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->'''Angela''': I don't believe in the devil.\\
'''John''': You should. ''He'' believes in ''you''.

''Constantine'' is a 2005 American OccultDetective film which is loosely based on Creator/VertigoComics' ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}'' comic. It borrows elements from "Dangerous Habits" (John's cancer diagnosis in issues #41-46) and the "Original Sins" trade paperback (the inclusion of Papa Midnite). It was released on February 8, 2005 in Hong Kong, and on February 18, 2005 in the U.S. and Canada. It's rated "R" for violence and demonic images by the MPAA, but the language is pretty tame.

Things are getting strange for John Constantine (Creator/KeanuReeves), a freelance [[DemonSlaying demon hunter]] with the innate ability to spot demons in disguise. He attempted suicide to escape the visions, which condemned him to eternity in Hell, but was revived--irritating [[{{Satan}} Lucifer]] (Creator/PeterStormare), who grew to despise John for killing his Hellspawn.

Demon activity is on the rise, with more and more trying to cross over via [[DemonicPossession human hosts.]] This is ordinarily right up John's alley, but he's preoccupied with the fact that he's dying of cancer. He appeals to the ArchangelGabriel (Creator/TildaSwinton) for "an extension", but is flatly denied. Instead, he is enlisted by Det. Angela Dodson (Creator/RachelWeisz) to investigate the death of her sister, another psychic. It turns out that Lucifer's son is trying to usurp him. Mammon requires the body of a powerful psychic to cross over, but John suspects that someone on Earth [[TheManBehindTheMan is working on Mammon's behalf...]]

Not to be confused with the {{Series/Constantine}} television adaptation of the comic of the same name, which is more faithful to the source material.

----
!! ''Constantine'' contains examples of:
* ActorAllusion: This is the third film where Creator/KeanuReeves [[spoiler: kills himself to save the world]]. He had first done so in ''Film/TheDevilsAdvocate'' and then again in ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions''. In both this and the former, it's [[spoiler: quickly undone with a ResetButton]].
-->'''''Website/{{Cracked}}''''': Keanu Reeves plays a man in a black trench coat chosen by fate to uncover the shocking truth that Earth is not as we believe it to be, but merely a mundane illusion hiding an army of insidious and overwhelming enemies. So, basically, it's ''Film/TheMatrix'' with crosses.
* AdaptationalBadass: While certainly not a wimp by any standards, the comic book version of Constantine is more of a GuileHero and relies on his wits and quick thinking rather than combat skills. This movie’s version is a straightforward ActionHero, especially in the films climax.
* AdaptationExpansion: The novelization of the film written by John Shirley does an amazing job of expanding upon the movieverse. It develops the characters more thoroughly and explains the mythology of Constantine's job comprehensively. In addition, it includes all the deleted scenes shown on the DVD in context and fits them into continuity. For those who may be on the fence about the film, the novelization might be the tipping point into enjoying it.
* AdaptationTitleChange: ''Constantine'' is based on the Vertigo comic ''Hellblazer''.
* AddictionDisplacement: Constantine chews gum at the end to signal that he's quit smoking.
* AffablyEvil: Satan and arguably [[spoiler: Gabriel]].
* AllThereInTheManual: The novelization not only reveals that the full name of Lucifer in the film is "Lucifer Rofocale", but that he is also ''The First of the Fallen'', distinguishing him from the more notable [[ComicBook/{{Lucifer}} Lucifer Morningstar]].
* AllUpToYou: Keanu Reeves' {{sidekick}} Chas briefly takes a surprisingly heroic action, only to then be killed while he is monologing.
* AlmostKiss: Three times, between Constantine and Angela Dodson.
* AmbiguousGender: The ArchangelGabriel thought [[ItIsDehumanizing he's referred to with male pronouns]], despite being played by actress ''Creator/TildaSwinton''.
* AmbiguousSituation: The film leaves it unclear as to whether [[spoiler:Chas has always been an angel, or if he became one after dying]].
* AngelicTransformation: In the climax, Gabriel is de-winged as punishment for plotting to unleash Mammon upon the world, leaving a pair of bloody stumps. Constantine introduces [[OtherworldlyAndSexuallyAmbiguous them]] to pain with a punch to the mouth.
* AntiHero: Constantine is rude, unhelpful to most people, asks his friends to put themselves in dangerous situations (and gets three of them killed because of this) and only performs exorcisms and sends half breed demons back to Hell because he wants to buy his way into Heaven.
* TheApocalypseBringsOutTheBestInPeople: [[spoiler:This is Gabriel's motivation for aiding Mammon. By creating a literal Hell on Earth, he believes this will force those humans that survive and endure to become better people and thus be "worthy" of God's love. And yes, Constantine flat out says Gabriel is insane for believing this.]]
* ArchangelGabriel: Played by {{Bifauxnen}} Creator/TildaSwinton. [[spoiler:Resents God's love for an unworthy humanity and plots to release Hell on Earth so that humanity can earn God's love.]]
* ArmorPiercingQuestion: "What did she do, Angela?"
* ArtisticLicenseGunSafety: When attacked by the Scavengers of the Damned, Angela pulls out her pistol and points it behind her, ending at Constantine's crotch. It may not just have been GunsAreWorthless that made him say "That's really not going to help".
* ArtisticLicensePhysics: Blink and you miss it - there's a whistle of steam from a kettle. An open kettle with no lid. The lid must be in place to build up pressure and force the steam through the whistle.
* ArtisticLicenseTraditionalChristianity: The film borrows symbols and names from Christianity, but that's where the similarities end.
** A major plot point in the film is that, according to Catholic doctrine, people who commit suicide always go to Hell. This has not been the case since 1997, when the Church concluded that while suicide is a grave matter, people who take their own lives might still be saved [[note]]In the Catholic Church, the three requirements for a sin to be mortal is that it be a grave matter, that it be committed with full knowledge, and that it be committed with deliberate consent. While suicide is certainly a grave matter, one or both of the other two requirements for the sin to be damning might be missing. Likewise the concept of brain death means a person who commits suicide might be able to repent in the moments before death[[/note]]. At least one of the suicides in the film was committed by a mental patient and she is shown being denied a Catholic funeral and being damned to Hell for this - in reality, she would not have been denied such a funeral (with the service especially asking God to be merciful) and her mental illness would have made her suicide non-mortal. Another suicide in the film, Constantine's, is even less likely to result in damnation as he was brought back to life and can therefore repent afterwards. Even his seeing Hell, contrary to what the film states, would not "condemn" him in the eyes of God because only permanent death can prevent a person from repenting. In fact, there are people in real life who claim to have seen Hell in near-death experiences and who repented upon recovery because of this - virtually no theologian would argue that they are already damned for having seen Hell.
** When Constantine mentions the "SpearOfDestiny" and says "Jesus wasn't killed by crucifixion," the Catholic he's responding to replies with "I'm a Catholic, John. I know the Crucifixion story." Except in the Bible, Jesus ''was'' killed by crucifixion, and a spear was only used to drain his blood to see if he was truly dead[[note]]the blood of a corpse separates into its base components after it's been dead long enough, and so the Romans would stab a spear through the sides of crucified corpses to see if the blood that fell out had separated yet. John 19:34's account of "blood and water" flowing from Jesus' pierced side is a description of this, proving he had died.[[/note]]. There are people who think that Jesus was "really" killed by the spear, but those tend to be people who claim the Biblical account is ''wrong''. No one would be able to teach the theory from the Bible, certainly not in Sunday School. Additionally, the Spear of Destiny (or rather the "Spears" as there are four churches that claim to have the real one) is actually considered a Holy Relic and is called the Holy Lance. It's unlikely to cause demonic possession in those who possess it.
*** The novelization justifies this by noting that the Spear just played its part in the death of Jesus without being responsible for it on its own.
** Not to mention that the main point of the plot, a non-priest exorcist, is completely unacceptable by Catholic doctrine.
** The Bible that they use in Hell has an extra five chapters in 1 Corinthians. In real life, 1 and 2 Corinthians were actually the personal correspondence between the Apostle Paul and the Church located in the city of Corinth, so does that mean that the Hell Bible features a ''different'' letter Paul wrote to a city in Hell that was ''also'' named Corinth? A more plausible explanation could be that Paul's other letters to the Church of Corinth were lost to human records (but known to demons), or were removed from the official Biblical account for whatever reason.
* AsYouKnow: Played with. Constantine begins to explain to Angela that Jesus died from a soldier's spear:
-->'''Angela''': TheSpearOfDestiny. I'm a Catholic, John. I ''know'' the Crucifixion story.
* BadGuyBar: Papa Midnite's bar. According to Chas Kramer it's a "haven for those who rise and fall" - i.e. half-breed demons and angels. Several of the half-breed demons are seen with a struggling victim kidnapped for some nefarious purpose.
* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: Isabel looks very good for someone who jumped off a 20-foot building and crashed through a glass roof into a swimming pool.
** Aside from being dead, of course.
* BigBadDuumvirate: Mammon and [[spoiler:Gabriel.]]
* BigNo: Alas, poor [[spoiler:Balthazar...]]
* BilingualBonus: A possessed girl screams "Papatayin natin silang lahat!" ("Let's kill them all!' in Tagalog)
* BlessedWithSuck: Constantine, Father Hennessy, Isabel, and Angela each have supernatural gifts which make them not quite normal in the eyes of everyday people. Seeing a nice old lady get a NightmareFace or sensing the emotions of an event from touching the newspaper can lead to this result. [[spoiler:John even warns Angela that once her power is activated, she won't just see them, ''they'' will ''know'' she is seeing their true face.]]
* BottomlessMagazines: Angela's miraculous Smith & Wesson 3913. She fires it 30 times without reloading, even though it only holds 13 rounds.
* {{Bouncer}}: You must have [[PsychicPowers Mad Skillz]] to get into Midnite.
* BrokenAngel: [[spoiler:Gabriel's final punishment for the actions in the movie was to have Satan strip his wings and leave him mortal.]]
* BrownNoteBeing: One of Constantine's helpers has his hair instantly turns white, after glimpsing a demon being exorcised from a little girl.
* TheCameo:
** Bounty hunter Domino Harvey appears as an angel at Papa Midnight's bar.
** Creator/MichelleMonaghan appears in a hospital, screaming "Holy water!"
* CandlelitRitual: {{Discussed|Trope}} [[PlayedForLaughs for laughs]] when John is preparing the ritual that will send his soul to Hell. Angela asks him "If this is some kind of spell or something, don't you need candles and a pentagram for it to work?" John replies "Why, do you have any?"
* CastFromCalories: After Constantine uses his psychic powers to visit Hell for some info, he tells Rachel that he needs food, thus leading to an exposition scene in a diner.
* CatsAreMagic: They are linked to Hell. John uses Angela's cat to enter Hell because, as he puts it, "they're half-in half-out anyway".
* CatapultNightmare: Angela, after a nightmare of her sister killing herself.
* CeilingCling: The demon who possesses the girl in the opening reveals itself this way.
* CeilingSmash: Near the end of the movie, [[spoiler:Chas]] is thrown into the ceiling by [[spoiler:Gabriel]] and mortally wounded. He dies a few moments later.
* ChekhovsArmoury: The items Constantine receives from Beeman (dragonbreath, holy water ampoules, Amityville screech beetle).
* ChristianityIsCatholic: Catholicism is the only version shown. The novelization explains that Constantine focuses on these relics because his natural understanding of them based on his background of a Christian culture means that they are more powerful than alternatives might be.
* ClaimedByTheSupernatural: When Constantine meets Isabel Dodson's soul in Hell, she has a mark on her wrist that looks like a cross inside a circle. When Father Hennessy touches her dead body, the mark appears on her wrist. Constantine later discovers that the mark is the symbol of the BigBad Mammon and that Mammon is trying to [[spoiler: possess her]] in order to carry out his evil plan.
* CondensationClue: Constantine is sure that Isabel Dodson didn't commit suicide without leaving a message for her sister Angela. He uses a repeated ArmorPiercingQuestion on a reluctant Angela to force her to admit that she and Isabel used this technique as children. Angela then breathes on the window in Isabel's room, revealing her final message to her sister.
* CouldntFindAPen: Hennessy carves a message into his own hand with a [[spoiler:corkscrew.]]
* CruelMercy: [[spoiler:Lucifer burning off Gabriel's wings leaves him a mortal human. John happily decides to let him be after introducing him to [[TalkToTheFist pain.]]]]
* CulturalTranslation: The film changes the nationality and location of the UK-set (American-owned) comic ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}'' to Los Angeles. Since the release of the movie, the comic book character of Constantine has stated that there's another guy with his name and a similar job in the US.
* CurbStompBattle: When the BigBad is revealed to be [[spoiler: Gabriel,]] Constantine is effortlessly beaten. When [[spoiler:Satan turns up to save the day(!) Gabriel tries to "smite [Satan] in His honour!", only to fail because "Somebody doesn't have [Gabriel's] back any more", and then gets his wings burned off and gets blasted across the room.]]
%% CursedWithAwesome: John's "gift."
%%* DeadSidekick
* DeathByIrony: [[spoiler:Beeman, a guy who collected insects, was killed by them coming out of his body]] and [[spoiler:Hennessy, who drank to dull his psychic powers, died from drinking himself to death in less than a minute.]]
* DebtDetester: Lucifer seems to be this. [[spoiler:He dislikes it so much, he didn't even ''think'' that John asking for the life of another to be saved could be a genuine HeroicSacrifice.]]
* DemonOfHumanOrigin: The novelization says that the half-breeds are dead humans that were so good or bad in life that they were allowed to return to Earth as part-angel or part-demon.
* DemonSlaying: Constantine hunts down demonic halfbreeds and sends them back to Hell.
* DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu: Constantine literally flips off Satan himself.
* DidntSeeThatComing: [[spoiler:Lucifer did not expect to see John by him cutting his wrists again. He quickly realizes something is off with the situation. Nor did he foresee Constantine getting into Heaven for the act of self-sacrifice. Though to be fair, even ''Constantine'' didn't see ''that'' one coming.]]
* DrivenToSuicide:
** The film's plot starts with the suicide of Angela's sister, Isabel, whose soul is claimed by Hell and whose body will be used as a medium for Mammon.
** When he was a teenager, Constantine attempted to kill himself because he saw demonically-possessed people. He managed to succeed ''just'' enough for it to count as a suicide by the rules of Heaven, but ultimately survived. He's spent the rest of his life trying to buy his way out of Hell [[spoiler:and succeeds by killing himself again but this time as a HeroicSacrifice. However, Satan is a sore loser and saves him from dying, banking on the likelihood that John will manage to damn himself again.]]
* DoesNotLikeShoes: Lucifer, who is otherwise well-coiffed. WordOfGod states that the reason Satan's feet are dripping with goo is that he must pollute the ground to walk on it. Neither does Gabriel when she([[AmbiguousGender ?]]) isn't wearing a suit, which implies this is a standard angelic trait.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Balthazar's face after John soaked half of it in holy water. Now what other [[ComicBook/TwoFace DC comic character has had half his face disfigured by a vial of liquid?]]
* DyingVocalChange: [[spoiler: Balthazar's voice ends up reduced to an echoing, ethereal-sounding whisper after getting his face shot off by Constantine.]]
* TheDriver: Chas.
* TheDulcineaEffect: "Definitely...''mostly'' not about the girl."
* DullSurprise: Sometimes, Keanu Reeves and Rachel Weisz seem to be competing.
* EnemyRisingBehind
** The man possessed by [[spoiler:TheSpearOfDestiny rises behind Angela while she's in the pool.]]
** After [[spoiler:Angela is possessed, she]] rises behind Constantine.
* EnemyMine:
** John is desperate for help in the end and [[spoiler:calls on Lucifer to come by committing suicide, knowing the Fallen One will come to claim him personally. John takes this moment to inform him of the villain's plan, which Satan's pride cannot let pass as it isn't his plan]].
** A few minutes later, [[spoiler:God and Satan team up to dispose of Gabriel. When Gabriel attempts to smite Lucifer in God's Name, the angel finds his punch halted. Lucifer recognizes this as God withdrawing the Grace of God within Gabriel and uses his powers to force Gabriel to go through transubstantiation and be mortal]].
* EvilCannotComprehendGood:
** [[spoiler:Gabriel cannot fathom the possibility Constantine would die to summon Satan to save the day nor that their Father would revoke his ability to smite Satan in His Name despite just trying to bring about the end of the world]].
** Played with with [[spoiler:Satan. He doesn't comprehend in the moment that when John asks for another soul to be freed as a reward, it would count as a Heroic Sacrifice. However, he is quick to realize the implications when John is prevented from being taken by His power and the gates of Heaven begin to draw John in.]]
* EvilIsHammy: Satan clearly enjoys dicking around with Constantine and Gabriel both when he shows up. He's played by Creator/PeterStormare, what did you expect?
* ExploitedImmunity: Constantine flushes out some demons that have infested a hospital by having his apprentice perform a holy water ritual on the hospital's fire safety system, then holding a cigarette lighter below a smoke detector, triggering the sprinklers to rain holy water. The holy water burns the demons while leaving the humans inside unharmed.
* FairCop: Angela played by Creator/RachelWeisz.
* FantasticCatholicism: The title character is a Catholic demon-hunter who uses guns and magic to send demons back to Hell in a world where {{God}} and the Devil are in a bet over who can influence mankind the most. Roger Ebert on the movie:
-->'''Creator/RogerEbert:''' Why do movies about {{Satan}} always have Catholics? You never see Methodists or Episcopalians putting down demons.
* FantasyKeepsake: After his first visit to Hell to find Isabel, Constantine brings back her hospital wrist tag to prove she was there.
* FateWorseThanDeath: Half-breed demons don't "die" but are just sent to Hell. So when John plans on granting a demon absolution and thus entry into Heaven, it is considered this (from the demon's point-of-view, anyway).
* FauxActionGirl: At the start of the movie, Angela is introduced as a tough-as-nails cop but her role in events from then on mostly involves being protected or rescued by Constantine.
* FetusTerrible: What an adorable little cosmic horror...
* FireAndBrimstoneHell: When John journeys there to see if Isabel is there or not, much of Hell was burning and devoid of any water.
* FireWaterJuxtaposition: Used as a plot point. Water is said to be a "universal conduit" that can facilitate travel between Hell and its surrounding realms. In order to reach Hell, which is a red-hued realm of fire and brimstone, a person has to suspend part of their body in water while on Earth.
* FlatlinePlotline: Used to give Angela a taste of Constantine's knowledge. He nearly drowns her in a bathtub under carefully controlled conditions.
* FliesEqualsEvil: [[spoiler:Beeman]] has a fly crawl out from under his eyelid as a sign of demonic attack upon him. He's later found dead with flies covering him and crawling out of his mouth. This may have been Balthazaar's version of irony.
* FluffyCloudHeaven: [[spoiler:Heaven is Los Angeles with lots of clouds and God's rays.]]
* FlippingTheBird: Twice by Constantine. One being at the beginning after exorcise a demon out of a girl [[spoiler:and another to '''Satan''' after he finally earns his way out of Hell]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Papa Midnite tells Constantine that his soul is the only one Satan himself would come to collect. [[spoiler: He's right.]]
* FriendlyTarget: [[spoiler:Father Hennessy and Beeman.]]
%% SugarWiki/{{Funny Moment|s}} is already on YMMV
* GenericDoomsdayVillain: Unlike the other antagonists Balthazar, Lucifer and [[spoiler:Gabriel,]] Mammon never displays personality and never talks.
* TheGodsMustBeLazy: God and Satan have made a deal not to directly interfere in the mortal world. The half-demons constantly break this rule, but they don't get punished -- just sent back to Hell by Constantine.
* GodzillaThreshold: By the end, the stakes are so high that Constantine tries to summon ''Heaven'' with the tattoos on his forearms. [[spoiler:Gabriel stops him mid-summon, so he goes for the next best thing: Satan.]]
* GodAndSatanAreBothJerks: The world in truth is a battleground for angels and demons for dominance. Humankind's casualties and/or souls lost to Hell are merely collateral damage. Both God and Lucifer allow it because they've made [[DealWithTheDevil a deal together,]] instead of the Almighty curb-stomping the rebellious archangel. Lucifer may not have to free rein of the planet to damn as many as he pleases, but he’s still permitted to visit and send his half-breeds to try. God himself being little kinder, damning souls who not only [[SuicideIsShameful end their lives]] but those who [[DrivenToSuicide cannot handle the truth]] of the world they inhabit. It comes off as GreyAndBlackMorality, as God’s afterlife is at least pleasant, and he cares for humanity to some degree. [[spoiler: He also accepts John into Heaven at the end, and according to the novelization, took control of John’s hand to flip off Lucifer so that he’d save John.]]
* GodIsDispleased: [[spoiler: Gabriel]] believed that in order for humanity to be worthy of God's love, it had to suffer first. So they [[spoiler: conspired with Mammon]] to unleash Hell on Earth. They try to destroy [[spoiler: Satan]] when he intervenes, only for [[spoiler: Satan]] to stop the blow from landing, revealing that [[spoiler: Gabriel]] no longer has God's favor.
* GodIsGood: The movie seems to think so, particularly at the end. [[spoiler: Tellingly, the BigBad is the ArchangelGabriel, breaking God’s rules because they think He's ''too benevolent'' to humans, whom they consider unworthy of His love.]]
* GoIntoTheLight: Subverted. [[spoiler:Satan pulls Constantine ''out of'' the light and cures his lung cancer so he'll have a chance to royally screw up again.]]
* GoodSmokingEvilSmoking
** Papa Midnite subverts the cigarillo trope by being a good/neutral witch doctor turned bartender.
** Constantine smokes excessively, only to find out during the movie that he has lung cancer. [[spoiler: After Constantine willingly sacrifices himself to save the world (allowing him to enter Heaven), Satan ends up curing his cancer to keep him alive so he can claim him later.]] At the end of the movie, he's seen popping gum in his mouth.
* GunsAreWorthless: Angela's normal pistol is the straight example. Constantine subverts it by assembling his own gun out of a variety of holy items, allowing him to quickly blast his way through a room full of half-demons.
* HeavenSeeker: The title character goes around sending half-demons back to Hell in the hope that this will gain him entry into Heaven after he dies. It's not that John Constantine likes the idea of Heaven that much — he just wants to avoid going to Hell, since he knows firsthand (due to trying to commit suicide in his youth) how horrible it is.
--> "You're a cop. Imagine being sentenced to a prison where half the inmates were put there by you."
* HeroicSacrifice: Subverted. [[spoiler:John dies by suicide, drawing Satan to Earth, gets him to save the world, and only wants Isabel's soul freed from Hell. By this act of self-sacrifice, his previous suicide is wiped away and John, still dead, is on his way to Heaven. That is until Satan heals John of his cut wrists ''and'' cancer.]]
* HesDeadJim: Chaz Kramer is slammed up against the ceiling and down to the floor a few times, leaving him severely injured. He talks with John Constantine for a few seconds, then stops and lies with his eyes open. John turns away and leaves him for dead without even checking his pulse.
* HijackedByJesus: The movie removes all elements of non-Christian mythology from the setting. The novelisation slightly justifies this by explaining that Constantine's weapons focus on Christian holy relics as he comes from a Christian culture, giving him a greater innate understanding of their power that increases their effectiveness.
* HollywoodApocrypha: The Hell Bible, which has a different Book of Revelation. And an extra five chapters in 1 Corinthians.
* HolyBurnsEvil: HolyWater scalds the hell out of half-demons, destroying their human shell and making them easier to kill.
* {{Homage}}: ArchangelGabriel resembles a famous painting of ArchangelMichael. [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Guido_Reni_031.jpg As seen here.]]
* HumansAreSpecial: Invoked by God, no less, [[spoiler: which causes Gabriel to become jealous due to his perception of them not being good enough]].
* IHaveManyNames: The devil in this film is called both "Lucifer" and "Satan". John calls him "Lou" just to mess with him. Gabriel has a few more choice names for him, when they meet.
-->'''Gabriel:''' Son of Perdition. Little Horn. ''[Satan giggles]'' Most Unclean.\\
'''Satan:''' [[InsultBackfire I do miss the old names]].
* IdenticalTwinIDTag: Both twins are played by Rachel Weisz. Isabel has waist length hair but otherwise they're identical.
* ImmuneToBullets: When Angela Dodson is confronted by the Mexican man possessed by the Spear of Destiny, she shoots him repeatedly in the chest. The bullets go right through him but don't affect him at all.
* ImmuneToDrugs: Semi-averted. Constantine has developed lung cancer from smoking, but [[spoiler:Satan cures him]].
* InNameOnly
** If you imagine that it's ''not'' based on ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}'', it's actually pretty good. (Technically, we know from Etrigan's rhymes that the ''Hellblazer'' hero's name is pronounced Constan-TYNE, so this movie in which Keanu's name is Constan-TEEN qualifies as a distinct individual.)
** One gets the impression that this could have been sold as a very good American story of an occult detective by itself.
* InPrisonWithTheRogues: Discussed. Constantine's soul has been destined for Hell ever since an attempted suicide in his childhood, and he's trying to earn his way into Heaven by banishing demons that don't belong in the human world. However, he's very aware that if his plan doesn't work he'll be even more screwed than he would have been otherwise, since, as he tells a police officer he befriends: "You're a cop, how would you feel about being sent to a jail where you put away most of the inmates?"
* {{Invisibility}}: How [[spoiler: Gabriel]] got close to kill Chas.
* InsaneTrollLogic: The BigBad's logic for destroying mankind in order to save it is that the apocalypse will force them to be better people.
%%* InstantOracleJustAddWater
%%* IntangibleTimeTravel
* InvisibleWriting: Angela and her sister Isabel left hidden messages on windows and mirrors when they were kids, visible only when fogged by their breath. Isabel left her sister one last message before she was DrivenToSuicide.
* InvisibleToNormals: Full angels and demons are only visible to Psychics and... whatever Constantine was supposed to be as a kid.
* JustHitHim: When John confronts the demon Balthazar, he's held up against the wall by his neck and slowly choked. Balthazar takes the opportunity to indulge in some EvilGloating, giving John plenty of time to reach into his jacket pocket and pull out his holy-knuckle-dusters.
* KilledMidSentence: [[spoiler:Subverted. Chas is mortally wounded while saying the following, but he survives long enough to give John meaningful last words.]]
--> [[spoiler:'''Chas:''' This is Kramer. Chas Kramer, assho...]]
* KillTheLights: When the horde of flying demons is approaching the title character and Angela Dodson, all nearby lights (including the street lights) go out, leaving the main characters in darkness.
* KnightTemplar: [[spoiler: Gabriel.]]
* LargeHam: ''Balthazar'' and Lucifer.
-->'''Balthazar''': Word is, you're on your way down. Fresh meat. ''(sucks his fingertips)'' Finger-lickin' good!
* LightIsNotGood: [[spoiler:ArchangelGabriel is a traitor to Heaven, and planning on unleashing Hell on Earth.]]
* LockedIntoStrangeness: A man looks at the possessed girl and his hair turns white.
* LookBothWays: Unexpectedly, the dude wins. There's a reason for this.
* MagicalAbortion: [[spoiler:Angela]] becomes mystically pregnant with the [[spoiler:Antichrist - which is called back to hell via a personal appearance by Satan.]]
* ManOfWealthAndTaste: Satan is a pimp. Of course, he ''is'' played by Creator/PeterStormare.
* MagicMirror: Mirrors can pull demons out of the humans they've possessed and imprison them.
* MetaCasting: Keanu Reeves was a very... ''odd'' choice to play John Constantine, but as it says elsewhere, the movie is good if you don't mind its InNameOnly connection to the comic book. So as long as the protagonist doesn't have to be a fast-talking scouse AntiHero... who's better for the role than Film/TheDevilsAdvocate?
* MeaningfulName: Hennessy and Beeman - both names not only indicate a significant personality characteristic but [[ForeShadowing foreshadow]] [[spoiler:the way they die]].
* MedicateTheMedium: Constantine and Isabel both underwent BedlamHouse type treatments for their hallucinations.
* MinorCrimeRevealsMajorPlot: Suicide of a woman → a plot to bring the Devil's son to Earth and bring about Armageddon.
* TheMirrorShowsYourTrueSelf: A variation. When Angela is possessed by Mammon in the climax, she appears as a thrashing, animalistic beast in the reflection on the tiled hospital floor.
* MookChivalry: When the title character fights the half-breed demons in the hospital room, they come at him one at a time and allow him to kill each one with his shotgun instead of rushing him all at once and overwhelming him.
* MotiveRant: [[spoiler:Gabriel]] gives one about how mankind is unworthy of God's love and how he want to bring the Apocalypse to challenge their condition.
* MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning: Constantine resorts to this to prevent the release of Mammon.
* MythologyGag: At one point, Constantine traps a spider under a glass with cigaret smoke. He does the same thing to a cockcroach in issue #9 of ''Hellblazer''.
* TheNameIsBondJamesBond:
** "This is Constantine. John Constantine, asshole."
** "This is Kramer. Chas Kramer, asshole."
* NayTheist: To be fair, God appears to have started the whole argument.
* NeckLift: Balthazar to Constantine after he bursts into Balthazar's office. Later on, [[spoiler:Gabriel to John.]]
* NeverSuicide: Subverted.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: [[spoiler:Satan saves the world. And sets a damned (but innocent) soul free. And cures Constantine's lung cancer. ''Satan''.]] He has his reasons.
* NoPeekingRequest: While Constantine is preparing to drag the demon out of the possessed girl he tells the men helping him "Close your eyes. And whatever happens, don't look." One of them does. He collapses and [[LockedIntoStrangeness his hair turns white]].
* NoSell: Lucifer being, well, ''Lucifer'', pulls this off twice after he shows up [[spoiler:to claim John's soul. John's being 'between worlds' has temporarily [[TimeDilation brought time almost to a standstill]]; Gabriel, in the other room, is moving in super-slow motion, but Lucifer meanders in at his normal pace and pulls Angela/Mammon out of the way, at which point time instantly returns back to normal. And in the reflected water that shows Mammon, he's struggling with all his might to escape his father's grasp. Lucifer doesn't so much as move a muscle. When Gabriel attempts to smite him, he freezes the angel's hand with nothing but a malicious grin. This however is at least in part because "Somebody doesn't have [Gabriel's] back any more"]]
** Balthazar laughs off a blast Dragon's Breath, pointing out he was born from fire. A vial of holy water melts half of his human face-off, exposing the demon underneath, but doesn't seem particularly painful either. Holy knuckle dusters however work juuuust fine.
* OneLastSmoke: Played with. It's hard to flick your lighter if you've cut all the tendons in your wrists. Fortunately, Satan is more than happy to help out. He's got stock, you see.
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: John notes early in the movie that God and Lucifer have made a bet that involves the souls of all humanity. [[spoiler:When Lucifer's son is close to being released and unleash hell on earth, Lucifer stops his son and the son's allies because this isn't Lucifer's plan. He will be the one to damn the world not his son]].
* TheOphelia: Angela's twin sister. She even commits suicide in a swimming pool.
* OtherworldlyAndSexuallyAmbiguous: Creator/TildaSwinton played the ArchangelGabriel.
* OurAngelsAreDifferent: Gabriel is the winged (androgynous) humanoid variety, but likely not a pure angel, since angels and demons are not allowed on Earth. Constantine himself says to Gabriel earlier in the movie- "[...] You're the one that deserves to go to Hell, half-breed," confirming this.
* OverdrawnAtTheBloodBank: Subverted. When Constantine slits his wrists (and apparently cuts too deep) there doesn't appear to be a huge pool of blood on the floor; certainly not enough to be fatal.
* PedestrianCrushesCar: At the beginning, when the Mexican man finds TheSpearOfDestiny, he walks onto a road and a car runs into him. The car is totaled, the man is unscathed.
* PokeInTheThirdEye: When Constantine is using The Chair to spy on the man possessed by TheSpearOfDestiny.
* PortalPool: Constantine states that any body of water, no matter how small, can be used as a portal to hell.
* PrecisionFStrike: Courtesy of one archangel Gabriel.
* {{Pride}}: What saves the world. [[spoiler:Namely the pride Satan has is so great even when his son and his allies are inches away from unleashing his son onto Earth and making it a hellhole, Satan cannot abide this as the world is his to damn and destroy. He effortlessly sends his son back to Hell and defeats Gabriel]].
* ProtagonistTitle: ''Constantine''.
* ProtectiveCharm: John's priest friend has one [[spoiler:but he foolishly didn't keep it on when getting deep in an investigation. Later, when it is given to Angela, she inadvertently removed it]].
* PsychicChildren: The title character and Isabel and Angela Dodson all first displayed their psychic abilities as children. Unfortunately, these abilities helped them to see the half-demons infesting the Earth, resulting in two of them being forced to undergo psychiatric treatment and later committing suicide. Angela had to lie about hers to avoid the same fate and ended up losing her ability.
* {{Psychometry}}: Father Hennessy can run his hands over printed newspaper stories and psychically detect which ones are significant. Constantine asks him to do this to get information he needs. Later on Hennessy tries to read the body of Angela Dodson's dead sister Isabel.
* PublicDomainArtifact: The Lance of Longinus, AKA the Spear of Destiny.
* RealityHasNoSubtitles
** During the scene at the beginning of the movie, a Mexican man speaks to another man in Spanish with no translation for the viewers.
** While the little girl is possessed she screams "Papatayin natin silang lahat!" ("Let's kill them all!' in Tagalog). The audience is not told what this means.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: The demonic halfbreeds while Angel's are gold.
* RedemptionEarnsLife: Slightly subverted; [[spoiler:by giving up his soul to save the world and freeing an innocent soul from Hell, Constantine is redeemed of his past sins and allowed to go to Heaven. His life is restored nevertheless, but only because Satan cures his lung cancer so that Constantine will have another chance to 'prove' that he belongs in Hell]].
* ReducedToDust: After Constantine blasts Balthazar with Dragonsbreath and reduced him to pieces, the BigBad reduces him to dust and blows him away, resulting in an EmptyPilesOfClothing.
* RefusingParadise: Forced, and thereby possible subverted. [[spoiler: The dying main character is about to enter Heaven, when the Devil deliberately heals him to make sure he has another chance at messing up his salvation on Earth.]]
* RetCanon: A ''Hellblazer'' story acknowledges the existence of Keanu's Constantine in an AlternateUniverse.
* RetiredBadass: Papa Midnite, a mage so powerful that he took on 30 demons by himself. Doesn't need special tools as he has actual magical powers. And powerful enough to create his own embassy of neutrality where hybrids mix and behave under his watch.
* ReligiousHorror: The film is the InNameOnly movie adaptation of ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}''. The main villain is Mammon, the son of the Devil, and Catholicism is shown to be almost entirely correct.
* ReroutedFromHeaven: [[spoiler:Inverted and then played straight. As John attempted suicide in his youth, he is bound for Hell no matter what he did because many of his good deeds are done to try and save himself from the consequence of his attempted suicide not because it is the right thing to do. But when he sacrifices his life and soul to stop the BigBad, Satan offers him a reward. Instead of healing his mortal wounds, John requests the release of one soul in Hell. Satan obliges, not immediately recognizing the selfless virtue in his action. This action redeems John in the eyes of the Lord and Satan quickly finds John is being rerouted from Hell to Heaven. Not having this, Satan spitefully resurrects John, ''painfully'' curing his lung cancer and healing his injuries in the process, in the hopes that he'll screw up and get himself damned again]].
* RoomFullOfCrazy: [[spoiler:Isabel]]'s room at the hospital. While it seems clean cut, the large windows are ''covered'' in various scrawlings that are visible with a bit of fog/condensation.
* {{Satan}}: Creator/PeterStormare FTW.
* SaveTheWorldClimax: John Constantine is hired to investigate a suicide. In the end, he tries to stop a conspiracy to bring [[spoiler:the son of the Devil on Earth]].
* SchmuckBait: Constantine tells the men helping him to close their eyes and not look. One doesn't.
* SeeYouInHell: The "Go to Hell" version, when talking to the demonic halfbreeds.
* ShapeshiftingExcludesClothing: Balthazar after the BigBad reduces him to dust.
* ShirtlessScene: John has one before he undergoes a routine lung checkup. And again in the end, when [[spoiler:Lucifer cures him of cancer, because he does it by literally ripping the tumors out through John's bare torso.]]
* ShoutOut
** When Angela Dodson wakes up in her apartment, her black cat meows and walks across her bed - a reference to the scene in ''Film/TheMatrix'' where Neo (also played by Creator/KeanuReeves) sees the black cat meow and walk by twice.
** After some demons are destroyed, Angela starts coughing due to the smell of sulfur/sulphur. Constantine says "Happens to everyone the first time", a reference to the "Everyone falls the first time" bit in ''The Matrix''.
** While Balthazar is looking at himself in a mirror, his image starts to distort and bubbles form on the glass just before the mirror explodes. This is a combination of two scenes in ''Film/TheMatrix'' film series: the one in ''Film/TheMatrix'' where Neo is looking into a mirror and it distorts, and the one in ''Film/TheMatrixReloaded'' where bubbles form on a door just before it explodes.
* {{Sidekick}}: Hennessy, Beeman and Chas Kramer.
* SinisterWhistling: After finally securing the rights to John Constantine's soul, Lucifer begins cheerily whistling [[DraggedOffToHell as he drags him off to hell.]] [[spoiler:Thankfully, God stops him at the last minute.]]
* SlidingScaleOfAdaptationModification: The plot is loosely based on the ''Hellblazer'' story "Dangerous Habits". John's lung cancer, his argument with Gabriel (who exhibits more sympathy for him here),[[spoiler: and Satan ripping the tumors from John's body are all taken from the comic. Other similarities include Gabriel panicking when found out by God (John mentions that "He" isn't happy about his angel schmoozing with [[UsefulNotes/TheTroubles the IRA]]), John cutting his wrists, Satan's trail of slime, and John flipping him off at the end. ]]
* SlowElectricity: When Constantine and Angela Dodson are talking on the street, the streetlights begin to turn off (with clunking sounds) - first far away, then approaching them. The last light to go out is the one near [[RuleOfSymbolism a statue of Virgin Mary]].
* SmokingIsCool: Subverted, as John gets lung cancer and later, as he quits [[spoiler:at the end of the movie (after Satan gets rid of the cancer)]].
* SmugSnake:
** Both Balthazar and [[spoiler:Lucifer]], as demons this is probably to be expected.
** [[spoiler:Gabriel]] also comes across as arrogant and self-satisfied, particularly in the movie’s climax.
* SoreLoser: [[spoiler:Satan is so outraged that he's being denied Constantine's soul, that he actually brings him back to life and cures his cancer, all in the hope Constantine will manage to damn himself again]].
* TheStinger: [[spoiler: Chas dies but is resurrected as an angel. Constantine's not exactly thrilled at this development.]]
* SuicideIsShameful: Suicide is deemed sinful enough to guarantee a soul a place in Hell, even if the attempt fails. [[spoiler:Subverted at the end, when Constantine uses his suicide as a HeroicSacrifice to save the Earth and convince Satan to send Angela's sister to Heaven, rather than barter for more time for himself. This act of self-sacrifice earns him a place in Heaven... until Lucifer heals him in the hopes that he'll mess it up before he dies again.]]
* SummonBiggerFish: [[spoiler: Lucifer actually [[BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork saves the day]] because Constantine summoned him. The Fallen One's pride is too great to allow another person, even his own son, damn the world. It's his job.]]
* SurpriseCarCrash: Done in the beginning to show the strength of the supernatural threat. When the man it's [[DemonicPossession possessing]] is suddenly hit by a truck, the vehicle is left with a huge dent in its grille and a mangled driver while he [[PedestrianCrushesCar just keeps walking]].
* SurvivalThroughSelfSacrifice: Constantine has been destined for {{Hell}} ever since [[SuicideIsShameful a failed suicide attempt in his childhood]], but at the end of the film, he attempts to commit suicide again, knowing that [[{{Satan}} the Devil]] will come to earth to personally claim his soul, [[VillainousRescue screwing up the Big Bad's plan when he arrives]]. This, plus John negotiating with the Devil to have another soul released from Hell, is judged [[HeroicSacrifice selfless and heroic]] enough for his soul to enter Heaven... until the Devil, furious at losing his right to John's soul, [[ReroutedFromHeaven brings John back to life and cures his cancer]], hoping that he will screw up at some point and get condemned to Hell again.
%%* SynchronizedSwarming: One bug demon can do this.
* TakeOffYourClothes: Played with. Angela had to take off her blouse and get in water to reactivate her power, when asked Constantine whether she should take her bra off too, Constantine considered for a while.
* TapOnTheHead: Constantine to the bar's bouncer the second time he goes there.
* TauntingTheUnconscious: Chaz tries to enter Papa Midnite's club, but is denied entry by the bouncer because he isn't psychic and can't tell that a hidden card depicts "a rat in a dress". Later in the movie, Constantine knocks out the bouncer. Chaz takes advantage of the opportunity to taunt the unconscious bouncer by saying "Who's a rat in a dress now, huh, bitch?"
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: [[spoiler:Part of Lucifer's intervention is basically this. He believes only he is allowed to take over the human realm, not his son. He's willing to give up a sure-fire victory, just because he wants to do it himself. He makes it clear that he's willing to play the long game to accomplish it also]].
* ThereAreNoCoincidences: Constantine offers this perspective at the end of the film.
-->'''Constantine''': I guess there's a plan for all of us. I had to die--''twice''--just to figure that out. Like the book says, "He works His work in mysterious ways." Some people like it...some people don't.
* ThirstyDesert: There is no water in Hell except what you bring with you in bottles or bodies.
* ThisCannotBe: [[spoiler:Lucifer is freaked out that John's sacrifice is actually enough for God to write off his suicide and deem him worthy of entering Heaven. So freaked out, he decides to resurrect John so he has a second chance to screw up.]]
* ThisIsForEmphasisBitch: Chas is happy to see the bouncer who kept him out get knocked down.
--> "Who's the rat in the dress now, huh, bitch?"
* TimeStandsStill:
** Whenever people die, or use the FireWaterJuxtaposition to take a brief trip to Hell, the outside world slows to a crawl.
** Lucifer freezes Gabriel right before the latter is about to punch him.
* ToHellAndBack: Constantine is such an expert at doing this, he even teaches Angela to do it once.
* TransformationOfThePossessed: The woman possessed by the soldier demon and [[spoiler:Angela Dodson]] when she's possessed by [[spoiler:Mammon, Lucifer's son]].
* TrenchcoatBrigade: Constantine. The actual John Constan-tyne is the TropeNamer for this one.
* TruceZone: Papa Midnite's bar was agreed to be such a place by God and Satan.
* TwinsAreSpecial: Isabela and Angela were born with strong psychic powers, strong enough for both to be considered good vessels for Lucifer's son Mammon to inhabit. Other powerful characters in the film are either a halfling of some sort or derive their powers using exorcism tools, with the exception of WitchDoctor Papa Midnite.
* UnresolvedSexualTension: Between John and Angela. So, so much of it. At least partly justified by the Roman Catholic ethics of John's world, in which extramarital sex is a sin.
* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: The BigBad plans to release [[spoiler:Mammon]] to bring pain and horror to humanity, in order to purify it and make it worthy of God's love.
--> '''[[spoiler:Gabriel]]''': So...I'll bring you ''pain''. I'll bring you ''horror''. So that you may rise above it. So that those of you who survive this reign of hell on Earth will be worthy of God's love.\\
'''John''': [[spoiler:Gabriel]]. You're '''[[InsaneTrollLogic insane]]'''.
* VillainousRescue: As part of a last ditch effort, [[spoiler:John kills himself to summon ''Satan''. When he understands the whys, Satan saves the world because [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou it is his job to destroy it]]]].
* WaitHere
** When John goes to confront the half-demon Balthazar he tells his potential LoveInterest Angela Dodson to stay in the car. After a while she decides to go after him, ends up losing the amulet he gave her to protect her, and is captured by their enemies.
** When John goes to convince Papa Midnite to let him use the Chair, he anticipates that the confrontation will be dangerous and tells his apprentice Chas Kramer to wait. After the encounter ends amicably Chas shows up without being summoned and starts to show off his book learning, to Papa Midnite's amusement.
* WaterloggedWarzone: Constantine arranges for the water in the hospital ceiling sprinkler system to be changed into holy water. He then sets off the sprinklers with a lighter, causing the half-breed demons he's facing to be doused with the holy water. This destroys their false human disguises, which makes them more vulnerable to attack. The water spray also covers the floor with water for the ensuing battle.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler:Gabriel]] shows this tract, even if Constantine calls her just insane. Even more after the climax, when she shows really happiness about Constantine refusing the dark and violent path of revenge and following instead a higher one, so being now really worth of God's love.
* WhatYouAreInTheDark: [[spoiler:Gabriel]] intended this outcome on humans by ending the world.
* WhereDoesHeGetAllThoseWonderfulToys: Beeman manages to acquire certain rare objects for Constantine...for a price.
-->'''Beeman''': Yeah, easy there, hero. That's Dragon's Breath. \\
'''John Constantine''': I thought you couldn't get it anymore. \\
'''Beeman''': Yeah, well, I, uh, I know a guy who knows a guy.
* WingedHumanoid: Half-Breeds.
* WithinArmsReach: While fighting a TheWormThatWalks demon on a city street, Constantine uses a matchbox containing an Amityville screech beetle to break up the demon into its component creatures. When the box is knocked from his hand and the demon pins him to the ground, Constantine must grab a metal rod to hit the box to disperse the demon and free himself.
* TheWormThatWalks: The "true demon" that Constantine encounters (thereby letting him know that some MAJOR shit is going down) manifests as a swarm of critters of all shapes and sizes. [[CarFu It gets killed by a car.]]
* YearInsideHourOutside: According to Constantine, seven minutes on Earth equals a lifetime in Hell. This is shown when he enters Hell; he orders Angela to leave the room, but the moment she closes the door, Constantine has returned, having had enough time to wander to the hospital and grab Isabel's tag.
* YouCanLeaveYourHatOn: When Angela is about to be submerged in water so she can reactivate her powers, she teasingly suggests if she should remove her bra. John considers for a while, but ultimately [[CelibateHero objects]].
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: BigBad [[spoiler:Gabriel]] to his ally [[spoiler:Balthazar]].
* YoureInsane: Constantine's reaction to the MotiveRant.
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->'''Angela''': I don't believe in the devil.\\
'''John''': You should. ''He'' believes in ''you''.

''Constantine'' is a 2005 American OccultDetective film which is loosely based on Creator/VertigoComics' ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}'' comic. It borrows elements from "Dangerous Habits" (John's cancer diagnosis in issues #41-46) and the "Original Sins" trade paperback (the inclusion of Papa Midnite). It was released on February 8, 2005 in Hong Kong, and on February 18, 2005 in the U.S. and Canada. It's rated "R" for violence and demonic images by the MPAA, but the language is pretty tame.

Things are getting strange for John Constantine (Creator/KeanuReeves), a freelance [[DemonSlaying demon hunter]] with the innate ability to spot demons in disguise. He attempted suicide to escape the visions, which condemned him to eternity in Hell, but was revived--irritating [[{{Satan}} Lucifer]] (Creator/PeterStormare), who grew to despise John for killing his Hellspawn.

Demon activity is on the rise, with more and more trying to cross over via [[DemonicPossession human hosts.]] This is ordinarily right up John's alley, but he's preoccupied with the fact that he's dying of cancer. He appeals to the ArchangelGabriel (Creator/TildaSwinton) for "an extension", but is flatly denied. Instead, he is enlisted by Det. Angela Dodson (Creator/RachelWeisz) to investigate the death of her sister, another psychic. It turns out that Lucifer's son is trying to usurp him. Mammon requires the body of a powerful psychic to cross over, but John suspects that someone on Earth [[TheManBehindTheMan is working on Mammon's behalf...]]

Not to be confused with the {{Series/Constantine}} television adaptation of the comic of the same name, which is more faithful to the source material.

----
!! ''Constantine'' contains examples of:
* ActorAllusion: This is the third film where Creator/KeanuReeves [[spoiler: kills himself to save the world]]. He had first done so in ''Film/TheDevilsAdvocate'' and then again in ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions''. In both this and the former, it's [[spoiler: quickly undone with a ResetButton]].
-->'''''Website/{{Cracked}}''''': Keanu Reeves plays a man in a black trench coat chosen by fate to uncover the shocking truth that Earth is not as we believe it to be, but merely a mundane illusion hiding an army of insidious and overwhelming enemies. So, basically, it's ''Film/TheMatrix'' with crosses.
* AdaptationalBadass: While certainly not a wimp by any standards, the comic book version of Constantine is more of a GuileHero and relies on his wits and quick thinking rather than combat skills. This movie’s version is a straightforward ActionHero, especially in the films climax.
* AdaptationExpansion: The novelization of the film written by John Shirley does an amazing job of expanding upon the movieverse. It develops the characters more thoroughly and explains the mythology of Constantine's job comprehensively. In addition, it includes all the deleted scenes shown on the DVD in context and fits them into continuity. For those who may be on the fence about the film, the novelization might be the tipping point into enjoying it.
* AdaptationTitleChange: ''Constantine'' is based on the Vertigo comic ''Hellblazer''.
* AddictionDisplacement: Constantine chews gum at the end to signal that he's quit smoking.
* AffablyEvil: Satan and arguably [[spoiler: Gabriel]].
* AllThereInTheManual: The novelization not only reveals that the full name of Lucifer in the film is "Lucifer Rofocale", but that he is also ''The First of the Fallen'', distinguishing him from the more notable [[ComicBook/{{Lucifer}} Lucifer Morningstar]].
* AllUpToYou: Keanu Reeves' {{sidekick}} Chas briefly takes a surprisingly heroic action, only to then be killed while he is monologing.
* AlmostKiss: Three times, between Constantine and Angela Dodson.
* AmbiguousGender: The ArchangelGabriel thought [[ItIsDehumanizing he's referred to with male pronouns]], despite being played by actress ''Creator/TildaSwinton''.
* AmbiguousSituation: The film leaves it unclear as to whether [[spoiler:Chas has always been an angel, or if he became one after dying]].
* AngelicTransformation: In the climax, Gabriel is de-winged as punishment for plotting to unleash Mammon upon the world, leaving a pair of bloody stumps. Constantine introduces [[OtherworldlyAndSexuallyAmbiguous them]] to pain with a punch to the mouth.
* AntiHero: Constantine is rude, unhelpful to most people, asks his friends to put themselves in dangerous situations (and gets three of them killed because of this) and only performs exorcisms and sends half breed demons back to Hell because he wants to buy his way into Heaven.
* TheApocalypseBringsOutTheBestInPeople: [[spoiler:This is Gabriel's motivation for aiding Mammon. By creating a literal Hell on Earth, he believes this will force those humans that survive and endure to become better people and thus be "worthy" of God's love. And yes, Constantine flat out says Gabriel is insane for believing this.]]
* ArchangelGabriel: Played by {{Bifauxnen}} Creator/TildaSwinton. [[spoiler:Resents God's love for an unworthy humanity and plots to release Hell on Earth so that humanity can earn God's love.]]
* ArmorPiercingQuestion: "What did she do, Angela?"
* ArtisticLicenseGunSafety: When attacked by the Scavengers of the Damned, Angela pulls out her pistol and points it behind her, ending at Constantine's crotch. It may not just have been GunsAreWorthless that made him say "That's really not going to help".
* ArtisticLicensePhysics: Blink and you miss it - there's a whistle of steam from a kettle. An open kettle with no lid. The lid must be in place to build up pressure and force the steam through the whistle.
* ArtisticLicenseTraditionalChristianity: The film borrows symbols and names from Christianity, but that's where the similarities end.
** A major plot point in the film is that, according to Catholic doctrine, people who commit suicide always go to Hell. This has not been the case since 1997, when the Church concluded that while suicide is a grave matter, people who take their own lives might still be saved [[note]]In the Catholic Church, the three requirements for a sin to be mortal is that it be a grave matter, that it be committed with full knowledge, and that it be committed with deliberate consent. While suicide is certainly a grave matter, one or both of the other two requirements for the sin to be damning might be missing. Likewise the concept of brain death means a person who commits suicide might be able to repent in the moments before death[[/note]]. At least one of the suicides in the film was committed by a mental patient and she is shown being denied a Catholic funeral and being damned to Hell for this - in reality, she would not have been denied such a funeral (with the service especially asking God to be merciful) and her mental illness would have made her suicide non-mortal. Another suicide in the film, Constantine's, is even less likely to result in damnation as he was brought back to life and can therefore repent afterwards. Even his seeing Hell, contrary to what the film states, would not "condemn" him in the eyes of God because only permanent death can prevent a person from repenting. In fact, there are people in real life who claim to have seen Hell in near-death experiences and who repented upon recovery because of this - virtually no theologian would argue that they are already damned for having seen Hell.
** When Constantine mentions the "SpearOfDestiny" and says "Jesus wasn't killed by crucifixion," the Catholic he's responding to replies with "I'm a Catholic, John. I know the Crucifixion story." Except in the Bible, Jesus ''was'' killed by crucifixion, and a spear was only used to drain his blood to see if he was truly dead[[note]]the blood of a corpse separates into its base components after it's been dead long enough, and so the Romans would stab a spear through the sides of crucified corpses to see if the blood that fell out had separated yet. John 19:34's account of "blood and water" flowing from Jesus' pierced side is a description of this, proving he had died.[[/note]]. There are people who think that Jesus was "really" killed by the spear, but those tend to be people who claim the Biblical account is ''wrong''. No one would be able to teach the theory from the Bible, certainly not in Sunday School. Additionally, the Spear of Destiny (or rather the "Spears" as there are four churches that claim to have the real one) is actually considered a Holy Relic and is called the Holy Lance. It's unlikely to cause demonic possession in those who possess it.
*** The novelization justifies this by noting that the Spear just played its part in the death of Jesus without being responsible for it on its own.
** Not to mention that the main point of the plot, a non-priest exorcist, is completely unacceptable by Catholic doctrine.
** The Bible that they use in Hell has an extra five chapters in 1 Corinthians. In real life, 1 and 2 Corinthians were actually the personal correspondence between the Apostle Paul and the Church located in the city of Corinth, so does that mean that the Hell Bible features a ''different'' letter Paul wrote to a city in Hell that was ''also'' named Corinth? A more plausible explanation could be that Paul's other letters to the Church of Corinth were lost to human records (but known to demons), or were removed from the official Biblical account for whatever reason.
* AsYouKnow: Played with. Constantine begins to explain to Angela that Jesus died from a soldier's spear:
-->'''Angela''': TheSpearOfDestiny. I'm a Catholic, John. I ''know'' the Crucifixion story.
* BadGuyBar: Papa Midnite's bar. According to Chas Kramer it's a "haven for those who rise and fall" - i.e. half-breed demons and angels. Several of the half-breed demons are seen with a struggling victim kidnapped for some nefarious purpose.
* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: Isabel looks very good for someone who jumped off a 20-foot building and crashed through a glass roof into a swimming pool.
** Aside from being dead, of course.
* BigBadDuumvirate: Mammon and [[spoiler:Gabriel.]]
* BigNo: Alas, poor [[spoiler:Balthazar...]]
* BilingualBonus: A possessed girl screams "Papatayin natin silang lahat!" ("Let's kill them all!' in Tagalog)
* BlessedWithSuck: Constantine, Father Hennessy, Isabel, and Angela each have supernatural gifts which make them not quite normal in the eyes of everyday people. Seeing a nice old lady get a NightmareFace or sensing the emotions of an event from touching the newspaper can lead to this result. [[spoiler:John even warns Angela that once her power is activated, she won't just see them, ''they'' will ''know'' she is seeing their true face.]]
* BottomlessMagazines: Angela's miraculous Smith & Wesson 3913. She fires it 30 times without reloading, even though it only holds 13 rounds.
* {{Bouncer}}: You must have [[PsychicPowers Mad Skillz]] to get into Midnite.
* BrokenAngel: [[spoiler:Gabriel's final punishment for the actions in the movie was to have Satan strip his wings and leave him mortal.]]
* BrownNoteBeing: One of Constantine's helpers has his hair instantly turns white, after glimpsing a demon being exorcised from a little girl.
* TheCameo:
** Bounty hunter Domino Harvey appears as an angel at Papa Midnight's bar.
** Creator/MichelleMonaghan appears in a hospital, screaming "Holy water!"
* CandlelitRitual: {{Discussed|Trope}} [[PlayedForLaughs for laughs]] when John is preparing the ritual that will send his soul to Hell. Angela asks him "If this is some kind of spell or something, don't you need candles and a pentagram for it to work?" John replies "Why, do you have any?"
* CastFromCalories: After Constantine uses his psychic powers to visit Hell for some info, he tells Rachel that he needs food, thus leading to an exposition scene in a diner.
* CatsAreMagic: They are linked to Hell. John uses Angela's cat to enter Hell because, as he puts it, "they're half-in half-out anyway".
* CatapultNightmare: Angela, after a nightmare of her sister killing herself.
* CeilingCling: The demon who possesses the girl in the opening reveals itself this way.
* CeilingSmash: Near the end of the movie, [[spoiler:Chas]] is thrown into the ceiling by [[spoiler:Gabriel]] and mortally wounded. He dies a few moments later.
* ChekhovsArmoury: The items Constantine receives from Beeman (dragonbreath, holy water ampoules, Amityville screech beetle).
* ChristianityIsCatholic: Catholicism is the only version shown. The novelization explains that Constantine focuses on these relics because his natural understanding of them based on his background of a Christian culture means that they are more powerful than alternatives might be.
* ClaimedByTheSupernatural: When Constantine meets Isabel Dodson's soul in Hell, she has a mark on her wrist that looks like a cross inside a circle. When Father Hennessy touches her dead body, the mark appears on her wrist. Constantine later discovers that the mark is the symbol of the BigBad Mammon and that Mammon is trying to [[spoiler: possess her]] in order to carry out his evil plan.
* CondensationClue: Constantine is sure that Isabel Dodson didn't commit suicide without leaving a message for her sister Angela. He uses a repeated ArmorPiercingQuestion on a reluctant Angela to force her to admit that she and Isabel used this technique as children. Angela then breathes on the window in Isabel's room, revealing her final message to her sister.
* CouldntFindAPen: Hennessy carves a message into his own hand with a [[spoiler:corkscrew.]]
* CruelMercy: [[spoiler:Lucifer burning off Gabriel's wings leaves him a mortal human. John happily decides to let him be after introducing him to [[TalkToTheFist pain.]]]]
* CulturalTranslation: The film changes the nationality and location of the UK-set (American-owned) comic ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}'' to Los Angeles. Since the release of the movie, the comic book character of Constantine has stated that there's another guy with his name and a similar job in the US.
* CurbStompBattle: When the BigBad is revealed to be [[spoiler: Gabriel,]] Constantine is effortlessly beaten. When [[spoiler:Satan turns up to save the day(!) Gabriel tries to "smite [Satan] in His honour!", only to fail because "Somebody doesn't have [Gabriel's] back any more", and then gets his wings burned off and gets blasted across the room.]]
%% CursedWithAwesome: John's "gift."
%%* DeadSidekick
* DeathByIrony: [[spoiler:Beeman, a guy who collected insects, was killed by them coming out of his body]] and [[spoiler:Hennessy, who drank to dull his psychic powers, died from drinking himself to death in less than a minute.]]
* DebtDetester: Lucifer seems to be this. [[spoiler:He dislikes it so much, he didn't even ''think'' that John asking for the life of another to be saved could be a genuine HeroicSacrifice.]]
* DemonOfHumanOrigin: The novelization says that the half-breeds are dead humans that were so good or bad in life that they were allowed to return to Earth as part-angel or part-demon.
* DemonSlaying: Constantine hunts down demonic halfbreeds and sends them back to Hell.
* DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu: Constantine literally flips off Satan himself.
* DidntSeeThatComing: [[spoiler:Lucifer did not expect to see John by him cutting his wrists again. He quickly realizes something is off with the situation. Nor did he foresee Constantine getting into Heaven for the act of self-sacrifice. Though to be fair, even ''Constantine'' didn't see ''that'' one coming.]]
* DrivenToSuicide:
** The film's plot starts with the suicide of Angela's sister, Isabel, whose soul is claimed by Hell and whose body will be used as a medium for Mammon.
** When he was a teenager, Constantine attempted to kill himself because he saw demonically-possessed people. He managed to succeed ''just'' enough for it to count as a suicide by the rules of Heaven, but ultimately survived. He's spent the rest of his life trying to buy his way out of Hell [[spoiler:and succeeds by killing himself again but this time as a HeroicSacrifice. However, Satan is a sore loser and saves him from dying, banking on the likelihood that John will manage to damn himself again.]]
* DoesNotLikeShoes: Lucifer, who is otherwise well-coiffed. WordOfGod states that the reason Satan's feet are dripping with goo is that he must pollute the ground to walk on it. Neither does Gabriel when she([[AmbiguousGender ?]]) isn't wearing a suit, which implies this is a standard angelic trait.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Balthazar's face after John soaked half of it in holy water. Now what other [[ComicBook/TwoFace DC comic character has had half his face disfigured by a vial of liquid?]]
* DyingVocalChange: [[spoiler: Balthazar's voice ends up reduced to an echoing, ethereal-sounding whisper after getting his face shot off by Constantine.]]
* TheDriver: Chas.
* TheDulcineaEffect: "Definitely...''mostly'' not about the girl."
* DullSurprise: Sometimes, Keanu Reeves and Rachel Weisz seem to be competing.
* EnemyRisingBehind
** The man possessed by [[spoiler:TheSpearOfDestiny rises behind Angela while she's in the pool.]]
** After [[spoiler:Angela is possessed, she]] rises behind Constantine.
* EnemyMine:
** John is desperate for help in the end and [[spoiler:calls on Lucifer to come by committing suicide, knowing the Fallen One will come to claim him personally. John takes this moment to inform him of the villain's plan, which Satan's pride cannot let pass as it isn't his plan]].
** A few minutes later, [[spoiler:God and Satan team up to dispose of Gabriel. When Gabriel attempts to smite Lucifer in God's Name, the angel finds his punch halted. Lucifer recognizes this as God withdrawing the Grace of God within Gabriel and uses his powers to force Gabriel to go through transubstantiation and be mortal]].
* EvilCannotComprehendGood:
** [[spoiler:Gabriel cannot fathom the possibility Constantine would die to summon Satan to save the day nor that their Father would revoke his ability to smite Satan in His Name despite just trying to bring about the end of the world]].
** Played with with [[spoiler:Satan. He doesn't comprehend in the moment that when John asks for another soul to be freed as a reward, it would count as a Heroic Sacrifice. However, he is quick to realize the implications when John is prevented from being taken by His power and the gates of Heaven begin to draw John in.]]
* EvilIsHammy: Satan clearly enjoys dicking around with Constantine and Gabriel both when he shows up. He's played by Creator/PeterStormare, what did you expect?
* ExploitedImmunity: Constantine flushes out some demons that have infested a hospital by having his apprentice perform a holy water ritual on the hospital's fire safety system, then holding a cigarette lighter below a smoke detector, triggering the sprinklers to rain holy water. The holy water burns the demons while leaving the humans inside unharmed.
* FairCop: Angela played by Creator/RachelWeisz.
* FantasticCatholicism: The title character is a Catholic demon-hunter who uses guns and magic to send demons back to Hell in a world where {{God}} and the Devil are in a bet over who can influence mankind the most. Roger Ebert on the movie:
-->'''Creator/RogerEbert:''' Why do movies about {{Satan}} always have Catholics? You never see Methodists or Episcopalians putting down demons.
* FantasyKeepsake: After his first visit to Hell to find Isabel, Constantine brings back her hospital wrist tag to prove she was there.
* FateWorseThanDeath: Half-breed demons don't "die" but are just sent to Hell. So when John plans on granting a demon absolution and thus entry into Heaven, it is considered this (from the demon's point-of-view, anyway).
* FauxActionGirl: At the start of the movie, Angela is introduced as a tough-as-nails cop but her role in events from then on mostly involves being protected or rescued by Constantine.
* FetusTerrible: What an adorable little cosmic horror...
* FireAndBrimstoneHell: When John journeys there to see if Isabel is there or not, much of Hell was burning and devoid of any water.
* FireWaterJuxtaposition: Used as a plot point. Water is said to be a "universal conduit" that can facilitate travel between Hell and its surrounding realms. In order to reach Hell, which is a red-hued realm of fire and brimstone, a person has to suspend part of their body in water while on Earth.
* FlatlinePlotline: Used to give Angela a taste of Constantine's knowledge. He nearly drowns her in a bathtub under carefully controlled conditions.
* FliesEqualsEvil: [[spoiler:Beeman]] has a fly crawl out from under his eyelid as a sign of demonic attack upon him. He's later found dead with flies covering him and crawling out of his mouth. This may have been Balthazaar's version of irony.
* FluffyCloudHeaven: [[spoiler:Heaven is Los Angeles with lots of clouds and God's rays.]]
* FlippingTheBird: Twice by Constantine. One being at the beginning after exorcise a demon out of a girl [[spoiler:and another to '''Satan''' after he finally earns his way out of Hell]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Papa Midnite tells Constantine that his soul is the only one Satan himself would come to collect. [[spoiler: He's right.]]
* FriendlyTarget: [[spoiler:Father Hennessy and Beeman.]]
%% SugarWiki/{{Funny Moment|s}} is already on YMMV
* GenericDoomsdayVillain: Unlike the other antagonists Balthazar, Lucifer and [[spoiler:Gabriel,]] Mammon never displays personality and never talks.
* TheGodsMustBeLazy: God and Satan have made a deal not to directly interfere in the mortal world. The half-demons constantly break this rule, but they don't get punished -- just sent back to Hell by Constantine.
* GodzillaThreshold: By the end, the stakes are so high that Constantine tries to summon ''Heaven'' with the tattoos on his forearms. [[spoiler:Gabriel stops him mid-summon, so he goes for the next best thing: Satan.]]
* GodAndSatanAreBothJerks: The world in truth is a battleground for angels and demons for dominance. Humankind's casualties and/or souls lost to Hell are merely collateral damage. Both God and Lucifer allow it because they've made [[DealWithTheDevil a deal together,]] instead of the Almighty curb-stomping the rebellious archangel. Lucifer may not have to free rein of the planet to damn as many as he pleases, but he’s still permitted to visit and send his half-breeds to try. God himself being little kinder, damning souls who not only [[SuicideIsShameful end their lives]] but those who [[DrivenToSuicide cannot handle the truth]] of the world they inhabit. It comes off as GreyAndBlackMorality, as God’s afterlife is at least pleasant, and he cares for humanity to some degree. [[spoiler: He also accepts John into Heaven at the end, and according to the novelization, took control of John’s hand to flip off Lucifer so that he’d save John.]]
* GodIsDispleased: [[spoiler: Gabriel]] believed that in order for humanity to be worthy of God's love, it had to suffer first. So they [[spoiler: conspired with Mammon]] to unleash Hell on Earth. They try to destroy [[spoiler: Satan]] when he intervenes, only for [[spoiler: Satan]] to stop the blow from landing, revealing that [[spoiler: Gabriel]] no longer has God's favor.
* GodIsGood: The movie seems to think so, particularly at the end. [[spoiler: Tellingly, the BigBad is the ArchangelGabriel, breaking God’s rules because they think He's ''too benevolent'' to humans, whom they consider unworthy of His love.]]
* GoIntoTheLight: Subverted. [[spoiler:Satan pulls Constantine ''out of'' the light and cures his lung cancer so he'll have a chance to royally screw up again.]]
* GoodSmokingEvilSmoking
** Papa Midnite subverts the cigarillo trope by being a good/neutral witch doctor turned bartender.
** Constantine smokes excessively, only to find out during the movie that he has lung cancer. [[spoiler: After Constantine willingly sacrifices himself to save the world (allowing him to enter Heaven), Satan ends up curing his cancer to keep him alive so he can claim him later.]] At the end of the movie, he's seen popping gum in his mouth.
* GunsAreWorthless: Angela's normal pistol is the straight example. Constantine subverts it by assembling his own gun out of a variety of holy items, allowing him to quickly blast his way through a room full of half-demons.
* HeavenSeeker: The title character goes around sending half-demons back to Hell in the hope that this will gain him entry into Heaven after he dies. It's not that John Constantine likes the idea of Heaven that much — he just wants to avoid going to Hell, since he knows firsthand (due to trying to commit suicide in his youth) how horrible it is.
--> "You're a cop. Imagine being sentenced to a prison where half the inmates were put there by you."
* HeroicSacrifice: Subverted. [[spoiler:John dies by suicide, drawing Satan to Earth, gets him to save the world, and only wants Isabel's soul freed from Hell. By this act of self-sacrifice, his previous suicide is wiped away and John, still dead, is on his way to Heaven. That is until Satan heals John of his cut wrists ''and'' cancer.]]
* HesDeadJim: Chaz Kramer is slammed up against the ceiling and down to the floor a few times, leaving him severely injured. He talks with John Constantine for a few seconds, then stops and lies with his eyes open. John turns away and leaves him for dead without even checking his pulse.
* HijackedByJesus: The movie removes all elements of non-Christian mythology from the setting. The novelisation slightly justifies this by explaining that Constantine's weapons focus on Christian holy relics as he comes from a Christian culture, giving him a greater innate understanding of their power that increases their effectiveness.
* HollywoodApocrypha: The Hell Bible, which has a different Book of Revelation. And an extra five chapters in 1 Corinthians.
* HolyBurnsEvil: HolyWater scalds the hell out of half-demons, destroying their human shell and making them easier to kill.
* {{Homage}}: ArchangelGabriel resembles a famous painting of ArchangelMichael. [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Guido_Reni_031.jpg As seen here.]]
* HumansAreSpecial: Invoked by God, no less, [[spoiler: which causes Gabriel to become jealous due to his perception of them not being good enough]].
* IHaveManyNames: The devil in this film is called both "Lucifer" and "Satan". John calls him "Lou" just to mess with him. Gabriel has a few more choice names for him, when they meet.
-->'''Gabriel:''' Son of Perdition. Little Horn. ''[Satan giggles]'' Most Unclean.\\
'''Satan:''' [[InsultBackfire I do miss the old names]].
* IdenticalTwinIDTag: Both twins are played by Rachel Weisz. Isabel has waist length hair but otherwise they're identical.
* ImmuneToBullets: When Angela Dodson is confronted by the Mexican man possessed by the Spear of Destiny, she shoots him repeatedly in the chest. The bullets go right through him but don't affect him at all.
* ImmuneToDrugs: Semi-averted. Constantine has developed lung cancer from smoking, but [[spoiler:Satan cures him]].
* InNameOnly
** If you imagine that it's ''not'' based on ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}'', it's actually pretty good. (Technically, we know from Etrigan's rhymes that the ''Hellblazer'' hero's name is pronounced Constan-TYNE, so this movie in which Keanu's name is Constan-TEEN qualifies as a distinct individual.)
** One gets the impression that this could have been sold as a very good American story of an occult detective by itself.
* InPrisonWithTheRogues: Discussed. Constantine's soul has been destined for Hell ever since an attempted suicide in his childhood, and he's trying to earn his way into Heaven by banishing demons that don't belong in the human world. However, he's very aware that if his plan doesn't work he'll be even more screwed than he would have been otherwise, since, as he tells a police officer he befriends: "You're a cop, how would you feel about being sent to a jail where you put away most of the inmates?"
* {{Invisibility}}: How [[spoiler: Gabriel]] got close to kill Chas.
* InsaneTrollLogic: The BigBad's logic for destroying mankind in order to save it is that the apocalypse will force them to be better people.
%%* InstantOracleJustAddWater
%%* IntangibleTimeTravel
* InvisibleWriting: Angela and her sister Isabel left hidden messages on windows and mirrors when they were kids, visible only when fogged by their breath. Isabel left her sister one last message before she was DrivenToSuicide.
* InvisibleToNormals: Full angels and demons are only visible to Psychics and... whatever Constantine was supposed to be as a kid.
* JustHitHim: When John confronts the demon Balthazar, he's held up against the wall by his neck and slowly choked. Balthazar takes the opportunity to indulge in some EvilGloating, giving John plenty of time to reach into his jacket pocket and pull out his holy-knuckle-dusters.
* KilledMidSentence: [[spoiler:Subverted. Chas is mortally wounded while saying the following, but he survives long enough to give John meaningful last words.]]
--> [[spoiler:'''Chas:''' This is Kramer. Chas Kramer, assho...]]
* KillTheLights: When the horde of flying demons is approaching the title character and Angela Dodson, all nearby lights (including the street lights) go out, leaving the main characters in darkness.
* KnightTemplar: [[spoiler: Gabriel.]]
* LargeHam: ''Balthazar'' and Lucifer.
-->'''Balthazar''': Word is, you're on your way down. Fresh meat. ''(sucks his fingertips)'' Finger-lickin' good!
* LightIsNotGood: [[spoiler:ArchangelGabriel is a traitor to Heaven, and planning on unleashing Hell on Earth.]]
* LockedIntoStrangeness: A man looks at the possessed girl and his hair turns white.
* LookBothWays: Unexpectedly, the dude wins. There's a reason for this.
* MagicalAbortion: [[spoiler:Angela]] becomes mystically pregnant with the [[spoiler:Antichrist - which is called back to hell via a personal appearance by Satan.]]
* ManOfWealthAndTaste: Satan is a pimp. Of course, he ''is'' played by Creator/PeterStormare.
* MagicMirror: Mirrors can pull demons out of the humans they've possessed and imprison them.
* MetaCasting: Keanu Reeves was a very... ''odd'' choice to play John Constantine, but as it says elsewhere, the movie is good if you don't mind its InNameOnly connection to the comic book. So as long as the protagonist doesn't have to be a fast-talking scouse AntiHero... who's better for the role than Film/TheDevilsAdvocate?
* MeaningfulName: Hennessy and Beeman - both names not only indicate a significant personality characteristic but [[ForeShadowing foreshadow]] [[spoiler:the way they die]].
* MedicateTheMedium: Constantine and Isabel both underwent BedlamHouse type treatments for their hallucinations.
* MinorCrimeRevealsMajorPlot: Suicide of a woman → a plot to bring the Devil's son to Earth and bring about Armageddon.
* TheMirrorShowsYourTrueSelf: A variation. When Angela is possessed by Mammon in the climax, she appears as a thrashing, animalistic beast in the reflection on the tiled hospital floor.
* MookChivalry: When the title character fights the half-breed demons in the hospital room, they come at him one at a time and allow him to kill each one with his shotgun instead of rushing him all at once and overwhelming him.
* MotiveRant: [[spoiler:Gabriel]] gives one about how mankind is unworthy of God's love and how he want to bring the Apocalypse to challenge their condition.
* MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning: Constantine resorts to this to prevent the release of Mammon.
* MythologyGag: At one point, Constantine traps a spider under a glass with cigaret smoke. He does the same thing to a cockcroach in issue #9 of ''Hellblazer''.
* TheNameIsBondJamesBond:
** "This is Constantine. John Constantine, asshole."
** "This is Kramer. Chas Kramer, asshole."
* NayTheist: To be fair, God appears to have started the whole argument.
* NeckLift: Balthazar to Constantine after he bursts into Balthazar's office. Later on, [[spoiler:Gabriel to John.]]
* NeverSuicide: Subverted.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: [[spoiler:Satan saves the world. And sets a damned (but innocent) soul free. And cures Constantine's lung cancer. ''Satan''.]] He has his reasons.
* NoPeekingRequest: While Constantine is preparing to drag the demon out of the possessed girl he tells the men helping him "Close your eyes. And whatever happens, don't look." One of them does. He collapses and [[LockedIntoStrangeness his hair turns white]].
* NoSell: Lucifer being, well, ''Lucifer'', pulls this off twice after he shows up [[spoiler:to claim John's soul. John's being 'between worlds' has temporarily [[TimeDilation brought time almost to a standstill]]; Gabriel, in the other room, is moving in super-slow motion, but Lucifer meanders in at his normal pace and pulls Angela/Mammon out of the way, at which point time instantly returns back to normal. And in the reflected water that shows Mammon, he's struggling with all his might to escape his father's grasp. Lucifer doesn't so much as move a muscle. When Gabriel attempts to smite him, he freezes the angel's hand with nothing but a malicious grin. This however is at least in part because "Somebody doesn't have [Gabriel's] back any more"]]
** Balthazar laughs off a blast Dragon's Breath, pointing out he was born from fire. A vial of holy water melts half of his human face-off, exposing the demon underneath, but doesn't seem particularly painful either. Holy knuckle dusters however work juuuust fine.
* OneLastSmoke: Played with. It's hard to flick your lighter if you've cut all the tendons in your wrists. Fortunately, Satan is more than happy to help out. He's got stock, you see.
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: John notes early in the movie that God and Lucifer have made a bet that involves the souls of all humanity. [[spoiler:When Lucifer's son is close to being released and unleash hell on earth, Lucifer stops his son and the son's allies because this isn't Lucifer's plan. He will be the one to damn the world not his son]].
* TheOphelia: Angela's twin sister. She even commits suicide in a swimming pool.
* OtherworldlyAndSexuallyAmbiguous: Creator/TildaSwinton played the ArchangelGabriel.
* OurAngelsAreDifferent: Gabriel is the winged (androgynous) humanoid variety, but likely not a pure angel, since angels and demons are not allowed on Earth. Constantine himself says to Gabriel earlier in the movie- "[...] You're the one that deserves to go to Hell, half-breed," confirming this.
* OverdrawnAtTheBloodBank: Subverted. When Constantine slits his wrists (and apparently cuts too deep) there doesn't appear to be a huge pool of blood on the floor; certainly not enough to be fatal.
* PedestrianCrushesCar: At the beginning, when the Mexican man finds TheSpearOfDestiny, he walks onto a road and a car runs into him. The car is totaled, the man is unscathed.
* PokeInTheThirdEye: When Constantine is using The Chair to spy on the man possessed by TheSpearOfDestiny.
* PortalPool: Constantine states that any body of water, no matter how small, can be used as a portal to hell.
* PrecisionFStrike: Courtesy of one archangel Gabriel.
* {{Pride}}: What saves the world. [[spoiler:Namely the pride Satan has is so great even when his son and his allies are inches away from unleashing his son onto Earth and making it a hellhole, Satan cannot abide this as the world is his to damn and destroy. He effortlessly sends his son back to Hell and defeats Gabriel]].
* ProtagonistTitle: ''Constantine''.
* ProtectiveCharm: John's priest friend has one [[spoiler:but he foolishly didn't keep it on when getting deep in an investigation. Later, when it is given to Angela, she inadvertently removed it]].
* PsychicChildren: The title character and Isabel and Angela Dodson all first displayed their psychic abilities as children. Unfortunately, these abilities helped them to see the half-demons infesting the Earth, resulting in two of them being forced to undergo psychiatric treatment and later committing suicide. Angela had to lie about hers to avoid the same fate and ended up losing her ability.
* {{Psychometry}}: Father Hennessy can run his hands over printed newspaper stories and psychically detect which ones are significant. Constantine asks him to do this to get information he needs. Later on Hennessy tries to read the body of Angela Dodson's dead sister Isabel.
* PublicDomainArtifact: The Lance of Longinus, AKA the Spear of Destiny.
* RealityHasNoSubtitles
** During the scene at the beginning of the movie, a Mexican man speaks to another man in Spanish with no translation for the viewers.
** While the little girl is possessed she screams "Papatayin natin silang lahat!" ("Let's kill them all!' in Tagalog). The audience is not told what this means.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: The demonic halfbreeds while Angel's are gold.
* RedemptionEarnsLife: Slightly subverted; [[spoiler:by giving up his soul to save the world and freeing an innocent soul from Hell, Constantine is redeemed of his past sins and allowed to go to Heaven. His life is restored nevertheless, but only because Satan cures his lung cancer so that Constantine will have another chance to 'prove' that he belongs in Hell]].
* ReducedToDust: After Constantine blasts Balthazar with Dragonsbreath and reduced him to pieces, the BigBad reduces him to dust and blows him away, resulting in an EmptyPilesOfClothing.
* RefusingParadise: Forced, and thereby possible subverted. [[spoiler: The dying main character is about to enter Heaven, when the Devil deliberately heals him to make sure he has another chance at messing up his salvation on Earth.]]
* RetCanon: A ''Hellblazer'' story acknowledges the existence of Keanu's Constantine in an AlternateUniverse.
* RetiredBadass: Papa Midnite, a mage so powerful that he took on 30 demons by himself. Doesn't need special tools as he has actual magical powers. And powerful enough to create his own embassy of neutrality where hybrids mix and behave under his watch.
* ReligiousHorror: The film is the InNameOnly movie adaptation of ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}''. The main villain is Mammon, the son of the Devil, and Catholicism is shown to be almost entirely correct.
* ReroutedFromHeaven: [[spoiler:Inverted and then played straight. As John attempted suicide in his youth, he is bound for Hell no matter what he did because many of his good deeds are done to try and save himself from the consequence of his attempted suicide not because it is the right thing to do. But when he sacrifices his life and soul to stop the BigBad, Satan offers him a reward. Instead of healing his mortal wounds, John requests the release of one soul in Hell. Satan obliges, not immediately recognizing the selfless virtue in his action. This action redeems John in the eyes of the Lord and Satan quickly finds John is being rerouted from Hell to Heaven. Not having this, Satan spitefully resurrects John, ''painfully'' curing his lung cancer and healing his injuries in the process, in the hopes that he'll screw up and get himself damned again]].
* RoomFullOfCrazy: [[spoiler:Isabel]]'s room at the hospital. While it seems clean cut, the large windows are ''covered'' in various scrawlings that are visible with a bit of fog/condensation.
* {{Satan}}: Creator/PeterStormare FTW.
* SaveTheWorldClimax: John Constantine is hired to investigate a suicide. In the end, he tries to stop a conspiracy to bring [[spoiler:the son of the Devil on Earth]].
* SchmuckBait: Constantine tells the men helping him to close their eyes and not look. One doesn't.
* SeeYouInHell: The "Go to Hell" version, when talking to the demonic halfbreeds.
* ShapeshiftingExcludesClothing: Balthazar after the BigBad reduces him to dust.
* ShirtlessScene: John has one before he undergoes a routine lung checkup. And again in the end, when [[spoiler:Lucifer cures him of cancer, because he does it by literally ripping the tumors out through John's bare torso.]]
* ShoutOut
** When Angela Dodson wakes up in her apartment, her black cat meows and walks across her bed - a reference to the scene in ''Film/TheMatrix'' where Neo (also played by Creator/KeanuReeves) sees the black cat meow and walk by twice.
** After some demons are destroyed, Angela starts coughing due to the smell of sulfur/sulphur. Constantine says "Happens to everyone the first time", a reference to the "Everyone falls the first time" bit in ''The Matrix''.
** While Balthazar is looking at himself in a mirror, his image starts to distort and bubbles form on the glass just before the mirror explodes. This is a combination of two scenes in ''Film/TheMatrix'' film series: the one in ''Film/TheMatrix'' where Neo is looking into a mirror and it distorts, and the one in ''Film/TheMatrixReloaded'' where bubbles form on a door just before it explodes.
* {{Sidekick}}: Hennessy, Beeman and Chas Kramer.
* SinisterWhistling: After finally securing the rights to John Constantine's soul, Lucifer begins cheerily whistling [[DraggedOffToHell as he drags him off to hell.]] [[spoiler:Thankfully, God stops him at the last minute.]]
* SlidingScaleOfAdaptationModification: The plot is loosely based on the ''Hellblazer'' story "Dangerous Habits". John's lung cancer, his argument with Gabriel (who exhibits more sympathy for him here),[[spoiler: and Satan ripping the tumors from John's body are all taken from the comic. Other similarities include Gabriel panicking when found out by God (John mentions that "He" isn't happy about his angel schmoozing with [[UsefulNotes/TheTroubles the IRA]]), John cutting his wrists, Satan's trail of slime, and John flipping him off at the end. ]]
* SlowElectricity: When Constantine and Angela Dodson are talking on the street, the streetlights begin to turn off (with clunking sounds) - first far away, then approaching them. The last light to go out is the one near [[RuleOfSymbolism a statue of Virgin Mary]].
* SmokingIsCool: Subverted, as John gets lung cancer and later, as he quits [[spoiler:at the end of the movie (after Satan gets rid of the cancer)]].
* SmugSnake:
** Both Balthazar and [[spoiler:Lucifer]], as demons this is probably to be expected.
** [[spoiler:Gabriel]] also comes across as arrogant and self-satisfied, particularly in the movie’s climax.
* SoreLoser: [[spoiler:Satan is so outraged that he's being denied Constantine's soul, that he actually brings him back to life and cures his cancer, all in the hope Constantine will manage to damn himself again]].
* TheStinger: [[spoiler: Chas dies but is resurrected as an angel. Constantine's not exactly thrilled at this development.]]
* SuicideIsShameful: Suicide is deemed sinful enough to guarantee a soul a place in Hell, even if the attempt fails. [[spoiler:Subverted at the end, when Constantine uses his suicide as a HeroicSacrifice to save the Earth and convince Satan to send Angela's sister to Heaven, rather than barter for more time for himself. This act of self-sacrifice earns him a place in Heaven... until Lucifer heals him in the hopes that he'll mess it up before he dies again.]]
* SummonBiggerFish: [[spoiler: Lucifer actually [[BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork saves the day]] because Constantine summoned him. The Fallen One's pride is too great to allow another person, even his own son, damn the world. It's his job.]]
* SurpriseCarCrash: Done in the beginning to show the strength of the supernatural threat. When the man it's [[DemonicPossession possessing]] is suddenly hit by a truck, the vehicle is left with a huge dent in its grille and a mangled driver while he [[PedestrianCrushesCar just keeps walking]].
* SurvivalThroughSelfSacrifice: Constantine has been destined for {{Hell}} ever since [[SuicideIsShameful a failed suicide attempt in his childhood]], but at the end of the film, he attempts to commit suicide again, knowing that [[{{Satan}} the Devil]] will come to earth to personally claim his soul, [[VillainousRescue screwing up the Big Bad's plan when he arrives]]. This, plus John negotiating with the Devil to have another soul released from Hell, is judged [[HeroicSacrifice selfless and heroic]] enough for his soul to enter Heaven... until the Devil, furious at losing his right to John's soul, [[ReroutedFromHeaven brings John back to life and cures his cancer]], hoping that he will screw up at some point and get condemned to Hell again.
%%* SynchronizedSwarming: One bug demon can do this.
* TakeOffYourClothes: Played with. Angela had to take off her blouse and get in water to reactivate her power, when asked Constantine whether she should take her bra off too, Constantine considered for a while.
* TapOnTheHead: Constantine to the bar's bouncer the second time he goes there.
* TauntingTheUnconscious: Chaz tries to enter Papa Midnite's club, but is denied entry by the bouncer because he isn't psychic and can't tell that a hidden card depicts "a rat in a dress". Later in the movie, Constantine knocks out the bouncer. Chaz takes advantage of the opportunity to taunt the unconscious bouncer by saying "Who's a rat in a dress now, huh, bitch?"
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: [[spoiler:Part of Lucifer's intervention is basically this. He believes only he is allowed to take over the human realm, not his son. He's willing to give up a sure-fire victory, just because he wants to do it himself. He makes it clear that he's willing to play the long game to accomplish it also]].
* ThereAreNoCoincidences: Constantine offers this perspective at the end of the film.
-->'''Constantine''': I guess there's a plan for all of us. I had to die--''twice''--just to figure that out. Like the book says, "He works His work in mysterious ways." Some people like it...some people don't.
* ThirstyDesert: There is no water in Hell except what you bring with you in bottles or bodies.
* ThisCannotBe: [[spoiler:Lucifer is freaked out that John's sacrifice is actually enough for God to write off his suicide and deem him worthy of entering Heaven. So freaked out, he decides to resurrect John so he has a second chance to screw up.]]
* ThisIsForEmphasisBitch: Chas is happy to see the bouncer who kept him out get knocked down.
--> "Who's the rat in the dress now, huh, bitch?"
* TimeStandsStill:
** Whenever people die, or use the FireWaterJuxtaposition to take a brief trip to Hell, the outside world slows to a crawl.
** Lucifer freezes Gabriel right before the latter is about to punch him.
* ToHellAndBack: Constantine is such an expert at doing this, he even teaches Angela to do it once.
* TransformationOfThePossessed: The woman possessed by the soldier demon and [[spoiler:Angela Dodson]] when she's possessed by [[spoiler:Mammon, Lucifer's son]].
* TrenchcoatBrigade: Constantine. The actual John Constan-tyne is the TropeNamer for this one.
* TruceZone: Papa Midnite's bar was agreed to be such a place by God and Satan.
* TwinsAreSpecial: Isabela and Angela were born with strong psychic powers, strong enough for both to be considered good vessels for Lucifer's son Mammon to inhabit. Other powerful characters in the film are either a halfling of some sort or derive their powers using exorcism tools, with the exception of WitchDoctor Papa Midnite.
* UnresolvedSexualTension: Between John and Angela. So, so much of it. At least partly justified by the Roman Catholic ethics of John's world, in which extramarital sex is a sin.
* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: The BigBad plans to release [[spoiler:Mammon]] to bring pain and horror to humanity, in order to purify it and make it worthy of God's love.
--> '''[[spoiler:Gabriel]]''': So...I'll bring you ''pain''. I'll bring you ''horror''. So that you may rise above it. So that those of you who survive this reign of hell on Earth will be worthy of God's love.\\
'''John''': [[spoiler:Gabriel]]. You're '''[[InsaneTrollLogic insane]]'''.
* VillainousRescue: As part of a last ditch effort, [[spoiler:John kills himself to summon ''Satan''. When he understands the whys, Satan saves the world because [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou it is his job to destroy it]]]].
* WaitHere
** When John goes to confront the half-demon Balthazar he tells his potential LoveInterest Angela Dodson to stay in the car. After a while she decides to go after him, ends up losing the amulet he gave her to protect her, and is captured by their enemies.
** When John goes to convince Papa Midnite to let him use the Chair, he anticipates that the confrontation will be dangerous and tells his apprentice Chas Kramer to wait. After the encounter ends amicably Chas shows up without being summoned and starts to show off his book learning, to Papa Midnite's amusement.
* WaterloggedWarzone: Constantine arranges for the water in the hospital ceiling sprinkler system to be changed into holy water. He then sets off the sprinklers with a lighter, causing the half-breed demons he's facing to be doused with the holy water. This destroys their false human disguises, which makes them more vulnerable to attack. The water spray also covers the floor with water for the ensuing battle.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler:Gabriel]] shows this tract, even if Constantine calls her just insane. Even more after the climax, when she shows really happiness about Constantine refusing the dark and violent path of revenge and following instead a higher one, so being now really worth of God's love.
* WhatYouAreInTheDark: [[spoiler:Gabriel]] intended this outcome on humans by ending the world.
* WhereDoesHeGetAllThoseWonderfulToys: Beeman manages to acquire certain rare objects for Constantine...for a price.
-->'''Beeman''': Yeah, easy there, hero. That's Dragon's Breath. \\
'''John Constantine''': I thought you couldn't get it anymore. \\
'''Beeman''': Yeah, well, I, uh, I know a guy who knows a guy.
* WingedHumanoid: Half-Breeds.
* WithinArmsReach: While fighting a TheWormThatWalks demon on a city street, Constantine uses a matchbox containing an Amityville screech beetle to break up the demon into its component creatures. When the box is knocked from his hand and the demon pins him to the ground, Constantine must grab a metal rod to hit the box to disperse the demon and free himself.
* TheWormThatWalks: The "true demon" that Constantine encounters (thereby letting him know that some MAJOR shit is going down) manifests as a swarm of critters of all shapes and sizes. [[CarFu It gets killed by a car.]]
* YearInsideHourOutside: According to Constantine, seven minutes on Earth equals a lifetime in Hell. This is shown when he enters Hell; he orders Angela to leave the room, but the moment she closes the door, Constantine has returned, having had enough time to wander to the hospital and grab Isabel's tag.
* YouCanLeaveYourHatOn: When Angela is about to be submerged in water so she can reactivate her powers, she teasingly suggests if she should remove her bra. John considers for a while, but ultimately [[CelibateHero objects]].
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: BigBad [[spoiler:Gabriel]] to his ally [[spoiler:Balthazar]].
* YoureInsane: Constantine's reaction to the MotiveRant.
----
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* GodAndSatanAreBothJerks: The world in truth is a battleground for angels and demons for dominance. Humankind's casualties and/or souls lost to Hell are merely collateral damage. Both God and Lucifer allow it because they've made [[DealWithTheDevil a deal together,]] instead of the Almighty curb-stomping the rebellious archangel. Lucifer may not have to free rein of the planet to damn as many as he pleases, but he’s still permitted to visit and send his half-breeds to try. God himself being little kinder, damning souls who not only [[SuicideIsShameful end their lives]] but those who [[DrivenToSuicide cannot handle the truth]] of the world they inhabit. It comes off as GreyAndBlackMortality, as God’s afterlife is at least pleasant, and he cares for humanity to some degree. [[spoiler: He also accepts John into Heaven at the end, and according to the novelization, took control of John’s hand to flip off Lucifer so that he’d save John.]]

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* GodAndSatanAreBothJerks: The world in truth is a battleground for angels and demons for dominance. Humankind's casualties and/or souls lost to Hell are merely collateral damage. Both God and Lucifer allow it because they've made [[DealWithTheDevil a deal together,]] instead of the Almighty curb-stomping the rebellious archangel. Lucifer may not have to free rein of the planet to damn as many as he pleases, but he’s still permitted to visit and send his half-breeds to try. God himself being little kinder, damning souls who not only [[SuicideIsShameful end their lives]] but those who [[DrivenToSuicide cannot handle the truth]] of the world they inhabit. It comes off as GreyAndBlackMortality, GreyAndBlackMorality, as God’s afterlife is at least pleasant, and he cares for humanity to some degree. [[spoiler: He also accepts John into Heaven at the end, and according to the novelization, took control of John’s hand to flip off Lucifer so that he’d save John.]]



* GodIsGood: The movie seems to think so, particularly at the end. [[spoiler: Tellingly, the BigBad is the ArchangelGabriel, breaking God’s rules because they think He’s ‘’too benevolent’’ to humans, whom they consider unworthy of His love.]]

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* GodIsGood: The movie seems to think so, particularly at the end. [[spoiler: Tellingly, the BigBad is the ArchangelGabriel, breaking God’s rules because they think He’s ‘’too benevolent’’ He's ''too benevolent'' to humans, whom they consider unworthy of His love.]]
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* TheCameo:
** Bounty hunter Domino Harvey appears as an angel at Papa Midnight's bar.
** Creator/MichelleMonaghan appears in a hospital, screaming "Holy water!"

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* NoPeekingRequest: While Constantine is preparing to drag the demon out of the possessed girl he tells the men helping him "Close your eyes. And whatever happens, don't look." One of them does. He collapses and [[LockedIntoStrangeness his hair turns white]].



** Balthazar laughs off a blast Dragon's Breath, pointing out he was born from fire. A vial of holy water melts half of his human face off, exposing the demon underneath, but doesn't seem particularly painful either. Holy knuckle dusters however work juuuust fine.

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** Balthazar laughs off a blast Dragon's Breath, pointing out he was born from fire. A vial of holy water melts half of his human face off, face-off, exposing the demon underneath, but doesn't seem particularly painful either. Holy knuckle dusters however work juuuust fine.
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* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler:Gabriel]] shows this tract, even if Constantine calls her just insane. Even more after the climax, when she shows really happiness about Constantine refusing the dark and violent path of revenge and following instead a higher one, so being now really worth of God's love.
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* FamousLastWords: "You were right, John. It's not like in the books."
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* TwinsAreSpecial: Isabela and Angela were born with strong psychic powers, strong enough for both to be considered good vessels for Lucifer's son Mammon to inhabit. Other powerful characters in the film are either a halfling of some sort or derive their powers using exorcism tools, with the exception of WitchDoctor Papa Midnite.
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crosswicking a new trope



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* TauntingTheUnconscious: Chaz tries to enter Papa Midnite's club, but is denied entry by the bouncer because he isn't psychic and can't tell that a hidden card depicts "a rat in a dress". Later in the movie, Constantine knocks out the bouncer. Chaz takes advantage of the opportunity to taunt the unconscious bouncer by saying "Who's a rat in a dress now, huh, bitch?"
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** The Bible that they use in Hell has an extra five chapters in 1 Corinthians. In real life, 1 and 2 Corinthians were actually the personal correspondence between the Apostle Paul and the Church located in the city of Corinth, so does that mean that the Hell Bible features a ''different'' letter Paul wrote to a city in Hell that was ''also'' named Corinth?

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** The Bible that they use in Hell has an extra five chapters in 1 Corinthians. In real life, 1 and 2 Corinthians were actually the personal correspondence between the Apostle Paul and the Church located in the city of Corinth, so does that mean that the Hell Bible features a ''different'' letter Paul wrote to a city in Hell that was ''also'' named Corinth?Corinth? A more plausible explanation could be that Paul's other letters to the Church of Corinth were lost to human records (but known to demons), or were removed from the official Biblical account for whatever reason.
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* SynchronizedSwarming: One bug demon can do this.

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* %%* SynchronizedSwarming: One bug demon can do this.
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* AdaptationTitleChange: ''Constantine'' is based on the Vertigo comic ''Hellblazer''.
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* AdaptationalBadass: While certainly not a wimp by any standards, the comic book version of Constantine is more of a GuileHero and relies on his wits and quick thinking rather than combat skills. This movie’s version is a straightforward ActionHero, especially in the films climax.

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* EnemyMine:
** John is desperate for help in the end and [[spoiler:calls on Lucifer to come by committing suicide, knowing the Fallen One will come to claim him personally. John takes this moment to inform him of the villain's plan, which Satan's pride cannot let pass as it isn't his plan]].
** A few minutes later, [[spoiler:God and Satan team up to dispose of Gabriel. When Gabriel attempts to smite Lucifer in God's Name, the angel finds his punch halted. Lucifer recognizes this as God withdrawing the Grace of God within Gabriel and uses his powers to force Gabriel to go through transubstantiation and be mortal]].



* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: John notes early in the movie that God and Lucifer have made a bet that involves the souls of all humanity. [[spoiler:When Lucifer's son is close to being released and unleash hell on earth, Lucifer stops his son and the son's allies because this isn't Lucifer's plan. He will be the one to damn the world not his son]].



* {{Pride}}: What saves the world. [[spoiler:Namely the pride Satan has is so great even when his son and his allies are inches away from unleashing his son onto Earth and making it a hellhole, Satan cannot abide this as the world is his to damn and destroy. He effortlessly sends his son back to Hell and defeats Gabriel]].



* ReroutedFromHeaven: [[spoiler:Inverted and then played straight. As John attempted suicide in his youth, he was bound for Hell no matter what he did. But when he sacrificed his life and soul not just to stop the BigBad, but to save the soul of one in Hell, he is rerouted from Hell to Heaven for the genuinely selfless act. Not having this, Satan spitefully resurrects John, ''painfully'' curing his lung cancer and healing his injuries in the process, in the hopes that he'll screw up and get himself damned again]].

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* ReroutedFromHeaven: [[spoiler:Inverted and then played straight. As John attempted suicide in his youth, he was is bound for Hell no matter what he did. did because many of his good deeds are done to try and save himself from the consequence of his attempted suicide not because it is the right thing to do. But when he sacrificed sacrifices his life and soul not just to to stop the BigBad, but to save Satan offers him a reward. Instead of healing his mortal wounds, John requests the soul release of one soul in Hell, he Hell. Satan obliges, not immediately recognizing the selfless virtue in his action. This action redeems John in the eyes of the Lord and Satan quickly finds John is being rerouted from Hell to Heaven for the genuinely selfless act.Heaven. Not having this, Satan spitefully resurrects John, ''painfully'' curing his lung cancer and healing his injuries in the process, in the hopes that he'll screw up and get himself damned again]].



* SummonBiggerFish: [[spoiler: Lucifer actually [[BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork saves the day]] because Constantine summoned him.]]

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* SummonBiggerFish: [[spoiler: Lucifer actually [[BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork saves the day]] because Constantine summoned him. The Fallen One's pride is too great to allow another person, even his own son, damn the world. It's his job.]]
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* ReroutedFromHeaven: [[spoiler:Inverted and then played straight. As John attempted suicide since his youth, he was bound for Hell. But when he sacrificed his life and soul not just to stop the BigBad, but to save the soul of one in Hell, he is rerouted from Hell to Heaven. Not having this, Satan spitefully resurrects John, curing his lung cancer and heals his injuries in the process, in the hopes that he'll screw up and get himself damned again]].

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* ReroutedFromHeaven: [[spoiler:Inverted and then played straight. As John attempted suicide since in his youth, he was bound for Hell. Hell no matter what he did. But when he sacrificed his life and soul not just to stop the BigBad, but to save the soul of one in Hell, he is rerouted from Hell to Heaven. Heaven for the genuinely selfless act. Not having this, Satan spitefully resurrects John, ''painfully'' curing his lung cancer and heals healing his injuries in the process, in the hopes that he'll screw up and get himself damned again]].
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* AllThereInTheManual: The novelization not only reveals that the full name of Lucifer in the film is "Lucifer Rofocale", but that he is also ''The First of the Fallen'', distinguishing him from the more notable [[ComicBook/{{Lucifer}} Lucifer Morningstar]].
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* ReroutedFromHeaven: [[spoiler:Inverted and then played straight. As John was a suicide since his youth, he was bound for Hell. But when he sacrificed his life and soul not just to stop the BigBad, but to save the soul of one in Hell, he is rerouted from Hell to Heaven. Not having this, Satan spitefully resurrects John, curing his lung cancer and heals his injuries in the process, in the hopes that he'll screw up and get himself damned again]].

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* ReroutedFromHeaven: [[spoiler:Inverted and then played straight. As John was a attempted suicide since his youth, he was bound for Hell. But when he sacrificed his life and soul not just to stop the BigBad, but to save the soul of one in Hell, he is rerouted from Hell to Heaven. Not having this, Satan spitefully resurrects John, curing his lung cancer and heals his injuries in the process, in the hopes that he'll screw up and get himself damned again]].

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