3 Arts Entertainment

‘Constantine’ Movie and 4K Review

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent, Tony Farinella.

Back in 2005 (I realize I’m aging myself by opening with that), I used to go to the movie theater just about every weekend to see the latest releases with my best friend at the time. For some reason, “Constantine” did not find its way onto our radar. I also skipped the film during my weekly visits to Blockbuster Video and Hollywood Video. At the time, I was an avid viewer of Ebert and Roeper, formerly Siskel and Ebert, and Roger Ebert named it one of the worst films of 2005. I imagine this had a lot to do with me ignoring the film because growing up, their weekly review program was something I took to heart. When I heard “Constantine” was being released on 4K in honor of its 20th anniversary, I figured it was finally time to sit down and check out the film for myself.

“Constantine” follows the character of John Constantine, played by Keanu Reeves, and he’s an expert in the occult.  He believes there is a “balance” happening in the world between the souls of those who are walking the earth. Essentially, their souls are up for grabs. In his mind, it is up to him to make sure the evil souls are where they belong in hell, and the good souls stay on the straight and narrow. If John can perform enough good deeds, he hopes he can save his own soul because he has lung cancer and doesn’t have a lot of time left on this earth. However, he has a complicated past, so it might be too little, too late for him.

John meets a detective named Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) who is looking for answers after her twin sister’s suicide. Angela knows her sister did not commit suicide, and she believes something sinister is at play with her death. This falls back in line with John’s thinking, which is that the souls on earth are being influenced by evil bidders who are looking to bring them to hell. Because Angela’s family is religious, she is concerned her sister will not be able to make it to heaven because of her suicide.

On the surface, I liked the concept of “Constantine” as it reminded me of the films in “The Conjuring” universe with its views on demons and the occult. It also had a mystery element as well, which appealed to me.  I wanted to know the answers to some of the questions raised in the film.  I thought the first hour was captivating, intriguing and intense. I was interested in seeing how it was all going to play out, and I was along for the ride. Somewhere along the way in the latter half, it started to really lose my interest and also my patience with its story.

One of the biggest issues with the film is its lead actor, Keanu Reeves. I found his performance and the writing of his character to be silly and goofy. He has these terrible one-liners which are painfully unfunny, and he also delivers his lines in such a morose and blasé way. It really took me out of the film at times.  The Shia LaBeouf cab-driver character was also completely unnecessary and added nothing to the film. I did think Rachel Weisz gave a really good performance here as she is smart, tough and driven.  She is looking for answers when it comes to her sister, and she is not interested in playing any games. Weisz gives a serious and committed performance.

I would have liked it if they had written John Constantine’s character with the same level of seriousness and intelligence. I’m not against some comedic relief in a supernatural film like this, but it felt like he was Freddy Krueger with some of the silliness he was reading on screen. I really didn’t like it, and it made me wonder how this film would have turned out if they had hired an actor like Brad Pitt for this role as he can play cocky, charismatic and funny without trying too hard. Reeves needs the right role in order to show off his acting chops, and I didn’t think this film was in his wheelhouse. He seemed unaffected by a lot of what was happening on screen.

Another issue is when the demons come out to play. They are not that interesting as sparring partners for our main characters. I found them to be rather lackluster in terms of how they were written, and how they came across on screen. Tilda Swinton is a terrific actress, and I wish she had more to do and say here. Peter Stormare is over-the-top in a very uneven way, and I didn’t connect with his performance. Overall, this is a film with some thought-provoking ideas, and it’s directed with terrific style by Francis Lawrence, but the screenplay is wildly uneven. It needed a better performance from its leading man or a different leading man all together.

* * out of * * * *

4K Info: “Constantine” is released on a single 4K disc from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment. There is an insert inside, which includes a digital copy of the film as well.  The film has a running time of 121 minutes and is rated R for violence and demonic images.

4K Video Info: The film is treated to a Dolby Vision transfer, and it’s simply stunning. I haven’t seen the film in any other format as this was my first time watching it, but I found the color palette to be bold when it needed to be, and also dark when the material was shot at night.  The image is clean, crisp and vivid.

4K Audio Info: There is also a really solid Dolby Atmos track included here too with subtitles in English, Spanish and French. This is a soundtrack that is consistent and level throughout the duration of this movie.

Special Features:

NEW Feature – Two Decades of Damnation

Audio Commentary featuring Francis Lawrence and Akiva Goldsman

Audio Commentary featuring Kevin Brodbin and Frank A. Cappello

Channeling Constantine

Conjuring Constantine

Director’s Confessional

Collision with Evil

Holy Relics

Shotgun Shootout

Hellscape

Visualizing Vermin

Warrior Wings

Unholy Abduction

Demon Face

Constantine’s Cosmology

Foresight: The Power of Pre-Visualization

A Writer’s Vision

Deleted Scenes + Alternate Ending

Should You Buy It?

It seems as though this film has gained a cult following in the twenty years since it has been released, which shows the importance of physical media.  While I don’t think it’s as bad as the late, great Roger Ebert said it was in his initial review, I also don’t think it’s a cult classic either. I fall somewhere in the middle with “Constantine.” I wanted to like it, and I was enjoying the hell out of it for the first sixty minutes of its running time, but it lost me in the second half. I wanted to see a satisfying resolution to what was presented in the first half. This film looks and sounds great on 4K, and they even introduced a new special feature here as well, which I’m sure is going to make fans very happy. For now, I’d recommend you check it out first if you haven’t seen it before, and then decide if you want to buy it. You can rent it on many digital platforms for the low price of $3.99 and then, if you do like it, you can pick up the 4K. If you are a fan of this film and have been waiting for its 4K release for a long time, you have an awesome looking slipcover version, or you can pick up the 4K Steelbook instead.

**Disclaimer** I received a copy of this film from Warner Brothers to review for free.  The opinions and statements in the review are mine and mine alone.

‘American Fiction’ Movie and Blu-ray Review

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent, Tony Farinella.

“American Fiction” is the kind of adult drama which has been sorely missing from Hollywood over the past decade and a half.  Hollywood has become obsessed with the big screen blockbuster and superhero films. Now, of course, there is nothing wrong with those films, but the adult drama along with R-rated comedies are becoming harder and harder to find these days.  It is why a film like “American Fiction” is such a delightful treat for moviegoers who enjoy complex characters and well-rounded stories, and who like to be challenged when they sit down and watch a movie.

The film stars Jeffrey Wright as Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison, an author and teacher who is grumpy, defeated and incredibly unhappy with his life.  Thelonious is a difficult person to be around as he’s critical of not only himself but everyone else around him.  It doesn’t help that he isn’t as successful as he used to be with his writing.  He’s finding it harder and harder to connect with audiences as he sees a shift in the literary landscape. The books which are making money and selling are those which profit off the stereotypes that exist in black entertainment.

Thelonius is told to write a “black book,” which is something he wants nothing to do with at all as it goes against his principles and his beliefs. It makes him angry to see a writer like Sintara Golden (Issa Rae) selling books left and right while his own work is financially unsuccessful.  He returns home to spend time with his family, which is another source of stress in his life. His sister, Lisa (Tracee Ellis Ross), is a hard-working physician who is doing her best to get back on her feet after a painful and costly divorce. He also discovers that his mother, Agnes (Leslie Uggams), is suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease.

This is not the pick-me-up visit Thelonius needed, as he’s not exactly close with his brother, Cliff, played by Sterling K. Brown.  Cliff and Lisa have trouble getting along with him because he’s too much like their deceased father who was withdrawn, judgmental and often pushed people away.  With his mother’s health suffering, it is up to Thelonius to take care of her finances and figure out what to do with her care.  He finds a solution when he ends up writing a book under a pseudonym, which gives the public what they are looking for: a stereotypical black book which relies on the offensive and cliché-ridden tropes audiences love. As the old expression goes, “No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.”

Thelonius has also developed a relationship with a neighbor, Coraline, played by Erika Alexander. She likes him, but can he love himself enough to work it out with her? Can he get along with his brother? He’s also discovering through his agent, played by John Ortiz, that his book might even be turned into a movie. This is all happening very fast for him as he’s wrestling with his need to produce substantial material and also his need for money.  In many cases, the two do not go hand-in-hand. He doesn’t want to sell his soul for the almighty dollar, but he also has bills to pay in the meantime. Can his moral compass allow him to “sell out?”

“American Fiction” was my favorite film of 2023. It starts with the screenplay, which won Best Adapted Screenplay at this year’s Academy Awards.  The film has great dialogue in it along with rich and funny characters that really sizzle on screen. It’s a witty, timely and sharp script.  The film reminded me a lot of Spike Lee’s “Bamboozled,” but it’s a more upbeat film and not as bleak. It is hard to overlook how little has changed since “Bamboozled” came out back in 2000, though. The big thing that has changed is there are more platforms and outlets for this kind of material to be digested by audiences.

This film also has a tremendous cast from top-to-bottom. Everyone has effortless chemistry with one another on screen, and they are all likable, interesting and well-developed.  Even though Thelonius is a curmudgeon, he’s never boring.  There is something very quirky and funny about him, and it is because he was written with a lot of different layers to him.  As an audience, we understand his frustration and we know why he feels the way he does about his family and how African Americans are presented in mainstream media. He’s not wrong, even if he goes about it in a way that tends to grate on those closest to him.  He can be preachy and self-righteous, but it’s hard to argue with his points.  This is a man who is learning to love himself, love someone else, and reconnect with his family.  He’s a work-in-progress.

If you are like me and enjoy a film with heart, humor and a bit of edge to it, you will love “American Fiction.”  This is the kind of movie Hollywood used to make but seem to shy away from these days.  I enjoyed every single minute of this hilarious, heartfelt and intelligent piece of moviemaking.  This film allows the audience to spend time with these characters, get to know, care about, and become emotionally invested in them. The ending, without giving anything away, is also perfect. I loved “American Fiction,” and I’m confident you will love it too.

* * * * out of * * * *

Blu-ray Info: “American Fiction” is being released on a single-disc Blu-ray from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment.  It has a running time of 117 minutes and is rated R for language throughout, some drug use, sexual references, and brief violence. It also comes with a digital copy of the film as well.

Video/Audio Info: The 1080p high-definition transfer is very colorful, clear, and bright. Would I have loved a 4K transfer of my favorite film of last year? Of course! However, this is a very good-looking Blu-ray, and I can hold out hope it gets a 4K upgrade at some point as I think this film is only going to grow in popularity as more people see it on physical media. The audio on this Blu-ray is also top-of-the-line. All of the dialogue can be heard very clearly, which is important, because this is a very dialogue-driven film. Subtitles are included in English, French and Spanish.

Special Features:

None

Should You Buy It?

If you are strictly buying “American Fiction” for the movie itself, you should definitely buy it right away. However, this is only available on Blu-ray and DVD, and there are also no special features. This is a supremely bare bones Blu-ray from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment which is pretty disappointing. It does come with a slipcover, though. I’d say buy the Blu-ray with the slipcover as, from an audio and visual standpoint, it still looks and sounds really good. I always like to err on the side of caution, and I’d rather have a great movie on Blu-ray with the slipcover while I can before they stop releasing it with a slipcover. That being said, this film deserved a much better physical media release than it got,

**Disclaimer** I received a copy of this film from Warner Brothers to review for free.  The opinions and statements in the review are mine and mine alone.