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Hellboy [2004]


RRP: £22.99
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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

In the ongoing deluge of comic-book adaptations, Hellboy ranks well above average. Having turned down an offer to helm Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in favor of bringing Hellboy's origin story to the big screen, the gifted Mexican director Guillermo del Toro compensates for the excesses of Blade II with a moodily effective, consistently entertaining action-packed fantasy, beginning in 1944 when the mad monk Rasputin--in cahoots with occult-buff Hitler and his Nazi thugs--opens a transdimensional portal through which a baby demon emerges, capable of destroying the world with his powers. Instead, the aptly named Hellboy is raised by the benevolent Prof. Bloom, founder of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, whose allied forces enlist the adult Hellboy (Ron Perlman, perfectly cast) to battle evil at every turn. While nursing a melancholy love for the comely firestarter Liz (Selma Blair), Hellboy files his demonic horns ("to fit in," says Bloom) and wreaks havoc on the bad guys. The action is occasionally routine (the movie suffers when compared to the similar X-Men blockbusters), but del Toro and Perlman have honored Mike Mignola's original Dark Horse comics with a lavish and loyal interpretation, retaining the amusing and sympathetic quirks of character that made the comic-book Hellboy a pop-culture original. He's red as a lobster, puffs stogies like Groucho Marx, and fights the good fight with a kind but troubled heart. What's not to like? --Jeff Shannon

Editorial
Synopsis

Based on the comic book series by Mike Mignola, Guillermo del Toro's gleefully eccentric film follows the supernatural adventures of Hellboy (Ron Perlman), a cigar-chomping, horn-filing demonic hero enlisted by an occult scholar (John Hurt) to fight evil in the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense. Along with the fire-throwing Liz Sherman (Selma Blair) and the amphibious psychic Abe Sapien (Doug Jones, with the voice of David Hyde Pierce), Hellboy is joined by new recruit John Myers (Rupert Evans), a squeaky-clean FBI agent assigned to keep the big red devil's exploits in check. Things get out of hand, however, when a vicious monster is unleashed by the villainous Rasputin (Karl Roden), leading to events that may set off an apocalyptic nightmare for humanity. Echoing Peter Jackson's passion for THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, HELLBOY is a labor of love from del Toro, a longtime fan of the comic and its creator. The director's enthusiasm shows, since HELLBOY is a wondrously strange slice of pulpy adventure, mixed with horror and humor, and enhanced by stunning visual effects. In the title role (and lots of red makeup), Perlman is pitch-perfect, giving the good-natured misfit a powerful--yet surprisingly sensitive--presence. Blair, Evans, Hurt, and other actors are similarly well cast, rounding out an ensemble intent on retaining the movie's dark yet superbly entertaining tone.

Del Toro does it again
Review date: 2008-08-31 Rating: 10 out of 10

I love this film... It's funny, but not in the wrong places. You know what i mean - when someone cracks a pitiful joke in the middle of a sad scene. Perlman does a good job of the tough guy, but the emotions really show through too. Even the music is excellent! I can't wait to see Hellboy 2.

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Reviews


An ok film ... nothing less, nothing more.
Review date: 2008-08-18 Rating: 6 out of 10

Ron Perlman is a perfect choice for the role of Hellboy and hes wonderful playing the part. The production of the film is good, the acting is decent, the story is fast paced and i enjoyed the film. However, it is missing something I cant put my finger on. Overall it's an above-average movie, worth a watch but nothing special. I have never read the comic so I came into this film with an open-mind and I found it to be a decent escapism-type film. With the sequel just around the corner I have just watched it again but that is only the second time I have watched this film. Comic-to-film adaptations are always a mixed bag, but this is one I didnt mind watching .... not as good as Batman Begins or 300, but certainly better than the dreadful Superman Returns or the lame Fantastic 4 film.

Fun Comic Book Adventure from Guillermo Del Torro and Mike Mignola
Review date: 2008-08-09 Rating: 10 out of 10


"Hellboy II: The Golden Army" is a fun comic book adventure that's one of the better films I have seen this year. Director/writer Guillermo Del Toro and writer - and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola - have crafted a superb superhero action adventure film featuring the often-overlooked Ron Perlman as that devilish hero Hellboy. Sure, he's a flawed son of Satan now committed to fighting for "truth, justice and the American way" (oops, wrong superhero, but you get my point), while also indulging in beer and expensive Cuban cigars. But this time around, he has two problems. First, his relationship with his long-time girlfriend, the fiery Liz (Selma Blair) seems to be reaching a new low - or rather is it? Second, he must deal with the war-like wishes of Elven prince Nuada (Luke Goss), seeking to save his Elvish people from humanity, by resurrecting the legendary, immortal Golden Army. So does Hellboy succeed with his pals Liz and Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) in resisting Prince Nuada's hostile intentions towards humanity? While I won't spoil the fun - but instead, urge you to see the film - I shall note that you'll laugh, cry and eat lots of popcorn watching Hellboy and his friends at work, trying to save America and the rest of humanity. And once you do see the film, I hope that you will realize how ready director Guillermo Del Toro is in tackling J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" as his next cinematic masterpiece after "Pan's Labyrinth".


Hellish entertainment!
Review date: 2008-08-06 Rating: 10 out of 10

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.
There was an aura of entertainment when viewing this move.
Please note before showing movie to child under age of 12, it is very violent and their is a lot of murder scenes, and a lot of swearing.
Be cautious on what you show to your kids!

P.S It was very good though!

Somewhere between Heaven and Hell...
Review date: 2008-08-01 Rating: 6 out of 10

This completely passed me by when it first came out, but given I've now seen a trailer for the second film, which looks fantastic, I thought I'd better get my hands on this and check it out. And it's certainly worth a watch.

The film begins during World War II. Mad man Rasputin is in cahoots with Hitler, and together they manage to open the gates to the supernatural world. By the time the good guys manage to restore normality, the portal was open for long enough for something to escape. Soon enough, they discover something did. And it turns out to be a cute little monster-type thing. Only it is not as harmless as it looks, the 'thing' is in fact a baby demon, capable of wreaking complete and utter havoc on the world. As the bad guys aren't around, the kind-hearted Professor Bloom takes charge of the little creature, and brings it up as his son. So what could have been the scourge of the earth is in fact one of its biggest protectors. The aptly-named Hellboy is trained to obliterate the bad guys. However, in doing so, he's attracting a lot of attention.

Squeaky-clean FBI agent Myers is brought in to try and keep tabs on Hellboy's actions and stop him from causing so much havoc. However, he doesn't do such a great job. He develops a crush on Liz, the love of his charge's life, which just gives Hellboy another reason to misbehave. They're soon forced to club together, though, when the evil Rasputin reappears, once again dead-set on destroying the earth. But will Hellboy follow his destiny as a demon and help bring about the end of the world, or will he stand true and defeat the enemy? Only one way to find out...

This wasn't a bad film. It wasn't the most tense or action-packed superhero movie I've seen, but it wasn't the worst, either. It's probably not as popular as some of the other movies due to the fact the character isn't quite up there with Spiderman, Batman and Superman, but if you're into the genre, you should definitely watch it. It's a bit different, it's got humour, it's tongue in cheek, and there are many worse ways to while away a couple of hours.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Ron Perlman
Rupert Evans
Karel Roden
Selma Blair
John Hurt

Creators:
Ron Perlman (Primary Contributor)
John Hurt (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
EAN: 5035822485631
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 2
Format: Anamorphic, Dubbed, PAL, Widescreen,
Release date: 2005-01-10
Number of discs: 2
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 117 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2004-04-02
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: Russian (Original Language)

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