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I remember watching it when it first came out (I was just 11 years old) and I remember loving it. When I saw just it again just yesterday my view hasn't changed one bit. Let me tell you one thing: This is directed by Guillermo Del Toro and that's one of the reasons why this film rocks. Had this been directed by Spielberg, well, this would've been E.T with a large big ape. Del Toro can make fantasy/sci-fi movies just like that. It's all to easy for him and Hellboy is one such example.
The pace of the film is brilliant and the violence is superbly detailed. Yea, that's right, none of the cartoony violence. Granted, Ron Perlman was never in my Top 10 but who could dislike him as the titular character? Just like Nicholson and Downey, Jr., he takes an uncanny relish in his role and makes use of his screen-time. Ever heard Bad to the Bone by George Thorogood? That's right, Ron Perlman fits the description. Doug Jones, who portrays Ape Sapien, is like the modern Lon Chaney. His performance equally matches that of Perlman's. Even Selma Blair was surprisingly good but frankly speaking, I like her better in the sequel and John Hurt is a fantastic actor but I felt his talent under-used in an otherwise promising role.
Now, let me make one more thing clear: horror and fantasy/supernatural are two genres in which not everyone can be convincing. Sure, they play memorable roles and have memorable moments but performance-wise, this is not everyone's strong suit. Unlike drama in which even the most in-experienced actor can work wonders, fantasy asks for more. And the reason why I'm saying this is because Karel Roden who plays the antagonist, Grigori Rasputin, gave just about one of the greatest performances in history of fantasy/supernatural movies. His screen-time is minimal but the effect is everlasting. From the start to the finish, Karel Roden owns the film and his was the best performance overall. No questions asked. From his introduction to his death, he had me transfixed and in terms of fantasy/supernatural, his performance is up there with Ian McKellen, Doug Jones and Michael Clarke-Duncan among others...
Overall, as seeing just how brilliant Ron Perlman was, he should play Duke Nukem. I mean seriously, now that would be a film worth the wait and he would be just perfect. So, Hellboy is an entertaining film and not adding it to my greatest movies list would be a shame...
8.7/10
