After hearing rave reviews from America, and being a fan of Perlman I knew I had to see this movie. I have never read the comics, but as with comic book movies, they usually explain the basics. Hellboy is an above average comic adventure with some good effects and acting, stands above most other films for having a good script and being more smart than most others, but it is slightly too slow in places.
Ron Perlman stars as the adult Hellboy, a demon which the Nazis brought from some Nether Region as an infant. However, he was rescued and Rasputin-the man in charge of raising him was trapped with his minions for 60 years. Hellboy was given to Prof Broom and he becomes the creatures father. Hellboy grows like a normal human, and becomes part of an elite team of freaks who fight evil. He joins Abe Sapian, an amphibious creature, and Liz a pyrotechnic woman who he falls for. However, she cannot control her powers and is locked away. When Rasputin and his evil forces return, it is up to the team to stop him, taking rookie agent John along. The two form an unlikely duo, and plan to bring down the bad guys once and for all.
Perlman is excellent in the role, creating much of the film’s humour. Blair and Pierce are also good in differing roles, Hurt is strong as the Prof, and Evans is OK as John. The action is good in parts, but the effects are very impressive, as is the make-up and sets etc. The story is a little wavy at times and can sometimes detach itself from the audience. However, there are enough exciting moments to keep us happy, and even as a comic book movie it is different and refreshing. Hopefully the sequel will be an improvement.
This 2 disc edition has tonnes of features, from documentaries to comic shorts and other films. This is a worthy purchase for any fan, though if you’re a fan of the animated series too, you would be better going for the newly released 3 disc edition. Both are sets which are the way all dvds should be.
Feel free to comment on my review or the movie itself- share your thoughts on how this compares with other comic book movies.
The Spac Hole 