Director: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, John Hurt, Jeffrey Tambor
Guillermo del Toro first entered the horror arena with the cult hit Cronos. He later directed Mimic and of course Blade II. The man's appreciation for horror, especially a specific type of horror is evident in his latest work Hellboy. Del Toro clearly appreciates the Universal classic monsters, and some of these creatures are echoed in Hellboy. There is the feeling of a very fun monster bash given a higher budget and a far better script.
Hellboy in scene after scene does not replicate Mike Mignola's panels. Although, Mr. del Toro does evoke Mignola's work often without resorting to the artist's trademark deep blacks. Mr. del Toro provides Hellboy with the scope and the cohesiveness necessary for films--not necessarily comic books, which are more like serials. A movie must be its own singular entity, and del Toro creates cinematic art with shot after shot while giving the story a beginning, middle and end.
Mr. del Toro isn't afraid of departing from the source material when necessary. For instance, whereas Mr. Mignola's stories usually take place in barren or old lands given to sparse populations, Mr. del Toro stages several important scenes in the subways, for which he grew fond of in Mimic, amid a frightened populace. If anything, Hellboy says something new about the character by having him meet a world that reflects our own reality. This works surprisingly well.
The scripters turn Liz Sherman into Hellboy's love interest, yet every movie should have emotional weight behind it. Obviously, Hellboy's link to John Byrne's Torch of Liberty has been replaced and by a fine substitute in the form of John Hurt. Perhaps, the most objectionable change is in the characterization of Abe Sapien acted ably by Doug Jones, yet the screen incarnation of Mignola's gill-man has many qualities that enhance the story while not being subjugated into merely playing a role for the plot.
Ron Perlman who worked with Mr. Del Toro in Cronos is a well-known actor. His face is simply not often seen in the parts that he plays. Most will recognize the name as the portrayer of Vincent in Beauty and the Beast, but Mr. Perlman has also essayed sans make-up the role of a strong man in City of Lost Children. Mr. Perlman beneath Rick Baker's extraordinary makeup and costume design is the perfect Hellboy.
Selma Blair is best known for Cruel Intentions as well as the underrated comedy series Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane. To be honest, I never saw her as Liz Sherman, but she gives her role vulnerability as well as the courage and overall toughness that composes the character. She may not look as we imagined, but there's no doubt who she is portraying. Her chemistry with Perlman generates quite a bit of heat, and the depiction of her fire is a novel, interesting effect.
The supporting cast does equally well. Jeffrey Tambor known for his comedy roles creates a surprising dramatic turn. Rupert Evans who plays John Meyers, the new meat on the chopping block of the B.P.R.D. does an excellent job conveying the agent's newness in the paranormal field but with the experience of law enforcement. Karel Roden makes a stylish Rasputin while Biddy Hodson channels the spirit of Ilsa the Wicked Warden for her role as an immortal Nazi.
We turn now to what can make or break a film like Hellboy. The special effects are quite convincing. Mignola's Lovecraftian horrors come to life and bear none of the phony look that plagued such unwittingly hilarious creations like the werewolves in American Werewolf in Paris. The creatures such as the hell-hounds are fast, nasty and dangerous. The cgi is knitted securely with the actors, and old-fashioned animatronics enhance the monsters' believability in certain quieter scenes.
Sets look sturdy and exotic to create just the right mood to carry off the frequent haunts of the occult investigators. Professor Bruttenholm's vast library looks amazingly similar to the TARDIS console room of Paul McGann's Doctor. Add a score by Marco Beltrami that drifts seamlessly from powerful classical tones to a comic ballet, and you have an entertaining night at the movies.
Before the main feature began, I was tortured by three commercials. I would still like to share that torture with the idiot who thought of putting commercials in a movie theater. May he or she be eaten alive by rats.
I have always liked previews in theaters, and of course, before Hellboy the trailers unspooled. First came Jennifer Garner's 13 Going on 30. I'll recuse myself from opining on the trailer since I have a blinding love for Jennifer Garner.
Next came a preview of a King Arthur movie. I never heard even a rumor about this, and quite frankly, it looks like a higher budgeted episode of Xena: Warrior Princess. The actor playing Arthur even twirls his sword like Lucy Lawless. Gueneviere has been given a bow and arrow. So, I guess she's playing Robin Hood. After Arthur, we had Helsing. I don't care about this live action adaptation of the anime series. The trailer didn't change my opinion, and the Wolfman looks cheesy. Bad CGI! Bad!
I, Robot almost had me if not for Will Smith cutting the figure of a fine urban detective. This is a role he can play in his sleep, and he doesn't embarrass himself, but the character makes for a lousy Elijah Bailey stand-in. Then it almost had me with Nowhere Man and Jack Kennedy portrayer the seriously underrated Bruce Greenwood and the mention of the Three Laws of Robotics, but they lost me again when the robots ran amok. First the rape of Jules Verne with the ponce Phileas Ffogg, and now the defilement of Isaac Asimov's corpse.
Finally two comedies are attempting to lure you to the theaters. Soul Plane is a broad blaxploitation vehicle which only has one saving grace as far as I can tell. Snoop Dog is genuinely funny and has just the right presence or his role as the wickedly chilled pilot. Scraping the bottom of the barrel, we have the somebody-must-die-for-this Wayans brothers take on Some Like It Hot. Apparently some also like it stupid. There were actual shouts of protest in the theater as the Wayans transformed themselves from unfunny black men into unfunny white women.
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