Hellboy (Two-Disc Special Edition) Reviews

• Fan boy edition has some cool extras

  
  By AQP1VPK16SVWM on 2004-10-22
  I'll be discussing both the two disc and three disc edition of "Hellboy" here. Unfortunately, the automated systemed won't allow me to post this as a separate review so, just in case the review shows up under both, I'll include both.
  
  TWO DISC EDITION:
  It must be hell to have horns and a stone hand. Rasputin the mad monk who manipulated the Russian royalty prior to the Russian Revolution never died. He not only survived being stabbed, shot, poisoned and drowning but during World War II he worked for the Nazis. Hitler hoped that Rasputin might be able to unleash the 7 Gods of Chaos to help Hitler win the war and dominate the world. The only thing that can stop Hitler and Rasputin's minions which includes a nasty masochistic half mechanical man named Kroenen (Ladislav Beran in some scenes)is Professor Broom (Kevin Trainor as the young Bloom) who has studied the occult. He and a group of American soldiers storm Rasputin's castle stopping the 7 Gods of Chaos from entering our world. In the process Rasputin is sucked into the other strange realm and a tiny red monkey like creature that looks like Satan with a stone hand is released into our world.
  
  Sixty years later Rasputin's minions revive him bringing him back from the other side. Meanwhile Professor Broom (Hurt) has established a paranormal division of the F.B.I with Hellboy (Perlman) and Abe Sapien (Doug Jones but voiced by David Hyde Pierce of "Fraiser" fame) a half human/half sea creature and Liz (Blair) a human with the ability to control fire. With the addition of a new assistant John Myers (Evans) recruited from the F.B.I. these five are all that stand between us and chaos. The only problem is that Rasputin has plans for using Hellboy himself to help release the 7 Gods of Chaos himself.
  
  
  "Hellboy" looks surprisingly sharp and vivid capturing all the primary colors that percolated beneath the surface of Mike Mignola's comic book. The film does suffer a little bit due to all the extras included on the first disc and could have benefited from concentrating only on picture and sound quality of the film on the first disc and all the extras on the second.
  
  The two disc set clearly went on an eating binge. How else to explain all the wonderful extras packed on this great set. To begin with we have a nice introduction by the director. On the first disc featuring the feature film there are branching behind the scenes sequences you can access while watching the film itself and then return to where you were. It's a fascinating glimpse behind the movie almost giving you the experience as if you were on the set then watching the assembled dailies the next same day.
  
  THREE DISC DIRECTOR'S CUT:
  There are some subtle and not so subtle differences in "Hellboy-The Director's Cut". The big difference involves how Rasputin was changed when he came back from the other side. There's also a number of dramatic moments such as Professor Broom discovery of his cancer as well as some fight sequences that have been extended in minor but subtle ways. That said, it's essentially the same film but richer for the include of the 15 or so minutes of additional footage.
  
  The first disc has a brand new commentary by director del Toro and a commentary/isolated score by composer Beltram. The storyboard track now has new images added to it (quite a bit more as a matter of fact).The "branching comics" feature is much more extensive than the previous one but the features on the first disc remain pretty close to the previous edition.
  
  The second disc has the bulk of what disc two of the two disc set had but there are a couple of additions worth noting. There's also a multi-angle storyboard comparison (which I believe to be new). I couldn't find the UPA cartoons on the original but haven't had a chance to investigate all the noons and crannies of the three disc set.
  
  Disc three has a new video introduction by Ron Perlman. Here we get a video and audio commentary by the main actors(in fact it's the same as the audio commentary from the previous edition only this time we see the actors as they recorded their commentary and also see the movie as their watching it in a picture-in-picture mode). There's production workshops also included here, make up and lighting tests (although all involve the final make up for Hellboy), "A Quick Guide to Understanding Comics with Scott McCloud"--a featurette. Mike Mignola is absent from the commentary track but his pre-production artwork is included here. Ther's also the director's notebook (again--it's on two discs here for some strange reason), conceptual art galleries and comic book artists pin-ups on the last disc as well. Personally, I would have put the actors in pip mode vs. the movie as the version they're commenting on it is the theatrical release not the Director's Cut. Not sure why Columbia chose not to do this. Aside from that minor complaint (and not being able to find the UPA cartoons), this is the ultimate fan boy edition. Oh, there's also a reproduction of part of Rasputin's diary by Mignola as well included in paperback form.
  
  The packaging is nice with three slimline DVD holders highlight Red, Blue and Liz. Personally, I would also like to have had a booklet similar to the one that came with the two discs set. Also, I'm unclear why the "seamlessly branching" DVD technology wasn't here to allow both the director's cut and the theatrical editions (much like "Alien" and "Aliens"). I don't have any use for keeping the previous edition (it was traded in) just for the theatrical cut (and I personally feel the Director's Cut is a superior version of the movie even though most of the changes are fairly minor overall).
  
  Overall, this is a terrific boxed set that has some minor flaws. Hopefully Columbia will learn from this mistake and correct any future releases of Director's Cuts vs. theatrical editions. Also, releasing both at the same time so fans can make a choice (vs. being double dipped) would be the right thing to do from a customer service stand point. Plus, there wouldn't be all those used copies eating away at their sales of the set.
  
  

• The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen as it should have been

  
  By A3ATTCCO32ZXET on 2004-04-05
  I was expecting something along the lines of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen when I caved in to go see Hellboy last night; you know, a bunch of unlikely paranormal misfit heroes working together to save the world from destruction. Okay, well, it was a lot like TLEG in theory, but much better in practice. Comic books turned into movies don?t normally thrill me, but in this movie it wasn?t difficult for me to suspend my disbelief in spite of some stretched plot lines.

  Ron Perlman plays Hellboy, who is apparently an imp from a rift in the universe that occurred as a result of tampering by the German army during WW2. Something went terribly wrong with their ?experiment?, resulting in a few people and things being sucked in from our universe to the other side in exchange for?what? before the hole was shut down. He is raised lovingly in an American government facility by the bespectacled professor that discovered/rescued him in Scotland. A couple of other paranormal misfits ? Liz the firestarter and Abe the blue psychic fish man ? are basically his adopted siblings. The trio is trained to use their powers for heroic good. Their existence is of course top secret, which explains why there are public rumors everywhere about Hellboy.

  But wait?those nahtzis (spelled wrongly on purpose!) aren?t dead yet! They have unleashed Hellish creatures upon our world, which only multiply when they are slain. In fact they?ve come back for the now-grown Hellboy sixty years later so that he can complete his destiny, which is somehow tied in with reopening that rift between universes. The legendary Rasputin (who has occultic powers of his own) has concocted this plot to lure Hellboy and his entourage for a final showdown in Moscow.

  The plot had its flaws but the visuals had none. I liked the action sequences and special effects, which centered mainly on the multi-tentacled creatures that Hellboy and co. spend most of the movie destroying. CGI and makeup were used flawlessly to create the human and beastly monsters. There was also a nice romance subplot between Liz (Selma Blair) and Hellboy, which begged the question; can a man overcome the monster within himself for the sake of love? Yes, echoes of Perlman?s former tv role, but with a lot more testosterone and realistic emotions. It was a surprisingly UNcheesy love story amidst all the action.

  I could have wished for more backstory about Abe and Liz, but that?s my only real gripe. It comes down to this: do you like action movies, comic books and/or rooting for weird superheroes? Then you?ll probably enjoy Hellboy.
  -Andrea, aka Merribelle.
  
  

• Go for it! Much Better than the 2-Disc Special Edition!

  
  By A92XVSV8LADWZ on 2004-08-14
  The Director's Cut release completes with an unrated, extended cut of the film, in total about 132 minutes (10 min. more than the special edition). This DVD comes with 3 discs, most of them are same as the 2-disc special edition (feel free to read my review on Hellboy Two-Disc Special Edition), but this adds alot of extra brand new special features, all new director's commentary, production design, workshops, deleted scenes, etc. This edition details are roughly shown below:
  
  [Disc 1]
  - Director's Commentary: new commentary from Guillermo del Toro, exclusively for the Director's Cut DVD
  - Composer's Commentary with isolated score
  - Video Introduction to Disc 1 by Guillermo del Toro
  - DVD ROM: Director's Notebook, Printable Script and expanded Script Supervisor's Book
  - Eight Branching DVD Comics by Mike Mignola: A never-been-done DVD feature containing eight Branching DVD comics by Mike Mignola - an onscreen look at Hellboy comic books with all new expanded text from Guillermo del Toro
  - Right Hand of Doom: Set Visits and Factoids
  - Expanded Storyboards: picture-in-picture storyboard track plays simultaneously with the film
  - Anamorphic Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1)
  
  [Disc 2]
  - Hellboy: The Seeds of Creation
  - Four Animatics - computer-generated animated scene breakdowns. The next level in storyboarding. Director's use them to help visualize what some of the more complicated shots will look like.
  - Five Board-A-Matics: side-by-side comparison of scenes with the animated storyboards
  - Weblink: Hellboy merchandise
  - Three deleted scenes with optional commentary
  - Scene deconstruction: director Guillermo del Toro walks us through the evolution of a scene from his sketches to the storyboards to the finished scene
  - Kroenen's Lair: four storyboard to film comparisons
  - Maquette Rotations Gallery
  - Poster Explorations for the Hellboy theatrical campaign
  - Filmographies
  - Previews
  
  [Disc 3]
  - Cast Video Commentary with Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Jeffrey Tambor and Rupert Evans
  - Production Workshop featurettes
  - Q&A Archive: Comic Con 2002 featuring Guillermo del Toro, Ron Perlman and Mike Mignola
  - A Quick Guide to Understanding Comics with Scott McCloud
  - Video Introduction to Disc 3 by Ron Perlman
  - Production Design Photo Gallery
  - Mike Mignola Pre-Production Artwork
  - Conceptual Art Galleries
  
  Overall, it is a great movie with lots of extra freebies features. If you are the Hellboy comic fans, go for it! If you already own a copy of the 2-Disc Special Edition, you may not find this worth the money, but if you don't have a copy yet, this is a no-wrong choice!
  
  *** Otto Yuen's DVD Special Rating for Hellboy (Director's Cut) ***
  1. Film Rewatchability: MEDIUM-LOW
  2. DVD Featurability: EXCELLENT
  3. Picture Quality: EXCELLENT
  4. Sound Quality: EXCELLENT
  
  (Reviewed by Otto Yuen, 14-Aug-2004)
  
  
  

• Hellboy for Earth

  
  By A3M6RVUVZOQZLB on 2008-06-12
  News flash! The Nazis tried to open up hell! And that's just for starters!
  
  What determines a man? That is the question posed at the beginning and the ending of this fun flick steeped in horror and sci-fi and poured out as a quaffable entertainment. I was pleasantly surprised.
  
  Ron Perlman glows as Hellboy, aptly named as the only thing to survive the explosion to close the gate to Hell. Those closing it are American agents from the Bureau of the Paranormal situated in the States. After defeating the Nazis in the opening scene, they manage to capture little Hell baby who is so cute with his red skin and huge right clay hand and horn knobs on his forehead. Th agents from the Bureau of the Paranormal take him home. After all, he is, well, paranormal.
  
  Hellboy grows up with two companions: Abe Sapiens, sort of amphibious man, and Elizabeth, a firestarter. The professor teaches each how to control and utilize their special skills. The viewer learns this during the rolling of the story. We next meet Hellboy as an adult--and here I was expecting fearful scenes, but Hellboy loves cats. That settled it for this viewer. Cats everywhere in his cozy apartment. The professor has trained Hellboy to eliminate monsters. But that is how he is trained. The question again: What manner of man is he?
  
  The question is answered in the last action scene. John, the agent assigned as his special assistant makes the case that a man is determined by his choices, what decisions he makes. Man is not destined to be one thing or another. There has always been choice. The fact that the choice is played out in battle with a multitude of hell creatures and a hell monster makes the decision even more memorable.
  
  This is a highly recommended film! It is campy, creepy, and with context and comraderie. It't quite different from what you might expect!
  
  

• A surprisingly fantastic movie!

  
  By A3OT6IQ0YHGDCB on 2004-04-19
  Not being knowledgable with the comic series, I was a bit nervous about going to see this one. I've seen most of the comicbook-to-film movies, so I thought I would give this one a shot, too. Besides, I happen to be a Ron Perlman fan of sorts, so that was further impetus to me.

  I was actually shocked! It was very well done! I shouldn't have been too shocked, though, as the director is Guillermo Del Toro, the one who gave us Blade 2 (say what you will about it, but I found it was a shade better than the first even and I liked the first). He's definitely experienced enough now to turn a comic book movie into real cinema and he has no problem making the characters of Hellboy believable.

  I think if I had to choose a complaint, it would be this. There are a good number of characters, but due to the amount of them, it's difficult to give much development to them all. Still, given the time the movie runs, all the characters do get a fair treatment and all of them have at least some development, if not a good amount (as Hellboy or Myers). Also, only one or two of the lines struck me as entirely cheesy or campy, and on the whole the writing was great.

  The action flowed nicely and there was a good amount of it, though not too much where it can be overwhelming. The plot was interesting and kept the audience involved. Sure, it's not believable, but let's be serious: it's a movie based on a comic, how true-to-life do you WANT the plot to be? The villains are well done and very good at their parts. The CGI doesn't distract too much from the film as they blend that with the rest of the movie very seemlessly. They definitely did their homework and took their time with this one.

  Also, on a side note, the PG-13 rating it totally deserved and goes to show how good a movie can be without an overdose of gore, sex, or foul language (the worst word in it being 'ass' I believe). The gore and bloodshed are kept very low (yes, people still die, but aside from one particular scene, the sight of blood is almost non-existent). It's not Puritanical, but well done without overdoing it.

  It's totally worth the watch and you will definitely want to do so in the theater. You really need to get that full effect. It will most likely be added to my collection on DVD when it comes out. Enjoy!
  
  

• When things go bump in the night, Hellboy bumps back
  By A2NJO6YE954DBH on 2004-07-30
  "Hellboy" is the movie adapted from a comic book for people who did not read the comic book, which, in this case, would be me. That means I was free of any and all preconceptions regarding characters, casting, and plot this time around, unlike previous experiences with Batman, Spider-Man, and the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. But even from a tabula rassa perspective it is hard to believe that anybody other than Ron Perlman could have played the title role in "Hellboy."
  
  The first key point about this movie is that "Hellboy" works even before Perlman shows up as Big Red and takes over the movie. We begin in 1944 in Scotland, where a bunch of Nazis have shown up in order to open an inter-dimensional portal to the dark side and summon forth the Seven Gods of Chaos. True, this is going to end the world, which is probably a bit more than Hitler was bargaining for, but it seems that the original Russian mad monk Grigori Rasputin (Karel Roden), his Aryan bride of death Ilsa (Bridget Hodson), and the blade loving Nazi psycho Kroenen (Ladislav Beran) have a slightly different agenda. Fortunately, young Professor Trevor Broom (Kevin Trainor), FDR's psychic advisor, and the U.S. Army stop the Nazi plot. The portal is closed, but not before a little red-skinned horned demon comes through from the other side.
  
  We jump ahead to the present, where the rumored sightings of Hellboy are a tabloid staple. Young clean-cut F.B.I. agent John Myers (Rupert Evans) becomes a part of the agency's Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense where Professor Broom (John Hurt) introduces him to "Abe" Sapien (Doug Jones does the acting but the voice is provided by David Hyde Pierce), a fish like mind-reader/psychic and the adult Hellboy in all of his glory. Meanwhile, sixty years later Rasputin and his sidekicks are back again and have managed to unleash a monster from inside a statue at the museum. The fun part about this particular monster is that every time you kill one, two more are born to take its place. Hellboy has his work cut out for him this time, but Rasputin and Kroenen do something that makes this really personal for our hero.
  
  But the ending of the world as we know it is a minor problem compared to Hellboy's love life, which is fixated on the melancholy Liz Sherman (Selma Blair). She is a pyrokineticist who bursts into flames when she gets excited or angry. He is a seven-foot red skinned demon from another dimension who is impervious to fire, so it is clearly a perfect match. But once John convinces Liz to come back to the fold they start spending time together, forcing Hellboy to sneak around on rooftops spying on them. However, this is all just a prelude to the final showdown with the bad guys and their monsters. More than any other comic book superhero on the big screen, Hellboy really takes a pounding. But the big guy keeps coming back for more.
  
  Perlman is pitch perfect as Hellboy, his baritone voice providing depth to the character beyond the awesome makeup job. Working from Mike Mignola's Dark Horse comic books, director Guillermo del Toro ("Blade II") creates a suitable gothic atmosphere for Hellboy to have his knockdown drag out battles. But the star here is Perlman's Hellboy. This is pitch-perfect casting and Perlman is even better here than he was as Vincent on television's "Beauty and the Beast." If anything, he is bigger and better than the movie he is in, which is a pretty good accomplishment for a comic book movie. This guy watches out for kittens during a fight. What is not to love about Hellboy?
  
  The bonus disc for this DVD is even better, especially for those who like to see the nuts and bolts of making a movie. There are two commentary tracks, the first by the creative forces of director Guillermo del Toro and the comic book's Mike Mignola, the second with actors Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Rupert Evans, and Jeffrey Tambor. The documentary, "Hellboy: The Seeds of Creation," is longer than the movie and you can spend hours going through everything. Be sure you find the illustrated biographies of the characters along with all the scene by scene comparisons available. I rated the movie, which is arguably the second best superhero movie of the century after "Spider-Man 2," a 4.5 and was going to round down, but that is impossible with this bonus disc.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Ron Perlman. He's the whole movie; the rest is 'meh'
  By A3NM0RAYSL6PA8 on 2004-04-06
  Hellboy is cliche after cliche, but with one heck of a sweet performance by Ron Perlman as Hellboy himself. And there's the rub. This really should have been a movie about Hellboy and his travails, sinking deep into his character--perhaps even as a narrator. Instead, we get a pastiche of well-worn fan-boy story standards--Nazis, Lovecraftian "elder gods," Nostrodamus, etc.--tied together by unnecessary clutter. And then, every so often, Perlman drops in with an endearing scene, and some great lines.

  There's no great villain here. The special effects are so-so (you can even see Perlman battling the wires on one jump), and the directing is workmanlike and not much more. Too bad.
  
  

• Good film, but doesn't excell
  By A23L2BR07AOBG1 on 2004-04-21
  Ron Perlman effectively carries this film when the plot mechanics bog down the story. He's funny and violent and vulnerable, perfect. If he doesn't work, the film doesn't. One thing that I disagree with about the film is that it shouldn't be rated pg-13. There's a lot a violent and gruesome content in this film and it's combined with occultic themes, kids shouldn't be seeing this stuff, that's all. I had the same quibbles with the Lord of the Rings, they pushes R rated violence into the pg-13 territory because they wanted to make their money back. Enough of my puritanical rant, I just feel that this movie earns the R and doesn't end up getting it, that's all. By the way, kudos to Jeffrey Tambor, who plays a character who you don't like and is still OK to like at the end because he's such a obnoxious dufus. To all who've seen it, I hope you stuck around for the credits to catch a little bit more of him.
  
  
• Monster Seeking Monsters
  By A3AKPY4LXIC24O on 2004-10-04
  Hellboy, when it was first announced as a film project, shocked me because I kept trying to figure out how it was going to be made. First I pondered the budget necessary to make a film version of Mike Migola's insanely cool comic without making it look stupid and cheap. Second I worried greatly about the director. Last, I couldn't even begin to think about who the hell would play Hellboy.
  
  Amazing as it seems, the budget was more than adequate, the director more than capable (Guillermo del Toro), and the actor playing Hellboy (Ron Perlman) was, is, and always will be the film incarnation of the big red guy. In fact, if I had my way I'd nominate Perlman for an Academy Award (and in doing so validate those frivolities very existence). Betcha it don't happen though.
  
  This film is the grandest presentation of a fanboy project since The Fellowship of the Ring, made all the more amazing by the fact that the source material is a borderline underground comic. Del Toro's genius is in proving that great film making can come from the semi-obscure.
  
  Every shot with Hellboy is eyecatching, and with the special effects teams involved it's no wonder. From creature animation, to backgrounds the best of the best had there hand in this film.
  
  While Hellboy is bad ass, Abe Sapien is perhaps one of the most beautiful creature creations brought to film ever, kind of like the Creature from the Black Lagoon with a yen for book learning instead of white bikinis. Liz, is a Firestarter that would roast Drew Barrymore like some leftover cocktail weenie.
  
  Throw in a tick tock man made of gears and cogs who was a nazi super assassin, the mad monk Rasputin, and several demon/gods from hell and you've got an action/horror hybrid that's enough to put any SFX junkie into joy riddled convulsions.
  
  The best part about this movie (aside from the reported sequel in the works) is that it increased the world's knowledge exponentially of the wonderful comic by Mike Mignola. People are now seeking out the haunting artwork and surreal storytelling of Hellboy and I envy anyone their first glance into Mignola's imagination.
  
  Now for one last thing, apparently a director's cut is on the way, and while on the one hand I feel cheated, I also find myself curious. I'm having a psychic moment, it involves the future and a willfull relinquishing of hard earned funds. Hopefully it will be worth it. I know the original theatrical release was. One of the top 10 movies of 2004.
  
  
• A red hot love story
  By A37PV5GMP2ILJC on 2008-07-31
  "There lived a certain man in Russia long ago
  He was big and strong, in his eyes a flaming glow"
  ("Rasputin" by Boney M)
  
  
  Short Attention Span Summary (SASS):
  
  1. German military says "Ra Ra Rasputin" , and tries to open a portal to another dimension
  2. US Army shows up and all Hellboy breaks loose
  3. Forget music - it's a Baby Ruth that soothes a savage beast
  4. Fast forward 60 years and Hellboy and his friends are attached to the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense
  5. His friends include a fishy character named Abe, and a hot chick named Liz who's in denial
  6. Rasputin and his gang show up and release a nasty creature named Sammael who goes forth and multiplies
  7. Newbie from the FBI gets baptism by fire
  8. Lots of killings follow
  9. As Inigo Montoya (from Princess Bride) once said (several times) "......Prepare to die"
  
  Lots of paranormal stuff, out-of-this-world special effects, and strong performances by Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, John Hurt, Doug Jones and Karel Roden, among others, make for an action-packed fantasy adventure in itself, and recommended viewing before watching Hellboy II
  
  A red hot love story that's definitely not a chick flick.
  
  
  
  
  Amanda Richards, July 30, 2008
  
  
  
• Patience, people
  By A1N9PSOJZOTJVN on 2004-07-27
  If you just have to have it now, go ahead. But a better version is coming for Halloween. It's a three-disc director's cut with 15 minutes of extra footage sliced from the theatrical release, as well as improved bonus materials. Studios continue to milk consumers out of their money by releasing and re-releasing the SAME MOVIES. Don't fall for it.
  
  
• Love it even more now
  By A3EN73YI5J9A59 on 2007-06-08
  First saw it in the theater and thought to myself "What a mess of a movie". It is all over the place. Saw the director's cut on dvd and thought to myself, much better. Character development was apparently stripped from the theatrical release. Now I see the same Director's Cut in BLU-RAY......WOW!!! Seeing it again on a big screen TV in high definition is the way to go with this movie. It seems the more I watch it, the more I fall in love with it. The video looks absolutely stunning. This is now one of my favorite show-off films in blu-ray. Friends and family come over and want to watch something on my setup, Hellboy is now my film of choice. As an action flick, the sound is just to die for. Special effects and fight scene audio take the movie to another level. I show it off with the 5.1 PCM and it never lets me down. A friend of mine came over and said he didn't like the movie before, but after watching it again on my ps3 with big screen and surround sound, even he said it's great.
  
  
• Great Casting
  By A3TNM3C9ENUCFW on 2004-04-22
  One of the better Marvel Comic / Movie crossovers of late with a powerhouse performance by Ron Perlman in the title role, who delivers the character which such panache, you can forgive the other disappointing aspects of the movie. A typical pulp storyline finds the birth of Hellboy by a Nazi ritual interuppted by well to do professor figure who he comes to know as father, and then we are moved hence 60 odd years. Hellboy is now on our side thankfully, but we are then only to find (shock horror) that the original protagonists have re-emerged to finish their aim of World destruction yada yada yada. Top heavy on the SfX as you would expect, but the success lies in the movies persistent, and almost self effacing script; that refuses to try and overlay a topical, or politically correct message, as so many other movies of the genre have in the past. The film seems to know it's implausible and often silly beyond belief, but the acting is perfectly executed. Any moments of stale screen time are soon enlivened with some beautifully delivered lines, again by Perlman, who almost single handedly carries the whole picture. A lot of fun here for young and old, and should appeal to those outside the 14-22 demographic for whom it seems to have been intended for by the director. Your intellect won't be tested too much, but if you know that going in, you should enjoy this movie. Deserves 3.5 stars, but not quite 4.
  
  
• Give Evil Hell!
  By on 2004-04-22
  I was extremely impressed with this movie. It included the comic books, it was hilarious, it was very close to the comics, and the special effects were beautifully well done. Perlman was an excellent Hellboy. The attitude was very resembling. I thought it was interesting that Hellboy and a pyro girl(I forgot her name) were in love. In all, 5 stars, 10/10, an absolute masterpiece.
  
  
• Somewhat Disappointing
  By A7YRIAR531O83 on 2004-04-21
  I didn't have much background about Hellboy going into the movie. All I knew of it was from the trailers that I had seen and the cool action figures you can buy at the toy stores. However, the action looked quite good and I am always willing to give these types of movies a go. However, after watching the movie, the best part of the 2 hours I spent at the theatre was the Spider-man 2 preview. I found that the movie was quite simplistic and left me feeling unsatisfied. The storyline was too simple. And the climatic battle was short and too easy. The character relationships were too shallow. We didn't see much of the relationship between Hellboy and his father although it is implied that there is a strong bond. We didn't see much interaction between the two characters. The relationship between Hellboy and Liz was an odd one. We know that Hellboy loves her but we don't get a real sense of how she feels towards him or any of their history together. The relationship between hellboy and his new companion is also under-developed. We weren't told why that guy was chosen by Hellboy's father, only that he was "handpicked". And he didn't do anything to affirm that he was special in any way, other than try to move in on Hellboy's girl (***GIGGLING***). There were also aspects of the movie that were unexplained. For instance, how did the cross raise the russian corpse from the dead. What exactly was that giant creature in the end. In summary, I found this movie to be mildly entertaining, but nothing that will be long lasting in my memory. Go see it if you like superheroes or action, but don't expect too much.
  
  
• the additional minutes make this a five starred one
  By A1AP3A4UW8OJFV on 2005-01-01
  The theatrical cut was good, four stars. But now, thanks to the added minutes, the story and the characters get the time to develop the way they should have. The love story between Liz and Hellboy finally makes sense, the dark forces receive more depth and the humor hits you harder because you finally get the time to laugh without fearing to lose the story. Mignola did wonderful work with the comic books. His art and storytelling are splendid. G.del Toro obviously respects and loves the comics and in adding his own wit, grace and professionalism makes this film one of the very best comic-to-films. Ron Perlman shaving his horns .... my favorite scene of the year!
  
  
• Movie Of The Year!
  By AUGABW5AS2OXM on 2004-04-17
  This is one of the more original movies that I have seen in
  quite some time.Hellboy was originally a comic book hero.He is
  called in from the dark side by Rasputin and the Nazis.He is a
  baby devil,red,with horns and a tail,and an armored right arm.
  Instead of becoming a tool of evil he is raised by the professor
  who raises him to be a good guy.He fights monsters while smoking cigars,drinking Bud light,and showing a very good sense of humor.
  He has a fish man and a pyrotechnic woman as partners.Rasputin
  returns to the scene with some very evil monsters.Hellboy and
  Rasputin have a final showdon in Russia.This is an outstanding movie that has some unique villians and heros.The scenery and special effects are outstanding as well.See this movie,you will enjoy it.
  
  
• It's One Hell Of A Good Time
  By A2RKI7RPP5CJMG on 2004-08-02
  I've never read the "Hellboy" comics. I have nothing to base a comparison on as such, so I'll review this movie as a person who just happened to pick this one up not knowing what to expect. What a surprise! This is an action-packed, but tender-hearted romp through the life of one of the kindest, cockiest heroes of our time. Ron Perlman is perfect as Hellboy. He manages to show us just how gruff and mean Hellboy can be, but he exposes the heart that lies inside our hero as well.
  
  The rest of the cast is superb. Selma Blair has the quiet, stand-offish stereotype down pat. Doug Evans(though you can't see him with all of that make-up) is witty and engaging as Abe Sapien. John Hurt is excellent as Hellboy's "father."
  
  The story takes you on a rollercoaster of a ride with the paranormal gang hunting down Rasputin(yes, that Rasputin). Along the way we are introduced to a freakish Nazi assassin, some hellhounds, and a dead guy named Ivan. What you get in the end is an action flick full of comedy and heart. If your kids can handle the violence of flicks like "MIB" and "Tremors," I think they can handle this. The language isn't too severe. I don't remember any "f" bombs being dropped at all.
  
  Guillermo del Toro takes the slick, cool-looking set design and story movement of "Blade 2" and tosses it into this movie minus all of the techno music. Characters are developed well, and the story moves at a quick pace.
  
  Overall, a great film to watch, even if you don't know who Hellboy is. The DVD isn't that shabby either, what with being loaded to the nines with extras for film and comic buffs alike.
  
  I highly recommend this flick to everyone who enjoys comedy, action and maybe even a little horror.
  
  
• PERL OF A SHOW
  By A3LZGLA88K0LA0 on 2004-08-06
  You have to give Ron Perlman credit. Who else would spend years on a tv show ensheathed in mounds of makeup and then turn around and do it again in HELLBOY? Well, Ron, you've finally had a box office hit as the star! Perlman is a good actor to hide in make-up; his voice is rich and tremolous; his eyes expressive, and his movements secure. In HELLBOY, he uses these talents to bring us a delightfully flawed hero. In films like this, I should think one could leave behind the concern over well developed characters and credibility. It's a filmed comic book, for Pete's sake. It has a lot of intense action scenes; some pretty cool monsters and a talented cast filling out their roles quite well.
  The CGI effects fit the movie perfectly; whether they set new trends of compare to others, that's really not the point. They worked in this movie and that's all that really matters to me.
  I had a great time watching this movie; that's entertainment!
  
  
• Great DVD features complete all missing information
  By A92XVSV8LADWZ on 2004-08-01
  I watched Hellboy in a theater, I rated it 5 stars (feel free to read my review on Hellboy theatrical release). Hellboy is a beautiful story with action-packed, romantic, and sensational elements. Let's cut it short and target to the DVD features rating here. One word --- GREAT!
  
  Besides the standard DVD features such as deleted scenes, director commentary, trailers, and storyboard, this DVD also comes with lots of essential information to answer all your puzzling questions and curiosity of each major characters like Helloboy himself, Liz, Abe, Rasputin, and Kroenen. Even more, it educates you some extras details like the big gun Hellboy using, which is given by Dr. Broom in his 18th birthday, and the crucifix always with Hellboy, which is once belonged to Jesuit Priest Luis Navarro who personally destroyed 113 vampires on August 5th, 1709, in La Oroya, Peru. You can also find background stories for each major characters, and some side stories like why Liz likes taking photo everywhere.
  
  Great information but the deleted scenes seem abit too short, only 3 deleted scenes and they're not essential to the film and story. Overall, it is a great movie with lots of freebies features. If you are the Hellboy comic fans, I believe you already own a copy. Or shouldn't you?
  
  *** Otto Yuen's DVD Special Rating for Hellboy ***
  1. Film Rewatchability: MEDIUM-LOW
  2. DVD Featurability: VERY STRONG
  3. Picture Quality: EXCELLENT
  4. Sound Quality: EXCELLENT
  
  (Reviewed by Otto Yuen, 31-Jul-2004)
  
  
  
• Wasnt bad wasnt great.
  By A1PSZ7SC4WD5OV on 2004-04-18
  I loved this movie id go see it again. Ill be the first one to get it when it comes out on dvd it had some akward parts and the story line had holes in it but as they said this movie is not based on the first comic book. As far as the art work for the comic book which i recently went and read a bunch of the art work sucks. The hellboy in the movie looks a lot better.
  
  
• Hellboy, not your ordinary superhero.
  By A4H6XZUTBZ11P on 2004-07-22
  I went to see this three times. I never do that. In fact, I didn't really want to see it in the first place. I took my grandson, because he is a big Spiderman/superhero fan. While the continuity is flawed (people who are seemingly important to the movie seem to just fade into the sunset), from start to finish, Hellboy is a wild, escapist ride. Which is what this movie is, escape. Anyone who is looking for a cinematographic masterpiece will be disappointed. Try and see it through the eyes of an 8-year-old. We were all young once. This brings us back in touch with those days when comic books were one of our main sources of entertainment. This movie just simply rocks.
  
  
• The Crimson Warrior
  By A1F1FOR46702YF on 2004-07-25
  Director Guillermo Del Toro (Mimic & Blade II) sets the stage for a new breed of heroes in the wildly entertaining comic book adventure "Hellboy". Since World War II, the secretive Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense exists to protect the world from the forces of darkness. When the mad wizard Rasputin (Karl Roden) plots to bring about the end of the world, the Bureau's most powerful agent, Hellboy (Ron Perlman), leads the fight to save humanity. "Hellboy" is an exciting action-packed adaptation of the popular Dark Horse Comics that ranks as one of the best superhero movies to date. Its fast-paced story is quite engaging and its "colorful" characters are certainly interesting. This stylized comic book adventure features some witty humor, thrilling action sequences and cool eye-popping special effects. Ron Perlman's energetic performance of the title character is quite marvelous. The cast also includes Selma Blair, John Hurt, Rupert Evans, Jeffrey Tambor and Emmy Award winner David Hyde Pierce as the voice of aquatic Abe Sapien.
  
  "Hellboy" 2-Disc Special Edition is positively one of this year's best DVDs. The comic book adventure is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen format. Its picture quality is simply outstanding with excellent sharpness. Its dynamic 5.1 Dolby Digital sound is fantastic. The DVD also features a short introduction by director Guillermo del Toro, two separate audio commentaries by filmmakers and cast members, eight DVD comics by creator Mike Mignola, the informative "Hellboy: The Seeds of Creation" behind-the-scenes documentary, three deleted scenes with optional audio commentary track, in-depth animated storyboards, TV spots and theatrical trailers. The DVD menus look great. Overall, "Hellboy" contains a top-notch DVD presentation and scores a surprising "A-".
  
  
• A brilliant cinematic adaptation of the comic book!
  By A21B2TJBWCSK1R on 2004-08-02
  The success of X-Men and Spider-Man has opened the door for a new wave a comic book adaptations. In the past, studios have played it safe and only green-lighted adaptations of mainstream comic books with large followings. However, this has changed as of late with Ghost World and now with Hellboy. Based on Mike Mignola's comic book of the same name, it has a dedicated cult following at best so it's a pleasant surprise to see a major studio take a big budget gamble with this title.
  
  Ron Perlman is perfectly cast as the cigar smoking, two-fisted action hero who eats Baby Ruth candy bars and loves cats. He does a great job of capturing Hellboy's sarcastic, wise-cracking nature. Perlman gets to utter cool one-liners and looks fantastic in his make-up (thanks to legendary make-up artist Rick Baker). Often, what makes it to the movie rarely resembles what was drawn in the comic book. Not the case here-Perlman IS Hellboy. With this role (and hopefully more sequels to come), he is destined to become the cult film icon of the new millennium (much like Bruce Campbell was in the `90s). Perlman has got the drop-dead cool action hero shtick down cold. With his hulking, imposing physique, he's Arnold Schwarzenegger with brains and irony.
  
  While the film has the requisite slam-bang action sequences, it is not dominated by them. The film is not driven by them but rather by the characters and the story. And this is because del Toro has strong source material to draw from: Mignola's comic book, in particular "Seed of Destruction," which chronicles Hellboy's origins. Both del Toro and Mignola's works are steeped in the gothic and horror genres, in particular the fiction of H.P. Lovecraft. The author's influence is all over this movie as Hellboy trades blows with Cthulhu-inspired creatures that would make ol' Lovecraft proud.
  
  Fans of this movie are in for a real treat as the 2-DVD set is jam-packed with extras that will take hours to explore completely. Here are some of the highlights:
  
  The first disc features two audio commentaries. The first is by director Guillermo del Toro and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. They talk about the nitty gritty details of the filmmaking process. Mignola explains the differences and similarities between the film and the comic book. This is a solid, informative track that is essential listening for Hellboy fans.
  
  There are three deleted scenes with optional commentary by del Toro. He mentions that two of them will appear on the extended cut DVD coming out later this year but in edited form so this is the only chance to view them in their entirety.
  
  The centerpiece of second disc is an exhaustive two-and-half hour documentary that can be watched in various segments or altogether. Del Toro provides a great description for Hellboy: "Imagine if The X-Files was investigated by an X-File." This is a detailed look at the making of the movie from the graphic novel to the movie itself with great attention paid to the make-up and visual effects.
  
  As exhaustive and complete as this 2-DVD set is, del Toro has promised an even more in-depth edition coming out later this year. It will feature an extended cut of the movie and new supplements (including a brand new audio commentary by del Toro) that will go even deeper into the filmmaking process (if that's possible!). In a classy move, Columbia even acknowledges this upcoming edition and includes a $5 off coupon with this current 2-DVD set. Studios rarely, if ever, warn consumers of double-dipping and del Toro has been very vocal in the press about it. Nice.
  
  
• Extended 'Hellboy' Loaded With Extras
  By A37ZOGOK3GKF2P on 2004-11-08
  The 3 disc set, loaded with extras is well worth the extra money. The extended scenes are blended in with the regular film, seemlessly added. Some scenes I can see why they didn't make the cut. Ususually for time constrants. Still there are some extra scenes that are a treat. They fill a small void that was in the theatrical version. Fans can rejoice! A sequel is coming. The special effects are flawless, however I felt a bit overwhelmed by all the computer generated critters. They were also kind of dull for monsters, but the action is aplenty. Ron Pearlman is great as Hellboy. He gives the character a human edge, and that helps greatly. A good movie that could have been great, but still well worth the money. Trade in the old PG13 version and buy this one.
  
  
• Beautiful picture quality
  By A2UJQLSFVA5VQZ on 2007-08-02
  I like this movie although I would not say I love it based on the story. I picked it up thinking the picture would be awesome on blue ray. I was not wrong. As another review stated, the blue flames were brilliant. I really noticed the detail on Hellboys face. Sound was great. I noticed alot of sound I did not hear before. It is (or was when I bought it) one of the cheaper films on BRay and it was well worth it.
  
  
• More Like 4.5 Stars..but Still a Great Comic Book Movie!
  By A1TW9ZGRDQQZ2Y on 2004-04-03
  Ron Perlman is Hellboy and makes the movie worthwhile even if it wasn't any good. But have no fear because the movie is really good. No other actor I can think of is more perfect for this part and I was happy to finally see him get a starring role in a movie, rather than the side-kick or bad-guy part of norm. His eyes, voice, and sarcastic personality really shine through all those layers of awesome make-up. Rick Baker did the make-up effects and that alone promises greatness in that department. The love story between Hellboy and Liz was funny and sweet, not sappy like the one in Spiderman. Everyone cast seemed like they fit the part, especially John Hurt (the mentor) and Liz (Selma Blair). The special effects for the most part are great, with only a few scenes standing out as just average (the underwater egg hunt & the blue fire). All in all, I had a blast with the action scenes and remained interested in the plot, which was fresh and new for this type of movie. Not being one who has read the comics, I still haven't figured out all of the plot or who some of the bad characters were suppose to be. But since I plan on seeing it again real soon, I will be sure to pay more attention to the story rather than just the overwhelming visuals. This is easily one of the better Super-Hero films of the last few years! "Second Date...No Tongue."-Hellboy
  
  
• Much better than the Men in Black films and with more heart
  By A19VMQDCB4HZ9P on 2004-08-03
  Hellboy I just saw and enjoyed very much. It doesn't match up to the original source materials it was taken from --- one of the best written and drawn comics in the last 20 years --- but what film ever lives up to their books.
  
  For fans of the comics, this film is a must-see. There are some changes made to keep the film from becoming too much of a copy of the books. The changes didn't bother me too much. Some ideas were taken from other Hellboy stories, but you have to be a major fan of the work to notice them.
  
  For casual film fans, this film is a hit or miss. The film has a classic pulp, serial look and also doesn't try to make itself out to be something too serious, or life changing. This is supposed to be a fun film and I think it succeeds.
  
  The Hellboy comics are a gold mine for ideas. The graphic novel that this film was based on is not even the best, but good enough as an introductory film. If they give the go ahead for a sequel, I wish that Del Toro look hard at using the Wake the Devil graphic novel as a sequel: Vampires, reborn Greek Goddess, insane Nazi scientists, and more on Hellboy's origins and purpose.
  
  
  
• Excellent Gift, Made for Serious & Quality Collectors
  By A92XVSV8LADWZ on 2004-08-14
  This DVD Gift Set includes the 3-Disc Director's Cut DVD set and a limited edition of Hellboy mini-bust from Sideshow Collectibles. Feel free to check out the 3-disc director's cut dvd set reviews for more information (the dvd set comes with tons of extra features and goodies), but let's focus on the gift set feature in this review.
  
  The mini-bust posture covers the top 1/3 of Hellboy's body, from head to his chest. Hellboy is looking towards to his left and with his left hand holding the big gun which is given by Dr. Broom in his 18th birthday, pointing to his right. Yet, there's a twist, his big stone right hand is not included in this figure.
  
  This unique collectible is hand-cast in heavy weight polystone and hand-painted to the highest standard from the award-winning Sideshow Collectibles Creative Team (www.sideshowcollectibles.com). You will be amazed the professional details and perfect paint jobs done on this exclusive bust. It's definitely not a toy but for serious quality collectors. If you're one of the Hellboy fans, this is a no doubt irresistible gift set you should own.
  
  (Reviewed by Otto Yuen, 14-Aug-2004)
  
  
  
• Look, Sammy, I'm not a very good shot, but the Samaritan here uses really big bullets.
  By A219EI4514EL7I on 2006-02-24
  I'm an admitted comic geek. Loved this movie. The first time I saw it, thought it was really good. Then watched it again. Loved it more. Again. Ditto. With so much garbage now being put out by Hollywood (do we really need anymore remakes?) its so refreshing to see something so well made, especially a comic book-based film. Ron Perlman was perfectly cast - his sarcastic one liners are wonderful. I finally saw the extended version last night. What a difference. Its even better. Goes far more in depth into the characters. Wonderful. The theatrical release is great, but the extended release is outstanding.
  
  

• Hellboy II: The Golden Army (3 Disc Special Edition)
• The Fifth Element
• Underworld (Widescreen Special Edition)
• Batman Begins (Widescreen Edition)
• Underworld - Evolution (Fullscreen Special Edition)