Constantine (20th Anniversary): 4K UHD Review
2005 saw the theatrical release of director Francis Lawrence’s Constantine, which was based on the DC/Vertigo Comics’ Hellblazer graphic novels. This film, which starred Keanu Reeves in the title role, got a mixed response from critics and fans of the comics. Unlike in the source material, Reeves’ John Constantine is not from Liverpool, England. He is clearly American (with the possibility of being Canadian liked the actor himself). Despite the mostly negative reviews, I always found the film quite entertaining. Sure, it’s silly at times and there are plenty of plot holes, but it’s a slick looking production and Reeves can carry the thing on his shoulders. This week, Constantine arrives on 4K UHD for the first time.
Set in Los Angeles, occult expert/exorcist John Constantine (Reeves) has been spending his life sending demons back to hell with the hopes of basically buying his way into heaven when he dies. As a young man, John committed suicide because his ability to see demons was just too much for him to bare. However, John was only dead for 2 minutes before being resuscitated. When you take your own life, your soul goes to hell. Having been there, he knows that is not where he wants to wind up. To make matters worse, the clock is ticking for John due to the lung cancer his chain-smoking has given him.
After stopping a demon from entering Earth through a young girl, John finds himself somewhat baffled. That should not have happened due to a treaty between Heaven and Hell. Meanwhile, after the death of her twin sister, detective Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) starts a personal investigation because she is the only one who believes that her sister’s fall from the roof of a hospital was not a suicide. As mentioned before, those who kill themselves, go straight to hell.
Angela pays John a visit, because she needs his help to see if her sister is in hell. Unfortunately, his trip to the Devil’s home proves that she is down there. I will admit, the version of Hell that we are shown in the film feels kind of weird after watching Los Angeles up in flames a couple of months ago. The closer John and Angela get to the truth, the more dangerous things get for both, and the ones that assist them are far from safe.
Constantine has a fantastic supporting cast that includes Shia LaBeouf as John apprentice, Djimon Hounsou as a former witch doctor-turned neutral nightclub owner for demons and angels, there is Peter Stormare as Lucifer, his half-breed son Balthazar (Gavin Rossdale) and of course Tilda Swinton as Archangel Gabriel. I have to say that Stormare and Swinton are the real stand-outs here, though Lucifer has limited screentime.
The new 2160p presentation with Dolby Vision and HDR10 was scanned by the original camera negative and overseen by director Francis Lawrence. I will say that even though CGI effects have come a long way over the past two decades, the ones created for Constantine have aged extremely well. This release is a huge improvement over the former Blu-ray release. There are many scenes that take place in dark locations, like the two demon attacks at night in the streets of L.A. and the back room of the bowling alley. Facial features and skin tones look natural and the flyover shots of the city that lead towards the hospital look stunning. The new Dolby Atmos audio track is also a winner. From the score to the background noise on the L.A. streets and the landscape of Hell, every aspect of the sound is pushed to the limits. They did a phenomenal job with this upgrade.
I am so happy that a sequel is finally in the works, even though it does feel long overdue. If you are a fan of Constantine, I recommend grabbing this release.
Bonus Features:
- New Feature – Two Decades of Damnation
- Commentaries
- Channeling Constantine
- Conjuring Constantine
- Holy Relics
- Shotgun Shootout
- Hellscape
- Warrior Wings
- Unholy Abduction
- Demon Face
- Foresight” The Power of Pre-Visualization
- A Writer’s Vision
By: Marc Ferman