Another week, another comic book TV series. CONSTANTINE was a 13-episode series that was ignobly cancelled after just one series and it's based on the Hellblazer comic, just as the Keanu Reeves big screen adaptation of the same character was. This is distinctive and stylish enough to stand on its own right, although truth be told it's simply another monster-of-the-week show.
I wasn't too taken with Matt Ryan's acting as the lead character. I found him arrogant, unfunny, and self-centred, and his British accent particularly annoying which is weird when I'm British myself. Still, the show has much in common with other successes like ARROW, so it's weird that it was cancelled. It's very fast paced and there's plentiful action in each of the episodes. It does feel very clichéd throughout without bringing anything really new to the screen but at the same time it keeps your attention so it's never dull.
CONSTANTINE makes frequent use of a CGI effects budget to bring some impressive creations to the small screen. It's refreshingly gruesome in places and the various demons are well realised and well designed, coming across as genuinely scary on occasion. Some of the guest actors give performances that can best be described as hokey but overall the series makes for light and engaging viewing.
I wasn't too taken with Matt Ryan's acting as the lead character. I found him arrogant, unfunny, and self-centred, and his British accent particularly annoying which is weird when I'm British myself. Still, the show has much in common with other successes like ARROW, so it's weird that it was cancelled. It's very fast paced and there's plentiful action in each of the episodes. It does feel very clichéd throughout without bringing anything really new to the screen but at the same time it keeps your attention so it's never dull.
CONSTANTINE makes frequent use of a CGI effects budget to bring some impressive creations to the small screen. It's refreshingly gruesome in places and the various demons are well realised and well designed, coming across as genuinely scary on occasion. Some of the guest actors give performances that can best be described as hokey but overall the series makes for light and engaging viewing.