Monday, May 18, 2020

Now Showing: Constantine: The Hellblazer

Constantine: The Hellblazer
Genre: Action/Superhero/Supernatural
Director: Tarsem Singh
Writer: D.R. Cobb
Based on DC Comics characters
Cast: Colin Farrell, Charlie Day, Lili Reinhart, August Diehl, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Georgia King, John Hannah, Aishwarya Rai

Plot: John Constantine (Colin Farrell) tells a beautiful woman at a bar that he can read her mind. When she asks him what she's thinking, he says that she was wondering whether he'd buy her a drink or not. She laughs and says that's a good line, he insists it's true. She then asks if he wants to buy her a drink, however he declines, saying that for demonstrating his gift to her she should be the one buying him a drink. She leaves the bar in disgust. Constantine's best friend and closest confidant, Ritchie Simpson (Charlie Day), joins him at the bar and reminds him that he said that trick wouldn't work. Constantine says she really was thinking that, she just bristled at his request that she buy him a drink instead of the more traditional option.

The demon Neron (August Diehl) is sitting on a throne in his little corner of Hell, dissatisfied. He is visited by his mother Lillith (Aiswarya Rai). He tells her that he is not sated by his current status and wishes to consolidate more power in Hell. She informs him that if he is serious about more of the Hellsape than he needs to acquire more powerful souls, not just penny-ante crooks who want to become supervillains. At the very least, she says, Neron needs to cause more of an uproar up there on the surface.

Constantine excuses himself from the bar to go out to the alley to relieve himself. As he urinates on a spider's web, Constantine is approached by Neron. Constantine tells Neron that now's not a good time, but if he wants to make an appointment he can talk to his assistant Ritchie inside. Neron offers to give Constantine immense powers in exchange for his soul. Constantine laughs and asks if that offer ever actually works. Neron says that it indeed works almost every time. Constantine brushes past Neron to head back into the bar. Neron's eyes burn red with rage at being spurned by Constantine. He quietly vows to acquire Constantine's soul if it's the last thing he ever does.

John Constantine and his partner Ritchie sit in the back of a taxi cab driven by the recently hired Chas Kramer (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett). Constantine explains what they do, dealing in the occult and supernatural. Chas is fascinated and asks Constantine if he has need for a full-time driver. Constantine says he'll consider the possibility. They pull up in front of the Casanova Club in Newcastle. Chas comments that it looks like the place is closed. Constantine tells Chas to wait in the car while he and Ritchie walk inside.

When Constantine and Ritchie enter the club, they discover that the club's owner Alex Logue (John Hannah) has conjured a powerful demon that has possessed his daughter Astra (Georgia King). Constantine begins the process of exorcising the demon from Astra's body while Ritchie tries to dodge objects being flung around the room. Constantine succeeds in the exorcism, revealing the large, red, winged demon Nergal, as Astra's body lays unconscious on the floor. Nergal turns on those present now that he is in his true form. Constantine forms a circle of defense around himself and Ritchie while he begins to conjure a dimensional portal to send the demon away. Nergal turns Alex Logue into a puddle of oil. Nergal then grabs Ritchie and is about to the do the same, but Constantine manages to open up a portal to Hell that begins to pull Nergal into it. Nergal throws Ritchie across the room as he is pulled into the portal. At the last second, Nergal grabs Astra's and pulls her down into Hell with him as the portal closes. Ritchie is left catatonic by the incident. Constantine looks around at the destruction around him, exhausted.

In Hell, the demon lord Neron summons the succubus Chantinelle (Lili Reinhart). He tells her that he has a job for her and describes to her how he covets the soul of John Constantine. He wants her to use her certain feminine wiles to get close to Constantine and persuade him to reconsider Neron's offer. Chantinelle is excited since she's never been to Earth before. Neron reminds her that she has a mission and isn't simply going on vacation. Chantinelle nods her head. Neron hands her a sphere, telling her it will direct her of where to go and what to do.

Chantinelle finds herself thrust through a portal and in the middle of a busy London street. A double decker bus crashes into her, but the bus is crushed upon the impact while Chantinelle is left completely unharmed. She continues walking down the middle of the street trying to read the glowing spherical map Neron gave her. Cars swerve out of her way, causing several accidents, as Chantinelle continues walking, completely oblivious to the destruction she has caused.

Nergal reports back to Neron in Hell, who is disappointed to see him. Nergal explains that Constantine expelled him from Earth. Neron is annoyed by this, but assures him that he will figure out another way for Nergal to get back to Earth, but this time his mission will be to kill Constantine, then he can worry about creating plagues and pestilence once that is taken care of.

Ritchie is locked up in an insane asylum on the outskirts of London. Ritchie sits and listens to howls and laughter from the other cells. He begins banging his head on the padded walls. Suddenly his cell is filled with a blinding red light. Ritchie tries to hide under his bed, but the light engulfs him as he screams for help.

Chantinelle is still walking down the street when a street vendor hands her an ice cream cone. She quickly eats it with delight. She then demands another, but the vendor tells her she will have to pay for another. Chantinelle gets angry and throws the ice cream cart into the street. The vendor starts yelling at her, but she looks at him and her eyes glow red. The vendor quickly runs away.

Constantine arrives at the asylum to visit Ritchie. Seeing Ritchie in the state he's in, Constantine decides to break Ritchie out and cloaks Ritchie with an invisibility spell and tells him to stick close. Constantine then gets up to leave the asylum with Ritchie close behind him out the front door. Once they are out front, they get into Chas' cab. Chas tells Ritchie that it's nice to see him again, but Ritchie doesn't answer and doesn't seem to recognize Chas. Constantine tells Chas to drive to the Oblivion Bar.

Chas pulls the car up outside of an abandoned train station. Constantine and Ritchie head inside and down a dark staircase, and into a lively, colorful bar. Constantine sits down in his regular booth with Ritchie. Soon, Chantinelle arrives at the bar and watches Constantine from across the room, matching his picture up with one that appears in her sphere. The occult figures in the club start all start staring at Ritchie, sensing something is wrong. Constantine is distracted though as he notices Chantielle staring at him.

Constantine talks to Chantinelle in a quiet corner of the club, quickly surmising that she is a demon of some sort. He asks her what brings her to Earth. She is surprised that he figured that out so quickly. Child-like, she says it's her first time and that she was supposed to be on a mission, but she's very intrigued by life on Earth and doesn't feel like doing it since as soon as her job is complete she will be stuck down in Hell again. Constantine says he doesn't blame her and offers to buy her a drink. Constantine then notices that several other magical beings are surrounding Ritchie. He tells them all to back off. Ritchie is his human friend and colleague, so lay off. They don't listen and continue surrounding Ritchie, whose eyes begin glowing red, much like Nergal. Constantine is confused by what he's seeing. Ritchie knoks over several magicians and magical entities in the club, turning them into oil. He then runs out of the club with inhuman strength and agility.

Constantine runs out of the club after Ritchie, who is already way down the street. He jumps in the cab where Chas is sleeping in the front seat. Constantine tells him to drive. Chas starts up the car and speeds down the road. Chas asks if that is Ritchie they're chasing after, and Constantine confirms. Chas says he didn't know Ritchie could run so fast. Once the cab finally gets close to him, Constantine starts conjuring magic, but Ritchie swings his arm out, knocking the cab off the road. The car goes careening into a ditch on the roadside.

Constantine and Chas emerge from the wreckage with Ritchie long gone down the road. They hear a noise coming from the trunk of the totaled car, and find Chantinelle inside. Constantine conjures a ball of fire in his hand and tells Chantinelle to explain herself before he is forced to use his magic against her. Chantinelle says that Neron sent her to Earth in an attempt to claim Constantine's soul. Constantine is annoyed, telling Chas that Neron is a social climber in Hell trying to claim as many powerful souls in Hell as possible for his own Hellish political gain. Chas is surprised that Hell is so political. Constantine jokes that is where politics originally came from. Constantine asks if Neron is behind what's going on with Ritchie. Chantinelle tells him that Neron sent the demon Nergal back to Earth to possess Ritchie, figuring that if he can't get Constantine to sign his soul over he can have him killed and get it the old fashioned way. Chas asks Chantinelle if she knows where Ritchie went, but she shakes her head. Constantine says he knows where to go, and reveals that when they got close to Ritchie, he wasn't conjuring any magic that would combat or stop him, instead he used a tracking spell on Ritchie in order to follow him.

Constantine, Chas and Chantinelle walk down the side of the road until a car emerges in the distance. They stop the car and Constantine manages to trick the driver into giving them his car - a Mini Cooper. When they start driving away, Chantinelle comments that it was some impressive magic Constantine just used. Constantine says he wasn't using magic, just good old fashioned con artistry. Constantine gives Chas directions as they drive in the Mini Cooper and arrive outside the Casanova Club. Chas is freaked out and says he'll stay and wait in the car. Constantine and Chantinelle break into the shuttered nightclub. They find the Nergal-possessed Ritchie standing in the middle of the dance floor. Nergal conjures up several demons, all in the form of Alex Logue. Chantinelle fights off the demons while Constantine works on performing an exorcism on Ritchie. Constantine manages to exorcise Nergal from Ritchie, and send the demon back to Hell through a portal. However, Nergal quickly re-emerges in the body of Astra Logue. Constantine realizes that Neron is just going to keep sending Nergal back to Earth each time he sends him back down to Hell, so Constantine instead has Nergal confined by a constriction spell. Nergal tries to break free from Astra's body, but is unable to break Constantine's spell. Ritchie wakes up and asks what on Earth happened. Constantine, matter-of-factly, tells Ritchie that he was possessed by an ancient demon hellbent on ending the Constantine name who was employed by a bitter Hell middle management. Ritchie shrugs and then notices Chantinelle and asks who she is. Constantine says she's a demon on vacation. Ritchie shrugs and suggests they leave the club.

Mid-Credits: The Nergal-possessed Astra, complete with a strait-jacket and mask, is pushed into Ritchie's old cell at the insane asylum. Astra's eyes glow red. Neron watches this with frustration from his throne in Hell with Lillith at his side.

Post-Credits: Chantinelle tells Constantine that England is fun and asks him where she should go next. Constantine asks her if she's ever heard of Jamaica.


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