Was Constantine Great?

The last movie I saw in the theater was Constantine; ok the last two times to the theater was to see Constantine. I admit I found it to be a pretty good movie. The is the synosis from the movie’s website.

John Constantine has been to hell and back.

Born with a gift he didn’t want, the ability to clearly recognize the half-breed angels and demons that walk the earth in human skin, Constantine (KEANU REEVES) was driven to take his own life to escape the tormenting clarity of his vision. But he failed. Resuscitated against his will, he found himself cast back into the land of the living. Now, marked as an attempted suicide with a temporary lease on life, he patrols the earthly border between heaven and hell, hoping in vain to earn his way to salvation by sending the devil’s foot soldiers back to the depths.

But Constantine is no saint. Disillusioned by the world around him and at odds with the one beyond, he’s a hard-drinking, hard-living bitter hero who scorns the very idea of heroism. Constantine will fight to save your soul but he doesn’t want your admiration or your thanks – and certainly not your sympathy.

All he wants is a reprieve.

When a desperate but skeptical police detective (RACHEL WEISZ as Angela Dodson) enlists his help in solving the mysterious death of her beloved twin sister (also played by Weisz), their investigation takes them through the world of demons and angels that exists just beneath the landscape of contemporary Los Angeles. Caught in a catastrophic series of otherworldly events, the two become inextricably involved and seek to find their own peace at whatever cost.

With such an interesting topic I thought I had to see it. What brought me back was its intriguing analogies and interesting symbolism. I thought the movie truly represented what a secular humanist might imagine spiritual warfare to be like. Now remember this is NOT a Christian movie. I would not suggest deriving your worldview or theology from this movie. Like many things, this production did have some interesting nuggets of truth. Some things to take away from this movie are: Hell is a terrible place to be avoided at all costs, you can’t earn your way into heaven, spiritual warfare is a real and overlooked by most people, plus many more. This is the only secular movie I know that actually gives the gospel message in it. With that in mind, it does miss one important truth, Jesus. Jesus defeated his enemies when he died on the cross and rose from the dead three days later. There is not a “balance” between Heaven and Hell.

So what is my suggestion? I say, round up a few Christian friends and maybe a few non-Christians and see this movie. Plan before you to go to meet right afterwards for dinner/lunch/snack to discus what you thought was interesting. Correct any mistakes made by the movie and ascertain the things the movie got right. Don’t forget to bring your bible to back up what you think with verse. This movie is quite the conversation starter.

Note: The movie is rated R. There are not any sex scenes. There is some pretty graphic and violent deaths and some over all creepiness. (I closed my eyes for a moment). There is also some language.