Just saw it. Two-second review:
It could have been a hell of a lot worse (pun noted and accepted). Longer review: Honestly, it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. I mean it could have been really, really bad, but this wasn't even close to that bad. ;^) I've been a fan of John Constantine since the character was introduced in Swamp Thing. If you're looking for an accurate representation you shouldn't look here. Most of the changes were just plain needless. John (in the comic) is a blonde, British, heavy smoker who wears a yellow-brown trench coat and hangs around London. John (in the movie) is a brunette, American, smoker who wears a black trench coat and hangs around Los Angeles. His friend Chas (in the comic) is a British friend his own age who owns a cab and owes John big time although Chas's wife hates him. He swears a lot and wants nothing to with John's craziness. Chas (in the movie) is an American kid half John's age who owns a cab and wants to follow in John's footstep. Papa Midnight (in the comic) is a big, loud Hatian shaman who wears a white top-hat. Papa Midnight (in the movie) is a medium-build, quiet, American shaman who wears cloths straight out of "Def Comedy Jam". In short I just don't see why they changed any of it. The actual plot (which was surprisingly cohesive and true in spirit to the source material) didn't require any of those changes at all. Not a one. The entire plot could have just as easily happened in London with a John that said "bollocks". Still, considering the movie from the standpoint of somebody that doesn't know the comic at all, it was actually pretty good. The plot was straight-forward and didn't meander much (as some comic-book movies do) and the characters go to say their piece. >From the point of view of a comic fan it was less successful, but a much better shot than you might think. John was suitably acerbic and the plot pulled together some of the more memorable elements of several comic storylines (and wove them together rather well). Keanu was... well... Keanu. Racheal Weisz was (I thought surprisingly) cardboard as well, but not awfully so. She just didn't seem tremendously invested. The effects were all suitably twisted (scalpless demons and the landscape of Hell were particularly well done) and surprisingly (I thought) subdued in all the right places. All told it actually worth an open-minded look see. Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Find out how CFTicket can increase your company's customer support efficiency by 100% http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=49 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:146699 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
