An occult version of Men In Black.

Rating: 8/10 (5 July 2004)

Or at least, that's what it seemed to me. The similarities are very strong. Just replace aliens with evil demon thingies and you're set!
That said, I actually liked this film quite a lot, probably due to the casting of Ron Perlman as Hellboy. He has a whale of a time in the title role, though you can't help but wonder how hot it got under his massive body suit and prosthetics. The rest of the cast are really along for the ride and don't have a great deal to do, though Hellboy's Man-from-Atlantis side-kick, Aqua Sapiens (or some-such) has a few good lines and at least one good underwater scene.
There is also more than a touch of the Lovecraftian genre about the nature of the beasties that Hellboy has to face. Vast entities slumbering in the void, just waiting to be awakened etc. And lots of tentacles and slime. It all adds up to good fun, no matter how much plagiarism and borrowing there has been.
It's pleasant to see that Hollywood can chuck out a decent comic conversion after the awful Hulk and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen fiascos. Of course, I've yet to see Catwoman, so I won't get too enthusiastic. But at least it shows they can do it, if they want to.
Worth a look.