In Review: Constantine: City of Demons – The Movie

Synopsis: From executive producers David S. Gover and Greg Berlanti, The Hellblazer is back in an all-new twisted tale of mystery, intrigue and the occult with Constantine: City of Demons, a full-length, R-rated feature film based on the acclaimed DC animated series from CW Seed.

A decade after a tragic mistake, family man Chas and occult detective John Constantine set out to cure Chas’ daughter Trish from a mysterious supernatural coma. With the help of the enigmatic Nightmare Nurse, the influential Queen of Angels, and brutal Aztec God Mictlantecuhtli, the pair just might have a chance at outsmarting the demon Beroul to save Trish’s soul.

Review: Just in time for Halloween, Constantine: City of Demons – The Movie is a loose adaptation of John Constantine, Hellblazer: All His Engines. I have vision problems, so I rely on loose adaptations for the large and small screen to satisfy my comic cravings. This film didn’t disappoint.

Because I haven’t read the comics and never watched the film with Keanu Reeves, Matt Ryan IS Constantine to me. His performance gets automatic top marks. That said, Ryan was the only thing I really enjoyed about the short-lived NBC series. I much prefer the mythology established in the Arrowverse (of which this movie is a part) and Justice League Dark.

I hope this film’s version of the Newcastle tragedy continues to be addressed during Constantine’s tenure with the Legends. I also hope that we see The Nightmare Nurse and The Queen of Angels in live action. They were both brilliant and would fit in perfectly with the Legends.

Also, I’d like it if the folks connected with the CW DCU would discontinue the web series format altogether in favor of these full-length animated films. I prefer being able to “binge watch” the whole story in one sitting. With Vixen’s and The Ray’s feature-length outings, we’re three for three for having more fulfilling experiences.

Constantine: City of Demons – The Movie is available on DVD, Blu-ray, and V.O.D. now.

Writer: J.M. DeMatteis

Director: Doug Murphy

Cast: Matt Ryan, Damian O’Hare, Laura Bailey, Emily O’Brien, Kevin Michael Richardson, Jim Meskimen, Robin Atkin Downes, Rachel Kimsey, Rick Wasserman