I actually saw the movie a while back, but I thought I'd share my thoughts. It was actually good! I'mn not sure how well it followed the comic since I haven't read it (although, I still wish they would have left John as a brit). Keanu didn't do a half-bad job. There were still some wooden lines, but otherwise, a good performance.
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St. Louis
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Unsu...
Re: Constantine
Wed, March 23, 2005 - 10:26 AMYeah, I kinda liked it too. But as you didn't...I didn't read the comic either. I'm sure that helped. Everoyne I know that hated it was pretty much a reader. I feel bad for that. I have to admit, I found Mr. Keanu there a little annoying. But, I think it made up for itself. -
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Re: Constantine
Wed, March 23, 2005 - 10:40 AMi did not read it religiously ...but that..was not John Constatine.
it would have been a decent movie if it was called..."demon hunter that smokes alot" or somthing...
they got 3 things right..(and lots of things terribly wrong)
the right things..
1. john smokes...alot
2. john and johns friends get the shit beat out of them..and somtimes get dead
3. john...does not get the girl...
my top 3 of the myriad of things that were very wrong..
1. GOLDEN CRUCIFIX SHOTGUN....(Say it with me)..John never routinely carried a knife...let alone a gun. hes a magician ..wtf does he need a gun for?
2. the sidekick...i really hate the movie studios need to add an "accessable" character to make it easy for new viewers..John would have kicked him in the ass and told him to bugger off in microseconds
3. the whole American-ization of Constantine. Lets take a character thats all about nuance and atmosphere ..and distill it down to cigarettes...yeah...fuck the sly londoner part of him...we can just make him a cool cigarette smoking american...>_<..and the chewing gum part at the end ...was double bullshit...
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Re: Constantine
Wed, March 23, 2005 - 12:15 PMY'know, I thought the holy shotgun thing was kinda cool, but it seemed to me that John doesn't pop out a bunch of spells like most comic sorcerers, so weapons seemed plausible. What does he do in the comics when involved with demons and such? -
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Re: Constantine
Thu, October 6, 2005 - 1:05 AMHe often runs away, or calls on the help of something more powerful. Often his family and friends have been caught up in his machinations and have fallen victim tot he powers he becomes involved with.
That said, I approached the film with an open mind and left stunned, it is quite possibly the worst film ever made, aimless in its direction, with the least capable actor in the world. How on earth did street smart, witty, hard drinking, chain smoking Scouser become the useless plank of wood that he was in the film.
Why is it that the Yanks cannot cope with anything unless it is translated into their 'culture' ?
The comic is mostly superb, it is nothing at all like the film which should be avoided like the clap. -
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Re: Constantine
Thu, October 6, 2005 - 4:31 PMHey, hey, hey - watch it with the broad generalizations, will ya?
I was offended by the choice of Keanu as Constantine from the day it was announced. I did not go see it in the theatres. I'd actually had no intention of watching it at all, but I had a coupon that allowed me to rent the DVD for free. Out of a sort of morbid curiosity, I did.
If you've never read, or even heard of, the comics, it's not bad. It's not GOOD, mind you. It's just... there. Your standard semi-dark action flick. Not much substance, despite the inclusion of demons and angels.
If you've read the comics, it was horrendous. For one thing, Keanu is, was, and will ever be, one of the worst actors on the planet. If all you want him to do is stand there, look good, and say the occasional one syllable word, he's perfect. That's why the Matrix films work. But when it comes to stringing complex concepts together via verbal dialogue, he's utterly useless.
Moving it from London to California was just proof that the major film industry is completely clueless. Being British is what makes John... John. My favorite Constantine line didn't actually appear in Constantine. It was in a Sandman comic.
"Hullo, London."
"Hullo, John Constantine."
"How are you then, London?"
"All right. Full of people. Raining. You?"
There was a distinct lack in the film of the kind of dry humor that can be found in the comics. There was a distinct lack of almost EVERYTHING in the comics. I mean, yeah, he smokes, and some of the characters were similar to their comic counterparts, but that's about where the similarity ends.
If you want to see a Keanu film (though why you'd want to, I'll never understand), watch Constantine. If you want Constantine... read the comics.
And I'm a "Yank." We're not ALL that stupid, y'know? -
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Re: Constantine
Thu, October 6, 2005 - 6:54 PMI'll givew Keanu this, he was believable in "The Gift". Somehow, Sam Raimi brought it out in him. It was probably good that he at the very least didn't try a British accent. Anyone remember the one he tried in "Bram Stoker's Dracula"?
I remember his appearance in the first arc of Sandman. Good story. -
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Re: Constantine
Fri, October 7, 2005 - 3:04 PMI've read Hellblazer for a long time, and no, that wasn't John Constantine. But I really didn't expect it to be. The movie was okay, good enough, but it really had very little to do with the the John Constantine character, aside from using the Dangerous Habits storyline. But I didn't think it was too awful, I actually liked the fact that he used magic. He does so in the comic sometimes, and it's nice for the visual effect. The crucifix gun was idiotic though.
Oh, and John does have a cab driver sidekick in the comic, his old friend Chas, although they are more like old friends.
I always thought they should have done Constantine as an HBO series, with a demon of the week type Tales from the Darkside thing. Oh well... -
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Re: Constantine
Fri, October 7, 2005 - 3:06 PMI always thought they should have done Constantine as an HBO series, with a demon of the week type Tales from the Darkside thing. Oh well...
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excellent idea.
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