The Reel Rejects - CONSTANTINE (2005) IS BADA**!! MOVIE REACTION!! First Time Watching!!
Episode Date: June 20, 2025ONE HELL OF A RIDE!! Constantine Full Reaction Watch Along: / thereelrejects Start your online business with a $1 per-month trial when you visit https://www.shopify.com/rejects! With... the DCU heating up, Aaron & John take a trip to the Occult side of the DC Comics world giving their Constantine (2005) Reaction, Recap, Commentary, Analysis, & Spoiler Review!! Join Aaron Alexander & John Humphrey as they delve into Francis Lawrence’s supernatural thriller Constantine (2005), starring Keanu Reeves (The Matrix, John Wick) as John Constantine, a damaged occult detective who can see half-breed angels and demons. Haunted by terminal lung cancer and his failed suicide attempt, Constantine faces down Hellspawn across L.A.’s underworld. When Detective Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz, The Mummy, The Constant Gardener) recruits him to investigate her twin sister’s death, he uncovers a demonic plot involving the Spear of Destiny and Lucifer’s own son, Mammon. Iconic moments abound: the demonic exorcism in the morgue (“mirror—NOW!”), Constantine’s rooftop standoff with Balthazar, the emotional death of Chas, and the epic finale where Constantine sacrifices himself—slitting his wrists to force Lucifer’s hand—and convinces the Devil himself to save humanity from Mammon, plus, the sleek nightclub mind-read for Papa Midnite’s bar and the Hellscape visual effects showcase the film's cult appeal. Our hosts break down every holy ritual, razor-sharp line, and dark hero’s journey in this horror-drenched DC comic adaptation. Constantine remains a moody, multi-layered action horror that asks: how far would you go to cheat Hell? #Constantine #KeanuReeves #RachelWeisz #TildaSwinton #ShiaLaBeouf #DjimonHounsou #PeterStormare #OccultThriller #MovieReaction #ReactionReview #AaronAlexander #JohnHumphrey #React #Reaction #ReactTo #Movie #MovieReaction #Film #DC #DCComics Follow Aaron On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealaaronalexander/?hl=en Intense Suspense by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Support The Channel By Getting Some REEL REJECTS Apparel! https://www.rejectnationshop.com/ Follow Us On Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/ Tik-Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@reelrejects?lang=en Twitter: https://x.com/reelrejects Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ Music Used In Ad: Hat the Jazz by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... POWERED BY @GFUEL Visit https://gfuel.ly/3wD5Ygo and use code REJECTNATION for 20% off select tubs!! Head Editor: https://www.instagram.com/praperhq/?hl=en Co-Editor: Greg Alba Co-Editor: John Humphrey Music In Video: Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Ask Us A QUESTION On CAMEO: https://www.cameo.com/thereelrejects Follow TheReelRejects On FACEBOOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM: FB: https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/thereelrejects Follow GREG ON INSTAGRAM & TWITTER: INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thegregalba/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/thegregalba Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcript
Discussion (0)
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More on them in just a bit.
It's time for John Constantine.
Was that some nicotine gum?
He just popped Francis Lawrence.
Francis Lawrence?
Who that?
Frank Capello doesn't write comics.
Francis Lawrence is like the guy who's done the...
What am I trying to say?
Francis Lawrence has done like most of the Hunger Games, hasn't he?
Really?
He thinks he's the Hunger Games guy.
I don't know.
Yeah.
I never heard of it.
Let's pull it up real quick.
Pull it up, gang.
I'm not expecting a post-credits scene in this film, but, you know, and as I type credits into IMDB, which everyone, if credits was an actual, you know, like, thing you could be credited for, then everyone on IMDB would be credited in the credits.
It's true.
Anyway, dumb joke aside, yeah.
Hunger Games, at least, what, catching fire through the mocking Jays and the.
New ones, too.
Does this one have a post-credit scene?
Let me look that sheesh up.
And then we will get some patron questions going.
Yes.
Supposedly, I mean, Francis Lawrence is attached to like a billion trillion things.
I believe Francis Lawrence directed the upcoming, the walk that we watched the trailer for.
Oh, that Stephen King movie.
Yes.
Gavin Rossdale.
Who was Gavin?
He's the guy from Bush, the band, Bush.
They sing the song, Collessorraine.
No.
Don't let the days go by
Class of rain
And various other 90s jams
Bioshock
I am legend two
Constantine 2
Battlestar Galactica
This dude is
Steel the
How many things is Francis Lawrence tied to
This is ridiculous
This does have a post-credit scene
Oh
Okay
Then we will hang tight
Director of Red Sparrow as well
Okay
Okay
And the Britney Spears Circus video
The Britney Spears Circus video.
Yeah.
Just like a circus.
That's right.
I remember that song.
I remember it to.
Shout out mid-2000s.
Let's see.
Thank you if you've joined us up until this point in the video.
We've heard tell there's a post-credit scene.
We have.
But one of our favorite new rituals at the start of each of these reviews at the end of each reaction.
Oh.
Is to chat with our patrons, get some feedback, get some questions, a little Q and A.
Okay, wait, hold on, Father Hennessy.
Okay, so Balthazar.
That makes sense.
Gavin Rostale.
They would have had to have given, like,
yeah, they would have had to have given him
some kind of, like, featured role
where he gets to make an impression.
And that's why fight choreographer,
Chad Stahelsky, too.
There you go, John Wigg, right there.
Hells, yeah.
And he must have maybe doubled Keanu on this, too?
I don't know.
Well, if you're the choreographer,
I don't know if you're necessarily.
But anyway.
Doing that, right?
Gavin Rostel.
It would make sense that they would give him,
like, a small part, but that is prominent.
and that also
what am I trying to say
like that's why I kind of like
I'm like I know you but I didn't fully
like recognize them
but yes okay
so let's get into some Constantine
questions from the patrons
from our Royal Rejects
before the post
credits scene pops up
John and Aaron
for Constantine this comes from
Kev B
if you could borrow Constantine's
I see you
dead people and some really cranky angels
superpower for a day. Would you actually want to?
What's the first thing you'd check out? Your neighbor's creepy basement
or maybe the DMV to see if anyone's secretly possessed?
And do you think you'd ever look at your morning coffee the same way
after seeing what's really out there?
That's quite a, that's quite an existential question.
I want to. I don't know if I would want to,
but if I had to pick a place to go to,
that's an interesting question
maybe like a
club
like a
like a goff club
there's going to be fun
I was going to say
I want to go
I'm going to go to two places
yeah
I let go first to church
okay
see if everyone checks out
then I'm going to go to the nearest
like either dive bar
or strip club
and see everybody there checks out
and see what the irony ratio
oh you're dive
you'll be
so overwhelmed in Vegas
like you get to Vegas
and it's already like this movie's version
of hell where it's like the winds are going and there's
oh my dust everywhere
and it's hot and it's hot on hot
this is a sea this is or you know what
I'll go to the Maldives maybe there's angels in Maldives
in the Maldives
okay let's why not
why not yeah
yeah I mean I would
want to go to places I guess that
are like sort of also whimsical
maybe well I mean but imagine
having the constantine powers and going to like a haunted house attraction
or something and then seeing where they're actually secretly real demons lurking
and yeah because they didn't so much do the angel stuff unless i want an angel
because there's a lot of demons yeah so where the angels are yeah we're already here baby
we're in the city angels that's true we are um and yeah i mean i certainly i think the dmv is a
good call because certainly there's got to be some demonic shit happening there um because
that's the other thing too is like what would you have access to go look at true um who maybe go
hang out in a cemetery that'd be neat see who's hanging out that's still around yeah um and then
do you think you'd ever look at your morning coffee the same way after seeing what's really out there
um maybe not hell yeah oh chaz oh chaz he's pouring one out for chaz
chas cram in 2005 trop bed egg i'm like are these other headstones he did good kid
He did do good.
Oh, you give him your Zippo.
Damn, dude.
They're macro lenses.
Yeah, love for Chaz.
Oh, come on.
Carry us, Chaz.
Do the carry.
Whoa.
Oh, is Chaz an angel?
What?
Angel, Chaz.
What?
With the brows.
What?
Oh.
Fascinating.
Okay.
Okay.
Interesting.
Fascinating.
Fascinating.
Guys, your last day to watch Constantine is on June the 30th before it leaves Netflix.
So make sure that you don't get got caught without your Constantine.
But yes, I would not look at my morning coffee the same way again.
I feel like I would be thoroughly changed after seeing what's really out there.
Although I wonder, I guess my biggest question would be what I'd be seen.
surprised or would I be very not surprised?
Okay, here we go. Next
question comes from
sci-fi extremist.
Always holding it down here in the comments.
This is generally regarded
as a great film by both
casual audiences and comic fans alike.
Do you think it's proof?
Not everything has to be a one-to-one adaptation
from the comics, John being a blonde
British guy and they cast Tiano, or
is this more of a very rare
exception? That's a good question.
I was sort of pondering this throughout the
movie but let's what do you think i don't think things ever need to be one to one i think as long as it
captures the essence of what the character is and they're telling a compelling story i think that's
good enough you know people i've looked the movie joker is very well regarded in that movie
at least the first one uh is not at all accurate to the comics um you know as we enter the age of
we've not enter we've been in the age of comic comic book films not a lot of them have been that one-to-one
adaptation so it's really about the intent and if you're honoring the heart and core
what that character is about i think gives you the flexibility in a room to do original stories
and maybe things aren't exactly on the page but as long as you're telling something that's
compelling give you your character an arc you set up an interesting world have interesting
ways of filming said world i think you're um you're on a good track and yeah i don't think it needs
we want to want it at all. No, I mean, this is, yeah, this is a good, I think, example of a time
when it doesn't have to be. I think that, you know, nowadays, because the geeks have inherited
the earth in a lot of ways, there is, it's not always gatekeeping, but there is a certain
sort of reverence that we hold for the source material of things. And this is an interesting
case, I think, because, like, yeah, on the one hand, I feel like if you're going to translate
some well-liked piece of source material of any kind, whether it be a book or a comic
or a game.
I think everybody, when they crowd around these things,
especially when it's like the first adaptation,
is probably looking for this to be somehow definitive
or somehow representative of like the core tenets
of whatever the thing is spiritually.
And I think, you know, especially in the world of comics
or things that have had like a long time to gestate
before making this leap to a new medium.
Yeah, I think there is a certain level of expectation.
But I think this movie, like the thing for me is,
there's only typically so much you can change
before the soul of the thing
starts to feel like it's not quite there anymore
and I don't have the deepest lexicon for something like Constantine
other than that he's a blonde British guy
rather than Keanu Reeves
and yeah like this seemed like a good example
of a time when it does really work
because again the energy of the movie is really spot on
the cinematography and the editing and the choice of
how to move the camera often felt, again, very deliberate, very stylized, but in a way that also
felt, again, akin to a comic book. It wasn't like over-edited. It allowed you to kind of drink
these images and to really sort of steep yourself into the atmosphere. And I think it was
something like Constantine, you're in a kind of nice position because, you know, you can change
the specifics of like how the character
is articulated again appearance voice
etc but like the core ideas
are still there he's a you know
supernatural uh detective
hunter guy you know a chain
smoking miscreant
who also happens to be like
you know one of our last lines of defense against
you know the forces of Satan
and you know there were aspects of this
it certainly reminded me of like watching something like
blade or whatever uh and yeah
this this felt like
again just thinking back to the time
I was like, this feels like an example of something where it's like, you can grasp what a source material might look like just because this feels, again, akin to a comic or a graphic novel.
And I think the troublesome thing is, it's like for me, nothing has to be one to one as long as you do a good job.
And like, of course, what does that mean?
How do you math that?
It's hard to and you can't.
And there are a lot of interesting moments in which people swing for something sort of different than a source material and they wind up far from it or, you know, sort of halfway.
passed it or whatever and it doesn't always work and I think you know it's like a good movie
will trump anything every time because the worst that'll happen is people go I kind of look at it as
else worlds which you know I love an else worlds so yeah like I think yeah you know you don't have
to ever be one to one I think there is some level of responsibility especially now it's like
the thing is the I think the movies have sort of created this thing where we've gotten used to
because of like adaptations from the 80s
and the early 90s of things
being very loosely adapted
from the source material
and the tone being treated
as like this is silly and wacky
and sometimes that's cool
and other times that doesn't help
and I think that has fueled
in the modern time
a certain adherence to like no we gotta like fully
definitively represent these things
and I get the argument for doing so
especially again when so many things are being adapted
for the first time but no this is like a great
example of like yeah this is probably like kind of
loose in terms of how it maps over onto like the comic book lore but it's still like a really
atmospheric really cool interesting you know well conceived movie that happens to i think have just
enough constantine stuff that it doesn't feel like it's not constantine um so definitely not a one-to-one
i guess the question is what is the acceptable ratio before we're completely lost in the weeds um
so i i wouldn't see necessarily like a very rare exception but a rare exception or a somewhat
rare exception i would say this movie is um mike asks and thank you all again for chiming in i love
that we do this now um seeing yeah sorry i don't mean to just jump on your gratitude there oh you
guys are great i love your questions and they're very interesting and outside the box hell yeah
mike seeing that constantine is comically tied to dc do you think james gunn would lead into the
supernatural side of the comics for the silver screen and should they in this new direction i love me
some Aeroverse
Is there spooky in the Aeroverse?
I mean, Constantine's in the Aeroverse.
Oh, they did the show for like a season
and then what they
The show wasn't successful
But people loved Matt Ryan so much
That they just put him in all the Aeroverse stuff
Whenever they needed Constantine.
Yeah, I think the show was originally on like NBC
On a different network.
It wasn't on the CW and then they like folded him in
After a show got canceled.
And I think he's been the voice in some of the animated ones
We watched too.
He's been like
He's the guy.
character yeah for a long time um but yeah i definitely think there's room for supernatural in james gun's
universe that said i know that james gunn is also doing non-canonical movies within the dc umbrella right
and they're going to have an elseworld branch which is where the sequel would kind of take place in
that said i don't think they're going to be doing it anytime soon i think they're really focused on their
gods and monsters and just establishing their universe but maybe
some time down the line, maybe in their
equivalent of a phase two
or phase three, we'll get something that is
more spooky or more
supernatural based. Maybe we'll get
Zatana finally on screen. I'm not
seen her in a film or
television show live action ever,
so that would be cool. Yeah, agree.
I think, yeah, I
wonder, the Kianu
Constantine, too, I have to imagine
would be an else world.
Definitely. You know, something outside
of the main continuity. But I think
to the broad question yeah i mean like especially you know knowing that james gun comes out of trauma
and comes out of horror and and and schlock cinema and you know exploitation flicks and stuff
like i i both have to imagine that he will take us there and and even stuff like creature
commandos and and the suicides like you know there are spooky horror elements that
peek in there and i feel like yeah being that he comes from horror stuff uh i i am very
very excited to see him open up that side of the universe.
And one thing I remember from Coiz and my journey through the DC animated movies is that a lot of the top line Constantine's or the stories that heavily featured him often shot up our list to being some of, you know, our better regarded ones.
And there's a lot in those animated movies that they're able to get away with that I wouldn't have expected.
And so, yeah, I mean, there's been talk of like, ooh, Justice League dark and other things.
And I feel like it's only a matter of time.
They've got to get these universes up and running.
I feel like it's a space that Marvel, weirdly, in the MCU, hasn't made a ton out of,
even though I feel like they have a fair opportunity to.
But in DC, I feel like I associate a darker tone with that and a more, again, as of the animated Constantine's,
we've seen, a more demonic and a more, like, messed up kind of vibe.
So I feel like if they can get the universe, like, really at cruising altitude and get a few successful
movies under their belt, then I feel like you could, A, do something.
stuff like this, do the horror side, the underworld side, the demonic side, the supernatural
side. You can make that stuff stuff that isn't as expensive as some of the top line stuff,
you know, provide a contrast. And I think all it'll take is getting the universe, again,
successful enough that they can then venture out into edgier, more R-rated, more, again,
pulp territory. But I think it's coming for sure. And I think it's something that James Gunn would
absolutely be interested in leaning into. Kevin Meek, thank you.
for chiming in Kevin Meek
see you out here we got shoutouts
coming your way John Aron
I hope you guys are doing well
one of the most painfully
underrated comic book adaptations in my
opinion yeah I'd agree with that
cool to get a rewatch in with you gentlemen
they obviously don't pull any punches with the
darker side of things here with the news
of us getting a sequel do you think this would be a good
addition to Gunn's new DC universe
it would be a really stark contrast but I
personally think it would work although I would
understand the decision not to bring something
this dark into the fold what do y'all think we kind of talked about this just a minute ago um but i don't
think the contract like the thing is um and tell me if you agree um so apparently kevin got very
trigger happy with the comment and must have like sent it before it was completed i don't think
there would be any problem with the contrast because again just judging by the animated movies
and the comics themselves like the all these things i feel like in movies yeah kind of get crushed
into cubes that have to be PG-13
for the most part
not certain things
with standing but if you know
the deadpoles of the world have taught us anything
it's that you know with the right formula
you can kind of go off in any direction
and I feel like
yeah we want a
more we're in a position to be
delivered for example a lighter
hearted and brightly
colored more brightly colored Superman story
but like
comics live and die on variety and
like watching again the animated movies that we've seen that have some of which in mass were in
the same continuity would jump from like we're with the teen titans and like there might be peril
but it's a bit lighter and it's a bit more you know youth skewing and then we're you know in the
more mid middle tier of pulp with batman or you know superman or whoever and then there is
the dark side of the spectrum i think as long as you treat the tones of these universes like a
spectrum there's not much you can't do i i think the question here is and and this
movie. Is this Raider R?
Yeah. This is Raider R. It's not super
hard R. This is like, you know, this is
this feels kind of like a blade
or like a
Punisher's probably a little, the Thomas
Jane one is probably a little more, more harsh
than this is. But, you know, like this
doesn't seem like the kind of movie that
like if you plopped this specific movie
into the upcoming DCU, I don't think
you would take that much adjusting.
I'm
going to say yes and no. I think that
kind of dig off of what
John was saying. I feel like as long as we are having a diverse sense of tones and type of stories we're having, that is what promotes longevity of the DC universe.
And I feel like that's very much what James Gunn is trying to do. I don't think he wants things to all feel the same. Like, hell, we're going to have a true detective style cop show with the green lanterns. And then the pinnacle of comic bookness with Superman. And then he made the suicide squad that's super rated R. So I don't think he's,
He's afraid of it not jiving with his universe.
I think his more so wanting to start a universe of his own, which is why I say no, this
problem, this person of Constantine would probably not be within his universe, but also
Counten Reeves is a, even though he is physically ageless, I imagine if they want to
fold in a Constantine into the universe.
I imagine they'd go for something that is more quote unquote traditional with someone
who is blonde and British, you know, and who has the longevity of.
a younger man in his like 30s to 40s to kind of play constantine for years to come
as opposed to like a 20 year gap sequel i don't know if he'd be the constantine for like the next
20 years of the dc universe but i'm i'm happy to see him in the sequel that stand alone to just this
one yeah um but yeah that's that's kind of how i feel about it watch them just pulling that right
you know what you're the one guy yeah we got you figured it out and finally just a comment thank you
Stardust and Madness
Shouts back out to you
OMG, OMG! OMG! No question!
I am just so excited
to see another
Konstantino reaction.
It's one of my favorite
Keanu roles and comic book
movies too.
I
kind of kind of agree with you.
If I saw this when it came out,
I mean, like, I'm very chuffed.
I'd have been scared if I saw this in 2007 five.
I appreciate it now as a result.
Okay. Well, I'm glad.
I'm glad we've come through
this character arc
that you could enjoy.
It was fortuitous.
Yes.
At least you waited.
I feel like I would have been all about this as if some odd year old.
I would have been,
I would have been,
uh,
10 when this came out of it.
Oh yeah.
Yeah.
See, I was a teenager.
So this would have been right up my alley.
Uh,
but nah,
this was really fun.
And this is a great,
I've,
it's cool to watch,
um,
you know,
comic adaptations from this time.
Because they do have a different sheen
and a,
different vibe and spirit. And I do think that as much as the 2000s have their own way in which
they have aged and shown, you know, their age, I feel like you get stuff like this periodically
that is, you know, blockbuster scale. It's got a big cast. It's punchy. There's lots of
effects and stuff. But at the same time, you could really feel like everybody getting creative
on it. Like this was a really fun experience. And I'm excited for you to see certain other things.
Because, again, it felt maybe not quite as groundbreaking as certain other stuff.
But, like, I was thinking about Blade watching this and some other things.
And I really do like the comic book multiplied by horror universe aesthetic.
And I feel like a movie like this is a great example of, like, man, this has a really strong visual look.
It's got a strong sonic palette.
It's got a really strong grip on just being angels and demons and, you know, the occult and religious iconography and all that stuff.
It has the tone of some dark, you know, religious horror thriller of sorts, but with that action movie element and it has a lot of, it's like there's not a lot of waste in terms of the visual language. There's a lot of really striking images both in how the camera composes, but also how they use and articulate their effects. This is a movie that looks way better than it should for being in 2005. And this is also a movie where I felt that sort of spirit of like,
handmaidness and spontaneity.
Like, I know that there's a lot of, again, hands on this and effects,
and this is probably a very expensive movie,
or to some degree expensive movie.
But this really felt like everyone was like,
you know, I could feel the creative energy flowing through something like this.
And so even if, you know, maybe not everything is like one-to-one comic book accurate,
I thought they really, you know, wonderfully spun their own little world.
And I only have like a couple minor complaints as to like what I would have,
maybe like to see a little bit more of.
And I think Keanu, you know, for a role like this.
And, you know, it's well within his wheelhouse.
But at the same time, it's always kind of gratifying to be like, yeah, man.
Like, I like the Elseworld's Keanu version of Constantine.
And it plays really well to his cadence and his speech.
He's able to kind of speak slower and give that sort of like gruff somewhat snart.
Like with a gruff, a bit of like seriousness.
but, like, just a sprinkling of, like, snark on top of it.
Just the right amount of attitude.
And, like, again, this played to his strengths really well.
And then everybody else around, you know, Tilda Swinton is, like,
really making that role, her own, their own,
Peter Stormere for, like, the couple minutes he's on screen as the devil is, like,
really fun and wild to behold.
And that whole, yeah, that thing where he, like, does the cheek lick,
the tongue punch on his cheek
real quick, like, just like, and
that's stuff that could easily go
awry, and Peter Stormair is like a
veteran character actor, so like, obviously
you get him for a reason, but like, you know, this
feels like a movie where
spontaneous things were allowed to happen,
even though it's also like surprisingly
well composed.
And watching this now, I kind of didn't
realize that there was so much enthusiasm
about this movie, and now
I feel like all of a sudden we've been kind of invited
into just like a little side door club
Just like, hey, this is it a pretty cool movie?
You know?
Yeah, man.
Yeah, what are you thinking?
Rejectation, fun fact for you guys.
When we started this channel, we were actually trying to become critics in the newspaper.
We just wanted to get noticed for that.
So the last thing we ever expected was that this small channel would turn into an actual career, a business that we own.
So first off, thank you.
Because that's large part primarily thanks to you guys.
Thank you.
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this uh this definitely felt like a cold classic of of the type of movie that i would have missed as a youth but i thoroughly enjoyed it nonetheless i feel like as an adult i can appreciate
it more not only from the horror perspective um of like you know not being scared but from a
perspective of someone who's a comic book fan i think that they did a really good job of you know
capturing a visual language that was ever interesting there's always something
particularly interesting happening on screen whether is the special effects stuff whether it was
just particular camera shots i found it to be ahead of its time in that way where you know
I feel like the effects of what they were trying to accomplish were not up to date for where they would be believable and of today's standard.
But I feel like the type of storytelling that they were doing, at least the visual effects and how they were able to display them were very 2005.
Also, some of the music choices as well.
But I think Keanu Reeves did an amazing job with the role in spite of the fact that he's not the traditional Constantine.
I thought Rachel Weiss was also really fun in the role as well.
And yeah, I think the way that they were able to try to capture this story within a two-hour limit, really, you were able to really understand it.
But I feel like this is something that I feel like could have been a TV show if they really wanted it to be, the first season of a show.
You know, I would have loved to see more about his relationship with Chaz or more with his relationship.
chas bottle episode
please give me more chas chas
in the taxi cab for a whole episode
just be like john john what am i doing
here john john john john what i'm supposed to do out here john
damn it john i'm cold yeah we need
i don't know we do we i would have liked to have known more
about his relationship with the priest
that guy was cool
he was cool and i felt real bad for him
yeah but i think this movie did a really good job of establishing
our our protagonist with canna reeves
in that first scene
and then Rachel Weiss.
That was cool.
That early exorcism was crazy.
It was awesome.
It was an amazing scene.
Then they played with our perception, thinking that Rachel Weiss was having multiple dreams.
There was really going back between the sister and, yeah, each sister's perspective.
All those stuff was really great.
Yeah, I've had a lot of fun with this movie.
I think it was pace fairly well.
The only things I would probably change is like maybe the guy with the spear of destiny.
could have been more involved
or like maybe that could have been
a bigger part of the story
kind of you said something
about racial viz and her
being a police officer
that could have been like
a little bit extended as well
I think they could have done more
to slightly make them
feel like
it's it's kind of a couple
things for me I feel like
they could have done slightly more
to make them feel like co-leads
even though you need
Constantine to be the lead
he is the top line character
but I really liked
some of the chemistry that they had
I feel like yeah
mostly they gave us her dramatic beats
and I think it would have helped if we had seen her
I know we see her at crime scenes
and with her partner guy
but I would have liked to have seen her being like
a cop and like seeing the grit
of the character as well as the part
of the character that's like heartbroken over
and sort of bewildered by the death of her sister
I liked what she brought
but I could feel like she did more preparation
than they gave her in the text
and she's not like a small character
by any stretch.
But like I was thinking about
and you'll discover this
whenever you see Blade
like there's the female lead
in Blade who is kind of our
eye line like
yeah she's along for the ride
a lot of the time and she's involved
but like I feel like that movie
gave her like a sense of perspective
and you could see like a more
more facets of the character
present in the movie
and more like
proactivity not to suggest
that Rachel Weiss character isn't proactive
but like
I feel like they give her a lot of scenes
where she's like kind of flustered
and tearing up
and there are like a lot of dramatic moments
and I feel like there's more
to the character
that's not being kind of shown to us
because again,
they bother to make her a cop
a detective, you know,
she's a badge carrying,
gun-toting, you know,
law enforcement officer
and I wanted to feel that a little bit more
so that when they're in these
high stakes physical situations
like I can tell Rachel Weiss did that preparation
because she carries herself
like she can keep up with all that stuff
and I wish the movie made better use of that
comprehensively i guess that's a great criticism yeah yeah i think again if we had like an extended
i kept forgetting she's a cop no for sure they didn't they didn't treat her that way i never felt
like she had any sense of um active active purpose active agency in the film i feel like making her
more pivotal to being able to be of some assistance in the land that she's proficient in would
have been a better use of her character um but i think i think yeah
performance-wise not chemistry but it was really great i liked you know in the the way when we did do
it her being like the eye line into his world i feel like even though he was very much the person we
were following um yeah i would i'd have liked to seem more of of constantine like miserable in his
relationship with with heaven and hell and his perception on god and his perception on you know
where he was going i'd have liked more character stuff in that vein but i feel like a lot of it was
you know wrapped into the the plot and then him helping her and we did
get some stuff about his feelings of wanting i thought that stuff was interesting about him wanting to go
to heaven but knowing his his son his soul was damned and he was doing this so he can get his ticket to
heaven i thought that stuff was was cool on paper and i would like to have seen more of that actively
from the story i can see that i think it was just enough for me but i i get it and i can imagine
a version that has a heavier element of like what is this way
If this was like 2.15 or something like that, then you could do, yeah, like, what does heaven and hell mean to John Constantine and why I think there's a very easy human inroad to like, of course he wants to balance the ledger because who wants to go to hell.
But, you know, like, this is a guy who's clearly jaded and who's clearly seen the ugly sides of both.
So, yeah, I think there is a lot of expanding and interesting exploration you could do.
And again, I think, too, there's some amount of that that the DC animated movies managed unpacking and like,
way less time.
But yeah, yeah, like this had a good sense of character,
even if there are aspects of,
like the feeling of the characters were still engaged,
even though, yeah, if there are parts
that could have been more fleshed out
or more sort of intimately woven.
But I think there are some nice times
where at least the chemistry between the actors
and what's going on in the space between them
allows you to extrapolate in a way that's not fully just like,
it's a plot,
there's nothing here.
I'm just going to make a head cannon, you know.
Like that whole scene where they're in the bathroom before he puts her under,
there's like so much happening between the two of them.
It's fascinating to me.
And yeah, there's stuff about that that I'm like, man,
I wish we saw more of this in the meat.
But there's also so much happening.
Like, again, a lot of my complaints are things that, you know,
kind of pale when you think of what we did manage to squeeze.
Like, this is surprisingly well done.
This is surprisingly good, you know, for where and when it's from.
How much? Okay.
Oh, no.
Let's do you run in tomatoes first?
Oh, no, oh, no, oh, no.
What do you think critics gave this movie?
What do you think audiences gave this movie?
Oh, man, this has been tough lately.
I go through patches where sometimes I'm on it.
I don't know if the critics would have been that kind of this movie.
I feel like maybe we're looking at like a 56% critics and an audience.
let's go 66 yeah for satan okay so you said 56 for audiences 56 for critics 66 for audiences okay
you were right in your close not 56 46 46 I was afraid of that and then audiences I highballed
it we're 72 72 okay okay fine I mean yeah you know it's a pulp movie it's a B movie I
can abide 72 is a low passing grade i think it's better than that but i can see how if you were
really brass tacking it you could go there what do you think the budget this movie was god
for the time 2005 um the budgets were still kind of getting big 20 years ago um let's go
a hundred 10 million dollars production buzz it budget it isn't going to
definitive answer but the first thing that pops up is this movie was a hundred million dollars okay sure
yeah it says between 70 and 100 million but then that top part says 100 million i could see this
yeah that makes sense to me what do you think it gross worldwide god there's a question for you
especially since it's what 20 odd years later we're finally talking about sequel uh 100
$230.9 million.
Okay.
I'm happy for that.
Good for them.
Good for them.
They at least buy that standard,
hopefully,
probably maybe at least broke even
and made a little bit of profit on that.
Hopefully.
Yeah.
Maybe enough to hopefully get a sequel soon.
Yeah, absolutely.
They had to spend all that paying Gavin Rossdale to be there.
But man,
just like the attention to detail,
I was like wowed by throughout this.
I was very surprised.
because even that thing like
Jamon Honsu like sweating behind the ear
I'm like they had to have
they had to have chosen to do that
I think so I can't tell like it's
and those are great moments when you're like I can't
quite tell and I can see how he would just be sweaty
but at the same time I almost feel like they did
that on purpose
you know and the movie is filled with little bits like that
and like even close up inserts on objects and stuff
like there's so little that feels wasted
or just thrown out there
like everything feels so composed
that then I start to believe that a bunch of weird little details
you know were like sort of yeah tightly script supervised
and thus paid attention to apparently Keanu Reeves bought the holy shotgun
prop and gave it to director Francis Lawrence as a gift wow holy shotgun badass comment
your favorite like on screen cool guns in universe guns the look of hell was based on old
footage of nuclear tests specifically the sudden shockwave immediately after the blast
that disintegrated anything in its path,
hence the crumbling landscape.
At around 40 minutes,
according to the director's commentary on the DVD,
the rag that Constantine lights on fire
to defeat the flying demons
is a piece of Moses's shroud
given to him by a beeman.
And this is fun.
The spear of destiny prop
is the same one used in Hellboy 2004.
No way!
So look at that.
continuity.
At around one hour and two minutes,
Constantine's line in which he says
that he doesn't want Angela to be
another ghost following him around
as a reference to the comics,
he is haunted by the ghosts of friends who have died because of him.
Oh, that's a cool little tidbit.
The original title, Hellblazer, was changed because it was too similar to Hellboy.
The films were scheduled to be released within a short space of time between them,
and it was decided that having such similar titles would hurt the sales of tickets.
Therefore, Hellblazer was changed to Constantine.
And I think, furthermore, you would get confusion with the Hell Razor franchise.
And, uh, yeah, which, you know, just.
I think calling it Constantine
makes the most sense
even though Hellblazer is like a
famous at least run right of Constantine's
the character of John Constantine
was originally created by Alan Moore during his
DC run on Swamp Thing
however following his negative
experience with From Hell and the League of
Extraordinary Gentlemen
Moore decided to reject all money
and credit from his Hollywood on
any adaptations of his work
thus he gave all the money he would have gotten
to the artist who drew the
character with him and rejected his own
created by credit from the
film. Holy hand grenades were actually
Christmas ornaments filled with water
and let's see. Let's do
there's got to be like a one or two
spoiler guys in here.
Spoilies. Let's get spoily
ma doily.
In this adaptation of Constantine he is destined to go to
hell because he attempted to
stop being alive by his own accord.
In the comic book Hellblazer he is sent
to hell due to summing a demon into his body
The demon rebels against Constantine's control and drags a little girl back with him to hell.
I think we have seen this adapted in, you know, the DC animated.
A life-size replica of Rachel Weiss was made and used as the corpse of Angela Dodson's twin sister,
Isabel, whose death seems to be able to have that makes sense.
In the original script, Father Hennessy was supposed to die of overheating and getting thinner the more he eats.
The scripted death was in his...
The name Father Hennessy?
Yes.
That's hilarious.
That is cruel.
that is mean writer
that's wild
yeah and it was supposed to
die of overheating and getting thinner
the more he eats the scripted draft was inspired
by the character in the first issue of Hellblazer
who died the same way
oh golly
I can't read too much
this is a very intense
content movie the character of Father Hennessy is a mixture of
three of Constantine's allies from the comic book
they are Nige Archer who was a psychic
Rick the Vic who was a priest and head
who was a portly
substantive user
and like Hennessy
all are killed
for being
associated with
Constantine
and let's see
let's do this last one here
oh
hey
that's kind of fun
special features
on the DVD reveal
that it wasn't really
Rachel Weiss in the scene
where her character
flies backwards
through the building
a small replica of her body
was made
which was then shot
backwards
through a miniature office
adding light and wind effects.
That is pretty crazy.
There are also a bunch of weird little like,
yeah, hidden Easter eggs and images
and like numericals and stuff.
This is a really cool.
This was a really fun movie.
Yeah.
And I had a great time.
Comic stuff doesn't feel like this now.
And there's a lot of cool comic book stuff now,
but watching some of these from this era
is making me miss the spontaneity
and the real sense of tone
and like, again, craftsmanship that,
a particular group of individuals came up with rather than this continuum of sleek stuff.
Not to talk that down.
There are some great dazzling images that modern stuff gives us.
But yeah, this was like, you know, dialed up to 11 just in terms of like intent and craftsmanship and, yeah, energy and chutzpah.
So, yeah, even if there are things that could be a little tighter, a little more fleshed out, I was quite enthralled.
Yeah, no, this is definitely going up as a classic of the 2000 comic book era for me.
I'm happy that I got to finally experience it.
Yeah.
Hells.
Hells, yeah.
Gang, leave us your thoughts on the Constantine motion picture.
Do you want part two?
What do you want to see in part two?
Do you want to see Mike Keanu Reeves, Constantine, and Nicholas Cage Ghost Rider crossover?
Yes, please.
Featuring variants of both characters played by each other.
And then versions of both characters played by Matt.
Mickelson?
No, the guy from TV, Constantine.
Oh, Matt Ryan.
Matt Ryan.
We got there.
Be well, people.
And, uh, you know, don't sell your soul to the devil.
Don't do it.
Oh, Eric Horstman.
Hey.
Back at it again.
Let's go.
He is here ready to summon a very specific demon to fulfill his own selfish causes.
He is summoning the demon.
Havataka.
Havaktaika.
Havakta.
Havatika is a demon who preys on meat eaters.
Oh, no.
And Eric has summoned him to rid the earth of anyone who feasts off the flesh of animals.
So really, this demon is kind of a morally righteous, like superior morality kind of a ego complex.
Animal rights demon, which fits perfectly with Eric's way of thinking it.
So using this demon, now he's actually a hero.
Your demonic benevolence has actually changed the tides of the world
and made the world a better place.
See, that cynicism is paying off.
Yeah, good-natured cynicism.
Moral cynicism.
I'm so proud of you, Eric.
I'm so proud of you.
You have actually been able to change the world
by communicating with darkness and death.
Hey.
So, dude, you keep staying in this headspace of yours.
and I think ultimately you'll be able to do something productive with it.
Let's face it, sadness can be comfortable,
and I think you thrive in sadness.
Do not get help.
Do not seek any treatment, just settle with the fact that you are forever going to be this way.
Heartbreak feels good in a place like Eric's.
It's really dark
It's dark
But hey man
Eric likes it dark
He's a dark little kinky guys
Yeah
Think of what other demons
Eric could summon
Eric could probably like
Summing demons up
Every Friday night
And just like chilling
Doing lines like poker
Yeah
Yeah absolutely
Doing lines playing poker
For money
Unsankioned by the gaming
Commission
Price picks
Run your game
Run you're gay