This movie is the latest comic-book adaptation to hit the bigscreen and it was a labour of love for the gifted mexican director, Guillermo del Toro, who was also the man responsible for such diverse movies as Blade II and The Devil's Backbone. I've always been a sucker for comic book heroes (think XMen, Spiderman, Daredevil etc... ) and fortunately, Hellboy did not disappoint. Well, not much anyway... ;p
I didnt think very highly of Blade II & its effusive violence, but I simply ADORED The Devil's Backbone; the latter remains to be one of my most favorite horror/drama films of all time. Therefore, I'm glad that del Toro had infused Hellboy with a similar sensitivity and melancholic air reminiscent of Devil's Backbone instead of just a monotonous dosage of the regular in-your-face monster bashing. For one thing, I thought Ron Perlman was perfectly cast as the brooding title character who displays sardonic wit with impeccable comic timing. Selma Blair's casting as Hellboy's love interest, the pyrokinetic Liz Sherman, was also an inspired one; she adds the right amount of pathos to a female role which otherwise, would have been rather forgettable. My only complaint is that her character is mostly under-developed due to insufficient screen-time. The gothic set borrows heavily from the old TIm Burton Batman movies but this is not such a bad thing. What is refreshing about Hellboy is the peculiar line-up of good guys (with their amusing idiosyncrasies) which sets it apart from other comic-book adaptations and their typically good-looking superheroes. Disappointingly, the movie's baddies are all one-dimensional, cardboard stereotypes and some of the action sequences were simply average when compared to those in XMen2 or Spiderman.
When the end-credits of the movie finally rolled, I had some mixed feelings; del Toro's Hellboy was certainly lacking in "wow" factor in some parts and the storyline, though interesting, was only mildly engaging. However, these inherent flaws did not detract me from appreciating the lavish sets & some of the excellent characterizations (of Hellboy especially). Essentially, my appetite had been whetted for a HellBoyII. ~ my ratings - 3.7/ 5 stars!
