Constantine (Francis Lawrence 2005)
Posted on June 27 at 9.09, 2005 by Eric Mahleb
If cinematic representations of hell, heaven, and demons tend to either bore you, make you lament the sad state of Hollywood cinema, or trigger uncontrollable giggles, then stay away from Constantine. If you are looking for another Blade, a parade of non stop mindless action, then also stay away from Constantine.
The film threads a fine line between Hollywood action and darker, edgier, more serious cinema. The subject matter itself, based on the comic book Hellblazer, is bound to automatically alienate many people, including most art house critics who have better things to do than to to spend their precious gray matter on such implausible rubbish.
Unlike me, who, occasionally, loves to absorb large quantities of such rubbish, as long as the film manages to remain serious in its exploration of the subject matter (and is reasonably well made). I was definitively pleased to see that, for the most part, Constantine avoids those supposedly funny one liners that are a trademark of Hollywood cinema and that are too often used as ‘comic’ relief. Constantine tries to be dark and serious, and while it does not always succeed, it still provides for very good entertainment.
My vote: 
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One Response to “Constantine”
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I am Legend - Quiet Please - Film reviews by Eric Mahleb Says:
February 14, 2008 at 12.15[…] I am grateful to Francis Lawrence, who previously directed the decent comic book adaptation Constantine (2005), for bringing seriousness, darkness and sobriety to the Hollywood Sci-Fi blockbuster. In a world where the Michael Bays are working hard to reduce the global IQ and EQ levels with mind numbing big budget action, it is refreshing to see a director trying to add cleverness to escapist entertainment. […]