Rating: 
Summary: Hellacious! Best movie I've seen this year so far!
Review: Though I am a comics reader, I have never paid much attention to Mike Mignola's "Hellboy." All the same, I became intrigued through the high praise that the series has drawn from fandom in general. It was without any other preconceptions that I saw an advance screening of the movie just last night, courtesy of Big Planet Comics of Bethesda, MD. I can only say that I was blown away.The visuals are AWESOME, the makeup worthy of an award or two, and the characters instantly likeable. Best of all, this is not your comic-to-film project that smacks of commercialism and opportunities for merchandising. Not only does the project have a lot of heart, but you can tell that writer/director Guillermo Del Toro's entire crew put their best into the picture. Though all of the cast deserves huge kudos in some measure, Ron Perlman as Hellboy is the definitive lead man for the role. He fits into the character so easily that it's like the Hellboy part was written for him - and Ron must've had a blast playing him, too. Throw into the mix Mignola's signature creature design, CGI Cthulhu-like monsters, demon-worshipping Nazis, more action and suspense than your usual Summer blockbuster, and all you can do is walk out of the movie theater being hardly able to wait for a sequel or two. I hope they give the eventual DVD release a 2-disc set treatment, with lots of interviews and "making-of" featurettes. Having watched "Hellboy," I can see what the talk has been about and am planning on checking out the other graphic novels in the series. Believe me, you don't have to be a comics fan to thoroughly enjoy "Hellboy" - and if you are a Mike Mignola fan, I just bet that this is probably your dream come true.
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