High concept fantasy through the eyes of creative genius of Guillermo del Toro
Hellboy (2004)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted: 188
Fresh: 151
Rotten:37
Average Rating: 6.8/10
Consensus: Hellboy is pretty derivative, but there's enough wit and humor here to keep it entertaining.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for sci-fi action violence and frightening images
Runtime: 2 hrs 12 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Theatrical Release:Apr 2, 2004 Wide
Box Office: $59,035,104
Synopsis: Based on the comic book series by Mike Mignola, Guillermo del Toro's gleefully eccentric film follows the supernatural adventures of Hellboy (Ron Perlman), a cigar-chomping, horn-filing demonic... Based on the comic book series by Mike Mignola, Guillermo del Toro's gleefully eccentric film follows the supernatural adventures of Hellboy (Ron Perlman), a cigar-chomping, horn-filing demonic hero enlisted by an occult scholar (John Hurt) to fight evil in the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense. Along with the fire-throwing Liz Sherman (Selma Blair) and the amphibious psychic Abe Sapien (Doug Jones, with the voice of David Hyde Pierce), Hellboy is joined by new recruit John Myers (Rupert Evans), a squeaky-clean FBI agent assigned to keep the big red devil's exploits in check. Things get out of hand, however, when a vicious monster is unleashed by the villainous Rasputin (Karl Roden), leading to events that may set off an apocalyptic nightmare for humanity. Echoing Peter Jackson's passion for THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, HELLBOY is a labor of love from del Toro, a longtime fan of the comic and its creator. The director's enthusiasm shows, since HELLBOY is a wondrously strange slice of pulpy adventure, mixed with horror and humor, and enhanced by stunning visual effects. In the title role (and lots of red makeup), Perlman is pitch-perfect, giving the good-natured misfit a powerful--yet surprisingly sensitive--presence. Blair, Evans, Hurt, and other actors are similarly well cast, rounding out an ensemble intent on retaining the movie's dark yet superbly entertaining tone. [More]
Starring: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Rupert Evans, John Hurt
Starring: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Rupert Evans, John Hurt, Jeffrey Tambor, Karel Roden, Doug Jones, David Hyde Pierce, Corey Johnson
Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Screenwriter: Guillermo Del Toro
Story: Peter Briggs
Producer: Lawrence Gordon, Mike Richardson, Lloyd Levin
Composer: Marco Beltrami
Studio: Columbia Pictures
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Release:
Aug 4, 2009
DVD Features:
- Region 0
- Keep Case
- Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 - English, French
- Subtitles - English, French
Features:
- 1. Branching DVD Comics Drawn By Mike Mignola,with all new expanded text from Guillermo Del Toro
- 2. Video Introduction By Guillermo Del Toro
- 3. Cast Video Commentary with Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Jeffrey Tambor And Rupert Evans
- 4. Creator Commentary: Guillermo Del Toro & Mike Mignola
Reviews for Hellboy
Hellboy both kicks butt and falls in love, in an adventure that is thrilling, funny and touching.
Del Toro and Perlman essentially make you forget that Hellboy's this bizarre creature because Perlman invests him with such humanity. And maybe what makes him most human are his flaws.
Ron Perlman--the Lon Chaney of our time--plays Hellboy with grit, humor, and a depth of feeling which, barely, grounds the movie.
They say the devil gets all the best tunes and, on the strength of this latest comicbook adaptation, he gets all the good one-liners, too.
Artistically resonant even as it deliberately follows a contemporary narrative structure.
Perlman, at age 53, strides in like a hungry young actor itching to prove something, only with 22 years of experience lending him charisma and confidence.
Played by Ron Perlman, he's the most magnetic action hero I've come across in a long while, though I couldn't make heads or tails of this story.
Unfortunately, after setting up this fresh blue-collar scenario in the movie's first hour, Del Toro wallows in pyrotechnics.
As expertly played by Perlman, even with tons of make-up and prostheteics, our hero is a good 'monster' whose origin haunts him to the bone.
Del Toro, in love with his source but never overawed by it, keeps things moving; Perlman ties it together with some of the driest witticisms this side of Indiana Jones. Like we said: fun.
Del Toro’s energized adventure has humor, excitement, and soul to burn.
Aside from some of the specifics, we’ve seen all this before. The film steals from everything from Batman to The X-Files and while there’s lots and lots of good violent fun...
... a dull, derivative, poorly plotted movie. Hellboy's enemies are interesting at first, but they wear out their welcome quickly.
Perlman has not only the towering body, sculpted face, and commanding voice for such a role, he exudes a very humane heart.
Hellboy sometimes pumps new life into the shopworn conventions on which it is based, but never entirely manages to transcend its pulpy origins.
The trouble with computer graphics in films these days is that a computer doesn't have half the imagination of a human.
Latest News for Hellboy
April 22, 2009:
Ron Perlman Talks Hellboy III, Bubba Nosferatu ![]()
We know Guillermo del Toro is wrapped up in "The Hobbit" for the next few years, but could a third "Hellboy" come together without his direct participation? Not if Ron Perlman... More...
April 21, 2009:
Five Favorite Films with Ron Perlman
While he's become best known for portraying a red, horned antihero in Guillermo del Toro's popular comic book adaptations Hellboy and Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Ron Perlman... More...
November 14, 2008:
Five Favorite Films with Guillermo del Toro
RT caught up with Hellboy II director Guillermo del Toro at the DVD/Blu-ray Launch Event for Hellboy II: The Golden Army, where the celebrated fantasy auteur shared his favorite... More...
November 12, 2008:
Five Favorite Films with Hellboy's Mike Mignola
RT speaks with Hellboy comics creator Mike Mignola to learn his Five Favorite Films of all time, which appropriately span the cinematic landscape where art meets horror. More...
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