Hellboy (Director's Cut Giftset)

Rating:
Summary: Stylish fun
Review: "There is a place, a dark place, where ancient evil slumbers, waiting to be awakened," a character warns in the first minutes of "Hellboy." And if you think that ancient evil is going to continue slumbering through a film with a title like "Hellboy," you must be dreaming. Awaken it does -- on two fairly spectacular occasions -- and to defeat it, the world must call upon a guy who could squash Spider-Man with one sweep of his rock-hard right hand, a scarlet-skinned avenger who makes the Hulk look not-so-incredible.

Hellboy, as readers of the Dark Horse comic know, is a half-man, half-demon and, as played by Ron Perlman, he's a whole lotta fun to hang around with. Although he's got brute strength to spare, his fireproof hide hides a tender side: He vainly tries to sand down the pair of horns that keep threatening to sprout out of his broad forehead, he consumes basins of chili and mini-mountains of nachos in one sitting, and he enjoys the company of ... kittens.

The dream project of the gifted Mexican screenwriter and director Guillermo del Toro ("Mimic," "Blade II"), "Hellboy" initially appears to be a flashy mishmash of elements lifted from "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "X-Men," "The Matrix" and other fantasies. But stick with it. Somehow del Toro gives the movie unexpected rhythm and spirit; don't be surprised if you get caught up in this weirdly affecting tale about a superhero bedeviled by his need for acceptance and companionship.

The screenplay by del Toro begins in 1944, as the Nazis and the diabolical Grigori Rasputin (yes, the Mad Monk himself) combine science and black magic to open a portal to Hell. The results are dire for all concerned, and in the midst of the mess a miniature red menace manages to cross over from the dark side.

Adopted by paranormal expert Professor Broom (John Hurt), the little creature grows up to be Hellboy, the secret weapon of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, an organization dedicated to stamping out monsters whenever and wherever they appear. They're a low-profile bunch. Instead of the supersonic jet the X-Men travel around in, the BPRD team disguises itself as a band of trashmen.

In the rare moments when he's not fending off attacks by the sinister forces of Rasputin (Karel Roden), Hellboy attempts to deal with new BPRD trainee John Myers (British TV star Rupert Evans), who has managed to win the trust of Hellboy's dreamgirl, Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), a sullen soul cursed with pyrokinesis: Whenever her temper flares, everything goes up in flames. The bizarre love triangle is delightfully well-played, with Hellboy fuming and fussing as he stalks John and Liz. "When am I ever gonna get a girl?" Hellboy complains. "I drive around in a garbage truck."

"Hellboy" also introduces Abe Sapien, an intellectually inclined gill-man/psychic who speaks with the voice of David Hyde Pierce; an undead assassin with a horribly mutilated body, veins full of dust and a clockwork heart that keeps him running; and Sammael, a hell-hound capable of resurrecting itself (or quickly reproducing copies of itself) each time it seems to be near death. Avid readers of the comics will be pleased to know creator Mike Mignola served as a visual consultant here, and he's at least partially responsible for the film's sleek, dark, glossy/grungy look.

Certainly not everything works as well as it should. The humor, which often gives scenes a welcome edge, sometimes gets perilously close to the thudding one-liners that eventually sent Arnold Schwarzenegger into exile in the California governor's mansion. An insufferable bureaucrat (Jeffrey Tambor) who abruptly disappears from the storyline -- a plot point that's ridiculed during the end credits -- is an extraneous annoyance that slows down the action and should have been cut before shooting began.

But for every little flaw or misstep, "Hellboy" manages to come up with something unexpectedly off-the-wall to compensate for it, such as the inclusion of 1940s chanteuse Vera Lynn's "We'll Meet Again" on the soundtrack, or a fistfight that somehow continues, even as the participants are hurtling down an elevator shaft.

Rating:
Summary: Witty HELLBOY is fun, rollicking adventure
Review: Based on the Dark Horse comic, HELLBOY is probably one of the more unusual superhero films around today. In a prologue set in World War II, the U.S. Army foils a (...) plot to open an other dimensional portal and unleash monster fiends upon the world. However, an infant demon slips through into our world. Taking pity on him, government scientist Professor Broom raises the tyke as his own. Sixty years later, we find the demon all grown-up and fighting paranormal menaces for a secret U.S. government agency. However, Hellboy finds himself battling not only the evils of his past, but his own feelings for Liz Sherman, a fellow freak with pyrotechnic powers.

Ron Perlman is perfectly cast as the demon with a blue-collar attitude towards his job. In many ways, he comes across as your local garbage man or plumber with his world-weary view towards the many monsters he faces. His snappy comebacks are especially amusing. Perlman's costume and make-up also reinforce the image with his floppy raincoat and filed-down horns, which resemble goggles more than anything. Selma Blair is touching as Liz Sherman, the somewhat sullen object of Hellboy's affections, while John Hurt brings an added amount of warmth as the elder Professor Broom. Rupert Evans is solid as the young FBI agent who is introduced into Hellboy's world. As the evil Rasputin, Karel Rodin underplays the part, making him a somewhat bland bad guy. Doug Jones, with the voice of David Hyde Pierce, makes the fish-man Abe Sapien a truly fun creation. Lending solid support is Jeffrey Tambor as Hellboy's antagonistic boss. Director Guillermo del Toro does a wonderful job keeping the film at such a brisk pace that we easily get swept up in the story.

Despite having a lower budget than most films of its type, the special effects are definitely better than average with snaky haired monsters providing menace and a complaining zombie half-corpse providing laughs. HELLBOY is a fast-paced, fun film that definitely will draw in fans of the cult comic, while the irreverent attitude will appeal to action fans in general. It doesn't matter if you're familiar to the comic or not, this film is definitely a enjoyable time, and as such, is one that I definitely recommend.

Rating:
Summary: Perlman sells fun and frantic HELLBOY
Review: Based on the Dark Horse comic, HELLBOY is probably one of the more unusual superhero films around today. In a prologue set in World War II, the U.S. Army foils a Nazi plot to open an other dimensional portal and unleash monster fiends upon the world. However, an infant demon slips through into our world. Taking pity on him, government scientist Professor Broom raises the tyke as his own. 60 years later, we find the demon all grown-up and fighting paranormal menaces for a secret U.S. government agency. However, Hellboy finds himself batting not only the evils of his past, but his own feelings for Liz, a fellow freak with pyrotechnic powers.

Ron Perlman is perfectly cast as the demon with a blue-collar attitude towards his job. In many ways, he comes across as your local garbage man or plumber with his world-weary view towards the many monsters he faces. His snappy comebacks are especially amusing. Perlman's costume and make-up also reinforce the image with his floppy raincoat and filed-down horns, which resemble goggles more than anything. Selma Blair is touching as the somewhat sullen object of Hellboy's affections, while John Hurt brings an added amount of warmth as the elder Professor Broom. Rupert Evans is solid as the young FBI agent introduced to this unusual situation. As the evil Rasputin, Karel Rodin somewhat underplays the part, making him a rather bland bad guy. Doug Jones, with the voice of David Hyde Pierce, are delightful as fish-man Abe Sapien. Lending solid support is Jeffrey Tambor as Hellboy's antagonistic boss.

Despite having a lower budget than most films of its type, the special effects are definitely better than average with snaky haired monsters providing menace and a complaining zombie half-corpse providing laughs. HELLBOY is a fast-paced, fun film that definitely will draw in fans of the cult comic, while the irreverent attitude will appeal to action fans in general. It doesn't matter if you're familiar to the comic or not, this film is definitely a fun time, and as such, is one that I definitely recommend.

Rating:
Summary: Pleasantly surprised...
Review: If you are on the fence about seeing this movie, let me recommend seeing this highly. I am an avid movie watcher, and comic book reader, however I have never read a hellboy comic in my life, so I went into this movie with no pre-conceived notions of what to expect. I was a little hesitant, because of the directors previous effort "Blade II". I enjoyed that movie somewhat, but it just wasn't great for me. So needless to say, I really didn't think this movie would be all that. But I was pleasantly surprised. The effects were amazing, the story was great and the actors did a superb job. Ron Perlman was fantastic. I was little hesitant about the fact of him having the lead role, I just didn't think he was that strong of an actor (sorry Ron), but he fit this character like a glove, he was awesome. The other characters were great and the casting was well done. The character interaction in this movie was interesting and fun. This was just a fun sci-fi/action flick that kept me 100% entertained the entire time. I doubt you'll come away thinking this movie is oscar-worthy or anything, but I think most people out there will find it quite enjoyable. You will hear over and over comic afficionados bashing this movie for not being true to the comic books, but I loved it. Not only is it a great movie, but this DVD supposedly has tons of little "goodies" and extra features, that definitely makes buying this DVD worthwhile.

Rating:
Summary: Good for the comics fan
Review: It's another comic book rendered into live action. On the whole, it's pretty good. The (...) are the bad guys, our flawed Hellboy is the hero, and he gets the hot female lead in the last scene. Yes, I said hot.

The pace is good, the attitude is bad (that's good), and the effects are good. The visual presentation helps move the story along. For example, almost the entire first sequence is bluish monochrome with two colored exceptions: Our Hero is red, and the Evil Babe's lipstick is red. That tells you who to watch. OK, it's not subtle, but this is a comic. I'll look elsewhere for subtlety.

(BTW, I've never read Hellboy comics. I probably won't start, even though I liked the movie. Lots of other comics are good, too, and my preferences lie in other directions.)

Maybe you like comics. Maybe you like action movies based on over-the-top characters. Maybe you want a flick that's exciting enough, but where people stay mostly dressed and the gore is kept under control. If so, the movie has a fair bit to offer. Go ahead, enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: A PRE-RELEASE REVIEW
Review: Just saw the trailer for this movie which will be released on April 2, 2004. A little background, this movie is based on a popular Comic book series by Mike Mignola.

When a Nazi mystical experiment goes awry in 1944, the target of a wizard's spell, the child of Satan, Hellboy, is wrenched from his home, and adopted by the U.S. agents who intercept his arrival. Raised as a force of good, Hellboy grows up to be a full-fledged demon in the form of a man, complete with fierce red skin, a tail, a giant armored glove, and two large circles where his horns should be (if they ever grow back, Hellboy is quick to break them off). Now, the adult Hellboy, an investigator of the paranormal, is sent on a mission that brings him back in touch with the evil genius that started it all... that Nazi wizard (and just who is *he* anyway?). Accompanying him along the way are other agents, including Liz, a pyrokinetic woman Hellboy has feelings for, and Abe Sapien, a mysterious amphibian hominid...

Ron Perleman of Beauty and the Beast Fame will play hellboy and looks pretty good in the part. The director Guillermo Del Toro is the same guy who did Blade II so he has some experience with comic adaptions.

Looks to be very special effects laden, but it looks very interesting.

Rating:
Summary: More Like 4.5 Stars..but Still a Great Comic Book Movie!
Review: Ron Perlman is Hellboy and makes the movie worthwhile even if it wasn't any good. But have no fear because the movie is really good. No other actor I can think of is more perfect for this part and I was happy to finally see him get a starring role in a movie, rather than the side-kick or bad-guy part of norm. His eyes, voice, and sarcastic personality really shine through all those layers of awesome make-up. Rick Baker did the make-up effects and that alone promises greatness in that department. The love story between Hellboy and Liz was funny and sweet, not sappy like the one in Spiderman. Everyone cast seemed like they fit the part, especially John Hurt (the mentor) and Liz (Selma Blair). The special effects for the most part are great, with only a few scenes standing out as just average (the underwater egg hunt & the blue fire). All in all, I had a blast with the action scenes and remained interested in the plot, which was fresh and new for this type of movie. Not being one who has read the comics, I still haven't figured out all of the plot or who some of the bad characters were suppose to be. But since I plan on seeing it again real soon, I will be sure to pay more attention to the story rather than just the overwhelming visuals. This is easily one of the better Super-Hero films of the last few years! "Second Date...No Tongue."-Hellboy

Rating:
Summary: My man del Toro
Review: They got it right! THEY GOT IT RIGHT! Rejoice, for Guillermo del Toro has proven himself to the masses! My heart was pounding as I prepared to go see "Hellboy," because I was still smarting from the lame-brained mess that was "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" and it seemed to me that maybe Hollywood just couldn't handle a graphic novel adaptation that wasn't about a typical Marvel superhero. But what to my wondering eyes should appear but a spot-on, beautifully made film that hit all the right notes. Del Toro is one of the most stylish directors out there, and he has remained true to Mike Mignola's literary vision. This movie rocks.

"Hellboy" begins during WWII, when a group of Nazis attempt to open a portal to a nightmare realm and release some nasty, Lovecraftian gods. Their plan is foiled by Allied troops, but a cute little baby demon manages to slip through the portal. Found and raised by the kindly Professor Broom (John Hurt), the demon grows into a massive, bright red, cigar-chomping fellow played by an excellent Ron Perlman. Hellboy works at the Beareau of Paranormal Investigation, where he lives in a cluttered little apartment, has several dozen pet cats, and eats his weight in pancakes every morning. His sidekicks include Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), a young woman haunted by ability to generate fire; Abe Sapien (Doug Jones, voice by David Hyde Pierce), a fey, psychic human/fish hybrid; and John Meyers (Rupert Evans), a rookie FBI agent who forms a bizarre love triangle with Hellboy and Liz.

Unfortunately, the Nazi villians from earlier are still around, still trying to bring about the Apocalypse. The trio of bad guys includes an Aryan femme fatale named Ilsa (Bridget Hodson), a sword-wielding assassin named Kroenen (Ladislav Beran) whose body has been turned to dust by constant self-surgery, and the infamous Grigori Rasputin (Karel Roden), who didn't die when the history books say he did, and who is now a supernatural occult being with a whole lotta power. Hellboy and his friends are soon leaping from rooftops, prowling through sewer tunnels, battling an army of slithery, tentacled beasts that mulitply as fast as you kill them, and finally heading to Moscow for a showdown in a subterranean lair with the kinds of booby traps that Indiana Jones has wet dreams about. All this action is instilled with a sense of fun and recklessness: characters fly through the air and fling each other into walls, just like in the comic book, and there's always lots of expendable FBI agents and security guards ready to die horrible deaths so our heroes won't have to.

"Hellboy" has a great energy and a great visual flair. Many of the images are ripped straight from the comic books. The plot has been altered and some of the characters are changed (in the comics, Kroenen is a talking, fully-realized character; in the movie, he's been reduced to a silent special effect), but I was amazed at how much this film echoed its origins. Props to everyone involved -- cast, crew, special effects technicians, the whole bunch. I can tell that they had lots of fun making this, and that it was a labor of love.

Never fear, Hellboy fans, this movie will not disappoint you. And if you're not a Hellboy fan, hey, give it a try anyway. Guillermo del Toro is my hero.

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.