Constantine

[Raguel]

I'm not exactly a huge fan of Constantine, but more than the accent and the smoking what I consider central to his character is his sort of anarchist, dystheistic (god is evil) beliefs that seems to inform every decision I've seen him make. The movie, from what I'm told, made him a Christian and I'm betting they did the same thing here.

[eldaec]

Is that a good Scouse accent? I can't tell.

I'll be disappointed if he doesn't smoke like a chimney.

Looks promising overall.

The trailer flips between Manchester and Liverpool, with more Manchester than Liverpool. But it is a believable accent someone could have imo.

And is appropriate I suppose as I imagine being in hell is a lot like being in Manchester. I'm going to assume he picked up the mancunian part of his accent on a trip to the other side.

[Sir T]

The movie, from what I'm told, made him a Christian and I'm betting they did the same thing here.

Uh, not at all. His quote on God was (roughly as I cant remember word for word, its been a while) "God is a kid with an ant farm. There is no plan." There was demons and Angels and so forth, but they are in the comics as well.

I quite liked the Reeves film overall. but then I'm not that familiar with the comic book character other than "complete asshole in a trench coat." I read one of the collections when I was a teenager and that was it.

[Signe]

I didn't mind the accent at all.  The one review I read said that British (verging on Welsh) (err...) is what the accent the character in the comic is best known for... I never read the comic.  I would have read more reviews but I'm still trying to suss "British (verging on Welsh)".   

That and Harold Perrineau.   

[Margalis]

I quite liked the Reeves film overall. but then I'm not that familiar with the comic book character other than "complete asshole in a trench coat." I read one of the collections when I was a teenager and that was it.

Same. I watched it again recently and liked it more than the first time I saw it. I also know nothing about the comics, so I don't really give a shit if he had the right accent or not.

I wasn't impressed by the promo for the NBC series. Hard to put my finger on why - too much of Constantine blasting people with magic maybe.

[Ironwood]

See, the trouble with that view is that you could have been watching 'THOROGOOD'.  It really doesn't matter a FUCK what label you slap on that Constantine film Keanu did because those in the know knew it was shit and those not in the know don't give a fuck.

Which would be why I'd be happier if you were saying 'hey, I liked that Thorogood film, it was rad' and I could be happy that no-one had well and truly fucked an iconic character.

And then you'd have to go back to the 80's when people said 'rad'.

[Teleku]

'Rad' still has a decent amount of usage in California.

 

[Surlyboi]

I liked the comic and I liked the movie. Both had something to offer.

And yeah, Stormare. And Tilda Swinton rocked the shit out of that suit she was wearing at the beginning.

[01101010]

And Tilda Swinton rocked the shit out of that suit she was wearing at the beginning.

She made the movie for me, along with Stormare. I actually had a hard time remembering who played lead for bit.

[Threash]

Gonna watch it and spend the whole time wishing it was on HBO.

[Evildrider]

Gonna watch it and spend the whole time wishing it was on HBO.

At least Priest made it to AMC.

[Ironwood]

'Rad' still has a decent amount of usage in California.

 

Seriously ?  That seems unusual.

[Phildo]

She made the movie for me, along with Stormare. I actually had a hard time remembering who played lead for bit.

Rachel Weisz.  And it was the last time Shia Lebouf was basically likeable, IMO.

[01101010]

She made the movie for me, along with Stormare. I actually had a hard time remembering who played lead for bit.

Rachel Weisz.  And it was the last time Shia Lebouf was basically likeable, IMO.

Now that this has kicked the movie into view, the cast was actually pretty good. Djimon Hounsou as Midnite was pretty good, though I would have liked to have seen a bit more, though that would have been outta the scope of the movie (I have a thing for Voodoo after living in Louisiana). Pruitt Taylor Vince was good, hell even Rossdale was respectable.

That said, now I have to put this series on my list for sure to see how it develops. I never read the comics so I am going in blind which will probably allow it more leeway that you other people.

[Ironwood]

Aye, but sometimes a cast just can't save a movie;  It was entirely forgettable, except for the cat bit.

[angry.bob]

I thought that Keanu Reeves was a terrible choice for John Constantine. However, as horky as his voice was for that role does anyone really want to have heard Keanu Reeves trying to do any sort of English accent. It would have been like the vocal travesty of Dracula over again. Reeves and Ryder should just never try to do anything other than their own voice.

But as a generic supernatural thriller Constantine was top notch, as a Constantine it was an exercise in WTF that ignored the source material except for the cancer part. As great as Stormare was they fucked up even the casting for that character. They needed someone like an '80s David Bowie.

[01101010]

I thought that Keanu Reeves was a terrible choice for John Constantine. However, as horky as his voice was for that role does anyone really want to have heard Keanu Reeves trying to do any sort of English accent. It would have been like the vocal travesty of Dracula over again. Reeves and Ryder should just never try to do anything other than their own voice.

But as a generic supernatural thriller Constantine was top notch, as a Constantine it was an exercise in WTF that ignored the source material except for the cancer part. As great as Stormare was they fucked up even the casting for that character. They needed someone like an '80s David Bowie.

I still think Keanu's greatest acting asset is being so boring that everyone else in every movie he is in comes into focus more, except for the Bill and Ted movies.

[tazelbain]

He's basically Bella.

[MrHat]

He's basically Bella.

Heh.

As for the trailer for this, it felt like a doctor who spin off.

Maybe I need to rematch it.

[Morat20]

Watching that trailer while my wife is catching up on Supernatural on Netflix.

Someone on that show was a Constantine fan, if the way Castiel dresses is any clue.

As to the movie -- eh, it was fine I thought. But then I've almost always been able to separate adaptations, so I rarely get the nerd rage over that sort of thing. Except the Dark is Rising movie, which killed my childhood and raped it's corpse and everyone involved should be drawn, quartered, dipped in lemon juice and then set on fucking fire.

But that wasn't because they raped the source material. It's because the movie was that goddamn shitty. The utter destruction of all that was good about the story was just insult to injury.

The Constantine movie I enjoyed. This? I dunno. Kinda feels Supernatural-ish, jump on the urban fantasy bandwagon -- but trailers are liars. No telling what you'll actually get out the back end.

[Ginaz]

I thought that Keanu Reeves was a terrible choice for John Constantine. However, as horky as his voice was for that role does anyone really want to have heard Keanu Reeves trying to do any sort of English accent. It would have been like the vocal travesty of Dracula over again. Reeves and Ryder should just never try to do anything other than their own voice.

Have you ever heard him in that Dracula movie???

[Ironwood]

The Dracula Movie was an abortion that Almost got me walking out of it.  And back then I was young and stupid and would watch anything.

[Lakov_Sanite]

Hot naked gypsy vampires > anything else.

[shiznitz]

Bram Stoker's Dracula was fantastic.  It is one of my top ten despite Keanu's acting.  Gary Oldman carries that movie all the way.

[angry.bob]

Gary Oldman carries a lot of movies. He's one of the most under-rewarded actors in the history of Hollywood. Meanwhile TOm Cruise is getting 20 million per picture to sleep through a performance.

[angry.bob]

So, the first episode was decent. By the end of the show I got sort of a Angelish vibe. The Constantine character worked, although he needed to have been smoking the entire show. Or at all. I want the girl to put on the Dr. Fate helmet so it can become an awesome mismatched buddy show. Other than that, not bad but not great.

[HaemishM]

Did it air tonight? I'll have to check on-demand.

[Evildrider]

The pilot leaked, like 3 days after the Flash pilot leaked.  You will have to do a little "treasure hunting" to find it.

[HaemishM]

Bah, ain't nobody got time for dat. 

[Aiwass]

"My name is John Constantine and I am an exorcist." Barf...

[jgsugden]

Please don't suck.

Voices unheard, pleas unanswered.

It was not horrible, but it was not good... and the ratings were so bad that Constantine truly is damned to early cancellation.

[Soulflame]

For a pilot, I thought it was alright.  I mean, compared to shit like Bad Judge, this was downright good.

[Evildrider]

Please don't suck.

Voices unheard, pleas unanswered.

It was not horrible, but it was not good... and the ratings were so bad that Constantine truly is damned to early cancellation.

I liked it enough, there are some changes coming in the first few episodes.  They canned the girl from the pilot and are bringing in Zed next episode.  Also the ratings were fine considering it ran against the World Series last night.

[jgsugden]

Viewership was down from the lead in Grimm, and the World Series ended ... and was ~20% weaker than Dracula from last year.  Yes, the World Series was opposite Constantine, but it was also opposite Dracula, IIRC.

[Evildrider]

Well Variety and other sources are saying it's solid ratings.. you seem to be the only one crying doom already.