Movie Review

Hellboy

Hellboy begins during the closing stages of World War II in a remote area where the Nazi's are hoping to turn the tide of the war. Among the soldiers is Grigori Rasputin (Karel Roden), a sorcerer who has managed to open a portal to another dimension that will ensure the world will suffer complete destruction. Just before the world's horrible fate is able to slip through, American soldiers led by paranormal researcher Professor Bruttenholm storm the area and stop evil from happening. Something did slip through though: a small, red monkey-like child with a huge hammer-like hand that the Professor takes as a son named Hellboy.

Sixty years later, Bruttenholm (John Hurt) is still director of the Agency of Paranormal defense and the biggest hero is Hellboy (Ron Perlman), now with a massive build and all the sensibilities of a pubescent teenager. Along with Abe Sapien (Doug Jones, voiced by David Hyde Pierce) and the Professor, who he calls father, Hellboy fights whenever the world is threatened by some supernatural force, and apparently that goes on a lot considering all the tabloid stories about his appearances.

Through a series of events, the agency learns that Rasputin's followers have resurrected him, and that they are the only hope against the end of the world. There is also a subplot concerning Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), a mutant pyro who Hellboy is in love with, and Agent Myers (Rupert Evans), who is vying for her affections.

This movie is really at its best whenever it points the camera at its unique central character. The costume is very imposing and Perlman really captures the cynical, love-lorn hero to perfection. It also helps that screenwriter/director Guillermo Del Torro is (for the most part) able to keep us interested in the character through exposing his humanity and giving him some funny one-liners.

Just where this movie sadly drops off is in excitement. The action is under-whelming, focusing on Hellboy's fights with poor-looking CGI characters that look like goofy extras from Men in Black 2. The plotting is of a cheesy, by-the-numbers "destroy the world" nature, and the villains are one-dimensional (although there was a cool looking masked figure who could do incredible things with knives).

Hellboy is neither heavenly nor hellish. The character is cool enough where I would willingly pay another nine bucks for the sequel, but I was desperately hoping to be blown away by this film and it never manages to do that. This is just another film in 2004 that looks stuck in limbo.

Craig's Grade: C+

A	10.9%
B	41.8%
C	31.8%
D	15.3%
F	0.3%