Let’s get one thing straight right away ‘Constantine’ gets the core character right, it just gets so much else wrong it largely doesn’t matter. I was on board with the series from the beginning, I knew the initial inspiration of “Hellblazer” would be pretty far removed from the final product but the result of this pilot is so unsure of itself that casual viewers won’t know what to think come October.
The show begins at Ravenscar Hospital in England where Constantine (Matt Ryan) is relaxing. The self proclaimed master of the dark arts becomes intrigued when a possessed patient starts wrecking havoc on his newfound sanctuary. Of course the loveable rogue dispels of the demon rather quickly and discovers a warning that a family friend is in danger in America. So he carts off across the pond in a jiffy.
Now above you’ll see I described Constantine as a loveable rogue. Which is true of the comics and losing that element is why this pilot feels so inconsistent. Once Constantine arrives in America we’re quickly introduced to Liv (Lucy Griffiths) who is bewildered by the world that is crumbling around her.
Constantine lands in Atlanta and spends most of his time following around a wide eyed reactionary girl who he has to explain every aspect of his personality to. It’s hamfisted and incredibly forced. We’re constantly teased with elements of otherworldly magic that John deals with only to be saddled with a lengthy exposition dump welcoming Liv into this new world.
Gone are the roguish properties that make John Constantine such a bastard. He’s not two timing anyone in this pilot and you don’t ever feel his anguish in his career. This should be a tortured man who’s forced to walk between worlds, and while the pilot tries to offer a backstory to make him weaker and more desperate. The constant reminder of his past failure took me out of the story and offered something a lot more interesting than what was currently going on.
It’s a shame really because Matt Ryan is very much the Constantine we’ve been waiting for. He’s got the mannerisms and attitude down pat and really does a lot to drive this adaptation above its mediocre destiny. However, he’s marred by inept writing that can never be sure of the story it’s trying to tell. All too often we’re treated to seemingly random bits of horror so John can turn to Liv and offer a lengthy explanation. I suppose the intent was to capture something along the lines of “Doctor Who” yet Constantine never feels as proactive as The Doctor. He’s also not the type to sit back and explain everything, he’s much more the type to just act and let Liv see for herself. At least he was before the show.
The tone is even inconsistent stylistically. The show doesn’t really have a color palette or a definitive sense of cinematography. There is absolutely no voice to speak of in the visuals. Take NBC’s “Hannibal” and you’ll know that a visual style can go a long way to creating a masterpiece. Yet, Constantine’s visuals seem perfectly content somewhere between awful and mediocre.
Fans of the comic series will find themselves at a loss. For one Matt Ryan looks like Constantine, but acts like a dumbed down children’s version. He’s found holding the hand of the audience and used to force feed details about his own work. With his incredible new ability to trust Liv immediately the two of them service the plot of the series by agreeing to go on a cross country journey to dispel demons. It’s out of character and awkward.
Speaking of awkward, Liv’s already been written out of the show. She’s not going any further than the pilot and the last part of the episode spends a horrible amount of time writing her out. It actually feels so disjointed that it looks like leftover promo material shoehorned into the end of the episode to service some semblance of a plot they had going forward.
I didn’t have high hopes for this one, but I found even those were dashed thanks to uneven characterizations, a flimsy narrative, and absolutely no voice to speak of. The ‘Constantine’ I know and love would have boldly jumped onto screen in a frenzy of freewheeling betrayal, magic, and demons in the piss soaked alleys of London. Instead we get a hand holding, non-smoking, lazy version of the character who seems destined to the procedurally vanquishing badly imagined demons on a weekly basis.
I could be wrong though. Matt Ryan holds a lot of promise as the character and the pilot may be a terrible indication of the series going forward. Writing out Liv seems to a step in the right direction but I feel that scrapping this pilot entirely is the necessary step to ensure viewers aren’t left scratching their heads raw in confusion come October.
‘Constantine’ is set to premiere Oct. 24 at 9/8c on NBC.
