Constantine

Much better than it had a right to be – definitely don’t let the previews or Keanu’s presence scare you away.

I wish I had a small voice recorder. Alchohol does marvelous things to the efficiency of the synapses and coming out of this film my brain was bubbling over with thoughts on the nature of God and the Devil, the reality of heaven and hell and the roles of demons and angels. There’s some heady stuff in this film if you care to think on it.

For instance, the characterization of the Devil was the best thing I’ve seen outside of old “The Demon” comic books. No pathetically oily, well-groomed, Harvard MBA Prince of Darkness here; instead you have a fallen angel in all his glory and agony prowling like a caged beast. Damned good even if “The Demon’s” characterization of him as a still-angelic being was better.

Couldn’t really tell you why the filmmakers picked Gabriel as the angelic adversary. I suppose they figured that was the only angel people know.

I was very pleased to note several points consistent with my own developed philosophy: the more or less lassiez faire attitude of God and the Devil, the insistence that evil is more effective because it has fewer restrictions, the absolute notion that suicide is a damning sin – that it is, in fact, murder. Good stuff. Especially if you’ve ever wrestled with the reality of the world behind the world.

Certainly better than it ought to have been and far more worthy of serious discussion than the spiritual overtones of Groundhog Day.