Hellboy isn't your conventional comic book film. Aside from Spider-Man and the X-Men films, most of these comic book films have been dead on arrival. So leave your patriotic superhero stereotypes at the door, and enjoy one of the more original offerings from the recent overkill of comic book adaptations. I went into Hellboy expecting very little, and was overjoyed to find a truly enjoyable film awaiting me.
The film centres on the titular Hellboy (Ron Perlman), a demon who arrived via a portal from hell opened by the Nazis at the end of World War II. Raised by the professor (John Hurt) that finds him, he grows into a defender of good against the combined evil of Nazis and Rasputin. Aiding Hellboy in his quest are Abe Sapien (Doug Jones, but voiced by David Hyde-Pierce), an aquatic mind reader, and Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), who starts fires every time she gets excited. If you're thinking it sounds strange already, there is more of the same in the film itself, and it's thoroughly enjoyable for it.
What first forced me to separate Hellboy from its comic book peers was its style of humour. The film gets this underway early by showing that in the world of the film, the Hellboy comic book also exists. As Hellboy himself explains, “I hate those books, they never get the eyes right”. Whether or not this humour will translate if you're not a comic book fan is to be seen, but it amused me nonetheless. Throughout the film, it is the quirks like this that raise it above the rest. Hellboy is a character that takes no crap, yet hides his cigar from his “dad”. Combined with the constant barrage of cynical one-liners and his seemingly constantly in use catchphrase of “oh crap”, and we're certainly dealing with someone quite different to Superman or Spider-Man.
The direction of the film is solid, something that surprised me as the film is from Guillermo del Toro, who up until now I believed couldn't direct himself out of a paper bag. The settings of the film are dark, but never to the point where they become bleak. The special effects are also more believable than those seen in a lot of films.
The cast are on the whole excellent, with Ron Perlman being the most impressive, largely because of his limited acting past. It's amazing that the studio even took a chance on him as the lead to a major motion picture, but it's one that has easily paid off. Pierce, uncredited on the film itself, does his best aquatic Niles character, and it's only really Selma Blair that seems slightly out of place, although she does grow into the role over the course of the film.
Overall, I'd argue that Hellboy is the best comic book film since Spider-Man, not something I'd tag it with lightly. In turns hilarious (see Hellboy's liking of kittens), exciting (the first fight in the New York library is one of the best I've seen) and touching (witness Hellboy and Liz's final scene), it's by far one of the most varied, and entertaining comic book adaptations I have ever seen.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Production Year: 1977 - Action/Adventure - Director: Clint Eastwood - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring:Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Pat Hingle, William Prince, Bill McKinney
Great review, although I was disappointed with the film!
ladyofsorrow 12.09.2004 03:22
'So leave your patriotic superhero stereotypes at the door, and enjoy one of the more original offerings from the recent overkill of comic book adaptations.' - I couldn't agree more with this statement. (I did however disagree with the Spiderman and X-men comment lol.)
hazle 09.09.2004 11:52
I also thought that this was a great movie far better than any of the comic book movies that have been around over the last few years.
In the ongoing deluge of comic-book adaptations,Hellboyranks well above average. Having ... more
turned down an offer to helmHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkabanin favor of bringingHellboy's origin story to the big screen, the gifted Mexican director Guille...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
In the ongoing deluge of comic-book adaptations,Hellboyranks well above average. Having ... more
turned down an offer to helmHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkabanin favor of bringingHellboy's origin story to the big screen, the gifted Mexican director Guille...
Postage & Packaging: free Super Saver Delivery Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Advantages: Features an excellent cover of Disturbeds "Down with the Sickness" by Richard Cheese. Disadvantages: So many special features on the DVD you might never get round to watching the film!
donnabroom 02.07.2005 (02.07.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Hellboy (DVD)
Advantages: Features an excellent cover of Disturbeds "Down with the Sickness" by Richard Cheese. Disadvantages: So many special features on the DVD you might never get round to watching the film!
donnabroom 02.07.2005 (02.07.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Hellboy (DVD)
![Hellboy [DVD] [2004]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78489265.jpg "Hellboy [DVD] [2004]")
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