollar by changing everything about a movie. I need to find a copy of Smith's comments on that fiasco with taht Hollywood moron Jon Peters.

Anyway, I'm still waiting to see Constantine. On it's own it looks pretty good. Can't stand how they Californianed and Hollywoodized the charcter still, but I do want to see it.

-Xenos

[BoosterBronze]

Ill toss my hat in as a guy who's never been a big Hellblazer fan. I've read one of two issue. I dug this movie. I thought ConstanTEEN (which I beleive is how it's pronouced) was a cool "I dont give a f**k" kind of character, I found the movie interesting, and the devil and Gabriel kicked ass.

I probably wounldn't have seen this flick if it had Sting in it. And frankly, whether or not this movie is set in London makes NOT ONE IOTA of difference to how I would have spent my $7.50, or my enjoyment of the movie. The only people who'd care are the serius Hellblazer fan's who will see it regardless.

[stealthwise]

The only people who'd care are the serius Hellblazer fan's who will see it regardless.

I'm going to bother. :)

[1blackone]

[QUOTE=hailtothechimp]What's wrong with a protagonist who is 'dorky' and "lives like...a person"? Would you rather all comics had square-jawed, super cool, flawless action heroes? The character of Constantine offers blessed and welcome relief from the proliferation of cardboard cutout protagonists who fill the pages of many comics. The reason people enjoy the series is because they invest something in the characters and are interested in the human (supernatural) drama that is played out. [QUOTE]

I dun want to get in a "quote war" where we use sentences from posts and use them as evidence for a flawed perception, So ill just say what i meant and not what i believed i said. What i MEANT *cou-ithinkiwrotethis-gh* is that from watching the movie, i expected the comic to be different, i didnt mean anything was wrong with a dorky character, hell alot of classic characters :(shinji, dazzler) are like this.....but PERSONALLY (something you failed to percieve from my post, that it is a matter of personal taste) THIS character is not one i think would hold my interests for a long time.

[hailtothechimp]

I dun want to get in a "quote war" where we use sentences from posts and use them as evidence for a flawed perception, So ill just say what i meant and not what i believed i said. What i MEANT *cou-ithinkiwrotethis-gh* is that from watching the movie, i expected the comic to be different, i didnt mean anything was wrong with a dorky character, hell alot of classic characters :(shinji, dazzler) are like this.....but PERSONALLY (something you failed to percieve from my post, that it is a matter of personal taste) THIS character is not one i think would hold my interests for a long time.

Hey, no problem. I wasn't trying to pick a fight! Still, it's a bit redundant to say that these issues are matters of personal taste. Of course they are, and I'm fully aware of that. That doesn't mean we can't have a discussion/debate. If it's simply a matter of, "This is my taste, and that's yours and that's the end of it", then there's little point discussing these things on a message board in the first place! I'm not trying to be provocative, that's just me humble opinion.

[Spastic Minnow]

Have you seen The Onion AV Club review yet? Great review for those of us that just can't get over the messed up aspects of the film, the best part is the caption under the picture.

"NASA recently launched a space shuttle powered solely by the collective rage generated when the geek-American community heard that Keanu Reeves was starring in Constantine."

http://avclub.theonion.com/cinema/index.php?issue=4108&r=1

[1blackone]

If it's simply a matter of, "This is my taste, and that's yours and that's the end of it", then there's little point discussing these things on a message board in the first place! I'm not trying to be provocative, that's just me humble opinion.

Yea, thats exactly what it was. Im all for a discussion that allows my own views to expand and all, but just in that case, i wasn't really up for the whole "discussion/debate" thing , merely stating an opinion and seeing if others agreed, or disagreed, instead of an actual critique of the opinion itself.You see, my reasons for posting are not only for mature debate but to state opinions/ feelings about board topics and to see if they are shared. So when i posted, i didnt expect to have my actual feeling about it broken down! :o I just think this this is one of those times where an "opinion" post was mistaken for a "discussion opener"

But yo no wucking forries, it's all squeaky, cheers :D

[hailtothechimp]

I just think this this is one of those times where an "opinion" post was mistaken for a "discussion opener" But yo no wucking forries, it's all squeaky, cheers :D

Nice response sir. To be honest, I'm not utterly convinced how I feel about Hellblazer myself. Further thought is required. Will keep you posted as I read on.

[Sean Whitmore]

Finally saw it, and I actually really liked this movie. John had the swagger, the sarcasm, and for the most part he was quite a bastard. He was a little more whiny than, say, Ennis' John, but more tolerable than Delano's. :)

Shila Lebouf (or whatever the hell) actually made for a good comic relief sidekick. He wasn't like the comics' Chas, but really, who the hell cares about him?

Rachel Weisz was...there. But she didn't do anything to annoy me, so that's a plus.

God, the Devil, and Bob...I mean Gabriel, Balthazar, and Midnite...were all good.

Satan was a little much for me. You'd expect him to be scenery-chewing, but this guy looked like it was taking all his self control not to f--k Keanu in the mouth.

There was a bit too much fist fighting, and I could've done without the Holy Shotgun (actually, I'd have preferred Chas to wield one while John didn't), but I'm amenable to all that. It's Hollywood...you're not a hero unless you punch or shoot someone. And even admist the physical violence, there were a couple of John-like cons I appreciated. :)

There was a fundamental problem with the ending, which I'll go into within the spoiler tags, for those who care about my lil ol' humble opinion:

The ending is only veeeeeeery slightly borrowed from "Dangerous Habits", in that Satan heals his cancer. That's really the only similarity. There is no con here, or master plan. John didn't put Satan's balls in the wringer. He sacrificed himself, fully intending to die and go to Hell, and is saved by his sacrifice. (Does Keanu have it in his contract that he has to "pull a Jesus" at the end of every movie? :) )

And before anyone suggests it, this couldn't have been a con on John's part. If he knew, or even suspected that his actions would redeem him, then it wouldn't have worked. The only way he could be saved is if his act was 100% selfless.

This flies in the face of the character WAY more than his being brunette or American. The God of Constantine's world is a mad bastard, not someone John is seeking approval from. John hates both sides equally, and rightly so. The reason the con worked thematically in the comics is that John took matters into his own hands, knew he was destined for Hell no matter what, and basically forced immortality on himself. The theme of the movie's ending is more like: "Oh look, I obeyed the rules so now my spooky invisible father figure finally approves of me."

Oh, and as long as I'm safely within the spoiler tags, I liked the gum joke. It was just a funny image to leave the movie on, it meant nothing. If there is ever a sequel (and I hope there will be), he will be smoking again, no question.



SEAN

[Lightbend]

Although, there is one very John-esque moment at the end...

Spoiler
In particular, when he does sacrifice himself and goes to Heaven, he flips Satan the bird.

[Sean Whitmore]

Although, there is one very John-esque moment at the end...


I appreciated them leaving that bit in myself. :)


SEAN

[Grant]

I appreciated them leaving that bit in myself. :)


SEAN

Spoilers

Where he flips off Satan? That's my favorite bit.

[Sean Whitmore]

Oh, one thing I didn't mention...I was sorry to see that they cut the scene where

John sleeps with a demoness, most likely Ellie, right after he is diagnosed

Got something to look forward to on the DVD, though. :)


SEAN

[stealthwise]

I read your spoilers, Sean. Thanks for the warning.

If this were a movie, everything else being the same except that they change the character names (apparently the biggest connection to the actual comic), I still wouldn't be interested in this, but after all I've read, I certainly won't bother.

[Adam West]

I watch the movie about a month ago without ever read the comic before.
My first impression is, that it's a pretty good flick. Some drama, some action, and to tell you the truth, I thought Keanu did a pretty good job.

Then this past week, I managed to get my hands on a few Hellblazer TPB. I read Hard Time, All His Engines, Highwater, and Freezes Over. Mainly I was curious was the fuss all about for fans of the comic who hated the movie.

After I read those, I perfectly understand why fans hate the movie.
There're two things that standout in my mind after I read the comics.

I'm not usually picky about characters nationality, but I feel that for this particular case, he HAVE to be an Englishman. Not just for the accent, but IMO, his dark and wry sense of humour feels very british. And that is part of this character charm in the comic.

Another aspect that I notice is that Constantine almost never use physical force. He thinks his way out of the problem. He manipulates, lie, bribe, blackmail his opponents to get what he wants. So that scene in the movie when Constantine ramboed his way with that 'holy gun' is way out of character.

IMO, a Hellblazer movie that true to the comics would look like 'Unbreakable'. A dialog-driven movie where the action is minimal. But I don't think the producers would want that.

But I think it still has its positives, it introduce Constantine to people who never read the comic before. And hopefully like in my case, become interested in the comic. So far I really love the character and the books and looked out for more Hellblazers tpbs or comics.

[cactusmaac]

The ending is only veeeeeeery slightly borrowed from "Dangerous Habits", in that Satan heals his cancer. That's really the only similarity. There is no con here, or master plan. John didn't put Satan's balls in the wringer. He sacrificed himself, fully intending to die and go to Hell, and is saved by his sacrifice. (Does Keanu have it in his contract that he has to "pull a Jesus" at the end of every movie? :) )

And before anyone suggests it, this couldn't have been a con on John's part. If he knew, or even suspected that his actions would redeem him, then it wouldn't have worked. The only way he could be saved is if his act was 100% selfless.

This flies in the face of the character WAY more than his being brunette or American. The God of Constantine's world is a mad bastard, not someone John is seeking approval from. John hates both sides equally, and rightly so. The reason the con worked thematically in the comics is that John took matters into his own hands, knew he was destined for Hell no matter what, and basically forced immortality on himself. The theme of the movie's ending is more like: "Oh look, I obeyed the rules so now my spooky invisible father figure finally approves of me."

Oh, and as long as I'm safely within the spoiler tags, I liked the gum joke. It was just a funny image to leave the movie on, it meant nothing. If there is ever a sequel (and I hope there will be), he will be smoking again, no question.



SEAN

Personally I thought the theme was taking responsibility for your own actions and giving a shit about other people is a worthwhile thing to do.

Geek heresy here but I think I prefer Keanu's Constantine to the original.

Me like character growth.

[Alan2099]

Even if you pretened that the movie ahd nothing to do with Hellblazer (and that's not too ahrd to pretend) you're still left with a completley forgetable cast, a main character that has only one tone of voice and facial expression, a Satan who's about as threatinging that Mr. Rogers, plot elements that don't even come close to be fleshed out or making sense, and a cop-out ending.

Keanu's acting was so wooden that I'm half concinced they had a manequin in Constantine's part and then just CGed his face over it.