Hellboy


release year: 2004
genre: fantasy/action
viewing setting: home Bluray 1/28/22 and home DVD, 6/30/09 and 9/4/04

synopsis: In 1945, the Nazis brought a baby demon to our world; now, he's all grown up and leads a team that fights supernatural creatures.

impressions: Pretty entertaining. Hellboy is basically a blue-collar hero, except he's a demon. The supporting cast was good and varied, and the bad guys (and their plot) were both neat and dangerous. This one movie can't possibly convey the scope of the comic book series, where each adventure brings the team up against some new, weird monster or menace. The movie had plenty of action, humor, and special effects - and it was actually faithful to its source material.

things to watch for: I'd say the first fight in the museum.

something this movie has that no other movie has: A sand-filled Nazi assassin who fights with blades.

acting: Ron Perlman uses plenty of red makeup, and does a great job with a character who's destined to be evil but chooses to be good. Selma Blair is interesting as a pyrokinetic with mental issues. Doug Jones was entertaining as a genius fish-man. There were plenty of good acting jobs by the bad guys too.

final word: Worth seeing, especially if you like the comics.

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