Review of Hellboy (2004) by King S — 10 Aug 2011

It was a risky move spending 66 mil on a movie based on an unknown comic, and in that regard, Hellboy did pretty well, making 99 mil worldwide, as well as having a strong run on the home market. Even so, I find it kind of dissapointing that it couldn't outgross the likes of Ghost Rider and Fantastic Four, given that I found it much better than those films.

The film starts during World War 2, where Proffesor Broom and a bunch of Allied soldiers find a group of Nazis building a portal with the help of a sorcerer named Rasputin in order to bring forth creatures from another realm. Luckily, the Allied soldiers manage to defeat the Nazis and destroy the portal, but not before a small creature escapes from the other side, which despite its outward appearance (it basically looks like a little devil complete with two horns) Proffesor Broom takes it in as an adopted son, calling him Hellboy. Fast forward to the present day, and Hellboy has joined a secret division dealing with paranormal events away from the public's eye. He's dealing with a lot of issues, including disagreements with his father, feelings he has for a girl with fire powers called Liz who has left for fear of harming anyone with her powers, frustration at not being able to room free due to what he is, and a new agent, John Myers, whom he doesn't like. On top of that all, Rasputin returns, and along with his assistants, Haupstein and Kroenen, plans to finish what he started, plans that may include Hellboy.

Director Guillermo del Toro supposedly did Blade 2 just so he could do Hellboy. That's how much passion he had for the project and it shows.

It's hard to fit Hellboy into just one genre. It's a superhero movie with a lot of fantasy elements, not to mention a fair share of horro and comedy. It could even be considered a buddy cop movie. Thanfully, it manages to work on all these levels. Mixing different types of genres can be hard espeically comedy and horror, and yet Del Toro manages to strike a perfect balance, and the film is able to move smoothly from horror scenes (such as the Sammael monsters picking off the agents one by one) to the more humorous scenes (like the scene where Hellboy meets a young fan on top of the roof) It's also one heck on an entertaining film, with one thrilling action set piece after another.

Normally one would expect an origin film to have a certain dullness to it, but then again pretty much all of Hellboy's origin is done in the opening sequence (after all, one of the most important themes of the film is never judge someone by their origin) After that we are introduced to the world of Hellboy through the eyes of newcommer John Myers, allowing us to get into the plot really quickly without too much time spent of backstories.

The visual effects for this film are amazing. Not only does Del Toro manage to make a film full of creative creatures but the effects used on them are surprisingly believable even by todays standards, thanks to a skillful combination of CGI and more practical effects.

The cast is another plus for this film. Ron Perlman is perfect as Hellboy who makes for one of the more interesting heroes, tough and defient to his origin but at the same time cocky and hot headed with a tendacy to act before he thinks, contrary to is Abe Sapien, portrayed by Doug Jones, who's the brains needed to complete Hellboy's muscle. Selma Blair is also great as Liz, whose outcast story and romance with Hellboy helps give the film its heart. Props also go to John Hurt as Proffesor Broom, whose father-son relationaship with Hellboy is another driving force for the heart of the film and Jeffrey Tambor as Tom Manning, the manager with very little patience for Hellboy.

The villains aren't nearly as well developed, but then again first films in superhero franchises are more about the heroes than the villains. Also, what they lack in character development they make up for in sheer coolness from the giant octopus thing at the end to the silent assasin, Kroenen.

Filled with visual creativity, great characters, humor, action, and some few touching momments, as well as a message about never judging something by what it appears to be, Hellboy has Del Toro working on material perfect for him, one which he clearly loves, and the result is one of the more entertaining and different superhero movies out there.