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What is it that makes a man, a man."
The big-screen version of Hellboy looks and feels like it came right off the comic pages. Artist/writer Mike Mignola should be proud of this
big-screen adaptation of his Dark Horse published comic book. At times, it seems as if the storyboard drawings just simply came to life
on celluloid. Not only is this film full incredible special effects, great makeup, good and witty acting, and excellent scripting, but it also
vibrates with an incredible energy. This is one of those movies that has fantastic special effects that do not drown out the acting or the story.
Everything in this movie combines beautifully to create a wonderfully, exciting and enjoyable film experience. Not only will adults
(whether they've read the comic or not) enjoy this film but to the directors benefit, they also made it child friendly. Even though there is lots
of excitement and action you won't find any sexual innuendo, nudity or much bloodletting. What you will find action aplenty.
No matter what happens here tonight, this book will guide you back to me."
Mexican born a director Guillermo Del Toro (Blade Two), does an excellent job of directing this action-packed film. He opens the movie
during the last few days of the Second World War. Nazi villains on orders from Hitler, desperately scheming to open a portal to the dark
side, Hell. To help the Nazi cause these vile villains, are out to summon forth the Seven Gods Of Chaos. Thwarted, by the U.S. soldiers and
a professor Bruttenholm, played by John Hurt, who are on a classified mission, the Nazi fail in their nasty attempts. This personal psychic
adviser to President Roosevelt soon learns that something did slip through the dark portal. Just as the nasty, Nazi psychic practitioner
Grigori Rasputin is sucked through the portal and disappears, something came back in his place. Later, we will learn that this Rasputin,
is the legendary evil Russian villain,
who was poisoned, stabbed, bludgeoned and drowned. Now we find he did not really die. In place of Rasputin, professor Bruttenholm
finds a little red baby with horns, a tail and an abnormally large right hand. Calming down the little red ape, with a baby Ruth candy
bar, the good professor cradles this little being in his arms and becomes its new father.
I promised Herr Hitler a miracle. I will deliver one."
During this same scene we are also introduced to a weird Nazi assassin named Kroenen and his nasty little female assistant, Ilsa,
played by Biddy Hodson. This assassin dude is really nasty, having had very long stiletto blades attached to his arms. These blades
make him a rather nasty killer. But as we will see, he is dispatched. Have no fear, he and Ilsa will return when you least expect it, well okay
you know he will be back very quickly after all you can't kill a good villian to quickly.
Do a you really, really believe in Hell?"
The action in this opening sequence is just a prelude to the action that will follow as the story now moves into the present time. The story
now moves to snow-covered mountains, where climbers discover something strange in an ice Mountain. One of the climbers, is the
assassin, who once inside a mysterious cave, proceeds, with his assistant Ilsa , to stab one of the guides. Their victims blood flows into an intricate
carving and ends in a pool, and from that pool rises a blood covered figure. Rasputin is back.
For each of you that falls, two shall arise.
The professor, now in his eighties, is in charge of a secret FBI headquarters which houses the Bureau For Paranormal Research And
Defense. Here, the professor who has learned, that he has a serious ailment that will soon cause him to die, leads a grown up Hellboy
and an aquatic creature named Abe Sapien, played by Doug Jones in battle against those nasty critters that go bump in the night.
This fish boy character received his name because he was born on
the day of Abraham Lincoln's assassination. Now, professor Bruttenholm, is also showing the ropes to a young FBI agent played by
Corey Johnson. Agent Clay is being trained, unknowingly, to be Hellboy's handler and conscience once the professor dies.
Agent Clay is soon thrust into action against the newly returned but somewhat altered Kroenen, who attacks a museum to release
a strange creature imprisoned in an ancient statue. Hellboy and crew are soon secretly dispatched to the museum to destroy this
strange creature. Now, I have to say here, that Hellboy is secretly dispatched because you see Hellboy, to the average person, is really nothing
more than a myth that exists on the front pages of those lurid tabloids. Anyway, Hellboy and the rest destroy the creature but what they don't
know is that when this creature is killed he resurrects and splits into two. So as we can see, every time someone kills one of these
creatures he splits into two more and so on and so on. So obviously, we have a nasty paranormal threat to the world.
We called him a Hellboy."
This sequence, is one of the many spectacular action sequences participated in by Hellboy and his crew. I think you will be very impressed
by the effects and action used in this film. Any money you spend seeing this film will be well worth it. As a matter of fact I am sure that this
film will probably end up in your DVD collections. Okay, now that I've said that let us get back to the story.
You saw the fish guy right?"
The poll, yeah that was weird."
Come in and see the rest of the team."
I do not want to give too much away about what happens because you should be surprised by what you will see. Here is more information,
about Hellboy, the character and his crew. Hellboy uses sharp wit and sarcastic tones to shield his lonely life. After all when
you're almost 7 ft. tall, bright red and sporting a tail you don't exactly fit into normal society. He would like to fit in, so much so, that he
continually saws his horns off into stumps, and every day in the morning he sits there and sands them down. Add this to the fact that the
reborn Rasputin wants to reclaim Hellboy to the dark side so his powers can bring about Armageddon; we see he leads a rather frustrating
but full life.
Red means stop."
Hellboy, sports a love on his sleeve. Selma Blair plays Liz Sherman, a pyrokineticist who feels guilty because she starts fires
whenever she gets excited, angry or terrified. Hellboy is in love with this woman, a woman who feels that she is a pariah to society. She
finds it hard to return Hellboy's love even though his resistance to flames is the one thing that makes their love possible. There is a really
good scene where Hellboy kisses Liz and without realizing it she burst into flame. This is a nicely directed scene, as the kiss causes
her flames to surround them and neither of them burn, of course, since Hellboy is fireproof and so is she. So what better couple to be
together. This part of the story, the love between Hellboy and Liz, is reminiscent of Ron Perlman's other well-known character. Perlman
starred as The Beast in Beauty And The Beast, the television series co-starring Linda Hamilton. This plot point is an important part
of Hellboy, as it is reminiscent of the love of the beauty and her beast from the series. It adds a likeability to this big red brutish and satannic
character that allows the audience to empathize with him and accept him as a hero.
Come on the John lets go fight us some monsters."
Let me take a moment to mention something that I found extremely well done. Whenever Hellboy fights monsters in crowds
of people, the special effects are so seamless and perfect that you would swear that these creatures actually existed and that they are
fighting amidst a crowd. The scenes are incredibly impressive because it helps you to feel that these battles are actually happening
amongst real people. They help you to forget that you watching a complex CGI graphic generated scene. Alright now, let's get back to the
story.
Remind me why I'm doing this.
Rotten eggs and the safety of mankind.
Probably, one of the most interesting sequences in the movie is when Hellboy follows John Clay and Liz around town. Hellboy, jealous of
John jumps from one rooftop to another following these two around while making sarcastic comments about them. Underlining all his
sarcasm is the fact that as we can see, Hellboy is not only jealous and hurt watching them, but, is also envious of the fact, that unlike
himself, they can go out in public and attract no attention. This is where we see that even though Hellboy is obviously a spawn of hell, he
is all to human. Only his appearance keeps him from being what he desires most of all. This sequence helps elevate this film beyond just
another superhero story. Like the first Spider-Man movie, this film is not just about fighting monsters and villains but it is about love.
Hellboy has two loves in this movie Liz and his adopted father. It will become obvious when watching the film that it attempts to make clear to
us that appearances are not what make one human, but the ability to love and give love, is what makes one a human.
In the end after you've captured every monster, every freak out there, there's still one left
You."
The ending sequences to this movie is definitely entertaining; keeping you on your toes as there is so much happening. Just keep up with the action.
You will find it an exciting conclusion to this well rounded film. So overall, this is a film that I highly recommend for
all its parts. It is not only nicely directed, nicely photographed and has excellent special effects but has heart, excitement and superb
storytelling. This is one of those films where I always say, grab your drink; grab a tub of popcorn, sit back and relax and let yourself go and
enjoy the film that your hard-earned bread got you into see. In closing please note and I hope some of you listen out there when I say this,
stay around for part of the credits for a further scene. So don't say I didn't warn you. Now get off your butts and go
get ready to stand in line to see this film called...Hellboy.
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