Reviews of Hellboy

Hell of a boy!

Posted : 1 year, 1 month ago on 27 November 2008 06:35 (A review of Hellboy)

''Did you ever lose track of him?''

''Well let's see - there was that moment, when I had the train on top of my head...''

In 1945, a Nazi secret society summons a demon, but the ritual is disrupted and the creature taken by Professor Bruttenholm (Hurt). Now Hellboy, the star employee of the US Bureau For Paranormal Research And Defence, must stop evil monk man Rasputin, who wants to immolate the world.

Ron Perlman: Hellboy

Hellboy might not have the name-recognition factor like major heroes have the luxury of having but Guillermo del Toro brings us the audience swiftly up to speed on artist-writer Mike Mignola's comic book hero.

First, we are treated to an absorbingly detailed World War II prelude.
Then after we meet the present Hellboy who equals a hulking flaming red guy, complete with sawn-off horns, a stone right hand and teenage attitude due to his unique aging, coping with slimy tentacled threats to the fabric of reality while nurturing a crush on a fellow agent, troubled pyro-kinetic fire-starter Liz Sherman (Blair).

There are many characters and situations to display here, on hand is sensitive fish-man Abe Sapien (voiced by David Hyde Pierce), Del Toro brings in a new BPRD agent (Evans), developing a romantic triangle by having him attracted to Liz. This thread is easily the flimsiest, but so much else is going on that it doesn't get in the way of the film.

Del Toro turned down other projects to make this with a bigger budget in return for putting a star in Hellboy's giant boots, but he was right to hold out for Ron Perlman, thanks to his gruff, blue-collar charisma, a character who could easily have been just a big, scarlet special effect works like gangbusters.

Meanwhile, Blair and Hurt (as the hero's adoptive pop) provide calming outward interests, but the best supporting turn comes from the always-welcome Jeffrey "Hey now!" Tambor, as the smarmy bureaucrat boss.

Del Toro's already been down the comic-adaptation route in Blade II, Mignola's series is also congenial material ripe for cinematic treatment, with its blocky stone-and-iron architecture translating wonderfully to the screen. It's just a shame the promised reign of giant evil squid gods is too nebulous a threat to play as well as an old-fashioned fist-fest.

As usual, a human-shaped foe (here, Kroenen - a near-immortal Nazi assassin in stylised gas-mask, with a wind-up key in his heart and dust in his veins) is more interestingly hateful and remains a memorable aspect to Hellboy than the final encounter with a huge tentacled monster.

One of my fave Comic book adapts, Hellboy has dark humour and action galore and one I never get tired of watching or experiencing.

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It's Hell Without It

Posted : 2 years, 4 months ago on 22 August 2007 02:47 (A review of Hellboy)

Back in 2004, having never heard of Hellboy, I went to the theater expecting a violently awesome, funny movie.

Boy! Was I not disappointed! This was the best wall smashing, heart pounding, pure awesomeness ever!
I walked out of the theater thinking: Why can't other movies be as good as this?

From the beginning to the end this movie rocked! I can't say enough good things about this film. Whenever somebody asks me my favorite film, Hellboy comes to my mind first.
If you haven't seen it, drop what you're doing, go and buy it! rent it! Do whatever! JUST SEE IT! You won't be disappointed.
It's by far the best film Ron Perlman has ever done and probably will ever do.
I can't wait for number two!

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Hellboy review

Posted : 2 years, 7 months ago on 6 June 2007 04:39 (A review of Hellboy)

Before watching this film I'd never understood how people could walk out of the cinema during a movie they'd paid good money to see. Well this very nearly drove me too it. Towards the end of the film it struck me how I was preparing shopping lists, thinking about games I was playing and even planning an essay I had to write instead of watching this disgraceful insult to cinema.

I like Ron Perlman, I'd never heard of Hellboy before I watched it and I went in with a clean slate, expecting to be entertained. Instead, this behemoth of boredom weighing in at just over two hours turned out to be one of the most unproductive experiences of my life. I honestly don't get it. Del Toro isn't a bad director, but he's managed to make Ron Perlman extremely detestable and dull in this film. I cannot believe we're in for a sequel. This film always comes to mind whenever someone asks me for the 'worst films I've ever seen'.

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