Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Constantine’

Written by Scott Edwards 

There is nothing wrong with having a special skill set, most of the time, it makes you invaluable for your job and it's why you can never be replaced. Most people think that this is a bad thing, since you are only good at one or two things, but they never get to see it being used. Making sure that you use your skill set to the max when it is called upon is the only reason why people will come to you in times of need and you can excel when they come calling. No matter the situation, it is important to fall back on what you are good at, it does not matter what others think about how you get out of the situation, as long as you are able to remain unscathed. 

Thinking he is on another routine possession case, John Constantine is called back into action by his friend Father Hennessy. Arriving at the apartment, John takes to the room and performs his duty, but finds out quickly that there is something strange going on. Watching as the demon tries to escape from the poor girl’s neck, he has to take to more drastic measures. Getting a mirror, John is able to capture the demon and throw it out the window before it is able to release itself on the earth. John knows that there is nothing right about what he has done, but none of the people he trusts to tell the news to seem to believe what he has seen, much less give credence to a demon possessed earth.

Needing to find answers for what he has witnessed, John calls upon his friend Beeman to check the ancient texts and see how a demon or Satan could find their way back to the land of the living. While he waits, John calls upon his old acquaintance Gabriel, an Archangel that has been there for him over the years. But when word makes it to the underworld about his health troubles, John turns into a bigger target for the dead and they are willing to take their shots at him, rather than lend him a helping hand. Wanting to ensure his safe passage to Heaven, John thinks that he has done more than enough to secure a one way trip, but finding out that sending demons back to Hell is not enough, he has to start looking inside for another way.

During a night off, John is given a visit from Detective Angela Dodson who is looking to prove that her twin sister did not commit suicide and will be received when she reaches the pearly gates. Since John has ways of dealing with things that are out of this world, he is able to travel to Hell and see that her sister has been confined to the pit. Needing to prove her sister’s innocence in the matter, Angela begs John to help her and even though he is hesitant, he is able to bring out what happened in her past to look towards the future. Angela may not fully understand what is happening to her, but John is trying to protect her from the things that go bump in the night and when the final showdown comes to fruition, Angela will have to be at the top of her game.

This may not go down as one of my top movies of all time, it sure as heck sticks in my head. I have always had a hard time letting people into my life and this story proves that your friends could quickly become your enemies. I really liked Angela’s story and how she has to overcome everything that she battled as a child with her sister, but the demon Balthazar really takes the cake in this movie and I wish there was a better throw down between him and John since the battle would have been epic. The true hero of the story however has to be Father Hennessy, he has more power than we are able to see on the screen and with his help, Hennessy is able to point John in the right direction before time runs out. It’s a good story overall and I am really surprised that a sequel has not been made yet. Neither here nor there, just keep believing is what the movie tells you to do at least. Stay Scared.  

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