Today’s quick review: Constantine: City of Demons. John Constantine (Matt Ryan), a magic practitioner with a checkered past, agrees to help his friend Chas Chandler (Damian O’Hare) recover his daughter’s missing soul. Tracking her soul to Los Angeles, Constantine and Chandler find it in the hands of Beroul (Jim Meskimen), a loathsome demon who offers Chandler his daughter back in exchange for Constantine’s help conquering the city.
Constantine: City of Demons is an animated horror movie based on the DC Comics characters. City of Demons steps into a hidden world of magic and demons, where a sarcastic detective named John Constantine fights on behalf of humanity. The movie combines a noir-style mystery with overt fantasy horror and a dash of action. City of Demons’ rich world and solid animation give it a good foundation to work with, but its story suffers from some notable issues.
Constantine: City of Demons strikes a skewed balance with its tone. The movie is packed with disturbing imagery and extraneous gore that go beyond what is needed to establish Beroul as a loathsome, inhuman villain. The extra serving of horror will be a strong turnoff for sensitive viewers, while even for horror fans, the imagery is more repulsive than darkly engrossing. Some viewers won’t mind, but some will find the horror elements to be excessive.
Constantine: City of Demons also makes some missteps with its story and characters. John Constantine gets a few good moments where he uses his wits to defeat enemies that are much more powerful than him, but he spends the ealy part of the story in a passive role. In terms of Constantine’s personality, his cynicism works well enough in a vacuum. But because the supporting cast is just as bitter and sarcastic, it’s hard for him to stand out.
Constantine: City of Demons does have a few things going for it, including a clever protagonist, a fully developed urban fantasy world, and a couple of decent action scenes. These will be enough to win over some viewers, especially those who enjoy movies with an unflinchingly dark tone. But the horror imposes a steep barrier to entry, while the character dynamics keep the story from clicking the way it should. Most viewers should approach with caution.
For a more accessible, live-action take on the character, try the movie Constantine starring Keanu Reeves. For another animated movie about DC’s occult characters, try Justice League Dark. For action horror with a similar attitude, check out any of the Hellboy adaptations.
7.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for a decent setup held back by poor taste and a few story issues.