What the Hell?

Rating: 4/10 (6 November 2004)

This supernatural action-adventure is based on a dark creature in Mike Mignola's acclaimed comic book series Hellboy. Hellboy(Ron Perlman)is a red colored demon in the form of a man with a giant armored gloved hand and two circles(where ram-like horns are shaved down)on his head. Complete with a tail, superpowers and an appetite for Baby Ruth candy bars. As an infant Hellboy is rescued from the Nazis and raised as a force of good by Allied Force agent 'Broom' Bruttenholm(John Hurt). As an adult Hellboy is an investigator of the paranormal and while on an assignment comes face to face with George Rasputin(Karel Roden)who uses monsters and powers-that-be to convince Hellboy he is better off with the dark side. Aiding our demon hero is the telepathic 'Mer-Man'(Doug Jones)and a pyro-kinetic looker named Liz(Selma Blair). Undercurrents of deadpan humor add texture to the full blown battle between the demonic superhero and slimy monsters from the bowels of who knows where. Also in the cast are: Rupert Evans, Jeffrey Tambor, Bridget Hodson and Kevin Trainor. Kudos to director Guillermo del Toro for his distinctive all-be-it loose adaptation of the comic book hero.