The Moose Hole - Review of Hellboy

Rating: 7/10 (3 April 2004)

Here's come another one  another feature film adaptation of a classic comic book series. Ever since the comic book genre was revitalized by X-Men in 2000 and elevated to escalating popularity thanks to Spider-Man in 2003, it has been the top priority of every major movie studio in Hollywood to jump on the latest band wagon and grab a comic book franchise in which to roll several features, if at all possible. Granted that most of the major comic book series have been picked up and the only ones left are the less well-known franchises, but aren't the filmmakers that choose these projects all the more braver then those with the so-called `sure-fire' hits? Guillermo del Toro hasn't clearly shown that after taking the directing reins in the already hot Blade film franchise for Blade II, which managed successful to out-gross the original, but now he really gets to show how brave of a filmmaker he is with a project he's been working on for nearly six years. After shopping the experimental project around for quite some time, del Toro will now have the shot to bring the cult-classic to life but whether or not his hard work will pay off is still in the air.
The story follows a young devil brought to Earth through a pagan ritual and saved by the United States Army on his journey to grow up and become a man. Nearly sixty years ago, the Nazis, in a last ditch effort to win the war against the Allied Powers, stage a cult experiment to unleash the seven gods of Chaos and destroy the world, all being led by the mysterious Grigori Rasputin. But when the United States Army intervenes, the lurid experiment goes awry and, as a result, tares the child of Satan, later named Hellboy, from his home. After he is adopted by Professor Bruttenholm, Hellboy is brought up as a force of good, rather then evil, working for the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, protecting the world from all supernatural forces that may threaten it. His latest mission brings him in touch with the Nazi cult followers that brought him into the world sixty years ago, only this time they are adamantly determined to finish the job they started, which includes using Hellboy to fulfill his true purpose  unleashing the seven gods of Chaos and bringing about the end of the world. The story for Hellboy, as confusing and outlandish as it may seem, was surprisingly quite interesting but is definitely one that requires not necessarily a true understanding of the comic book series it is based on but an awareness of historical figures that the feature presents, as well as the legends surrounding those characters. If you go into this film without at least a reasonable sense of what is going on, you're not going to understand one solitary thing within this film. In that case, don't bother going at all  you're just going to waste your money.
Unlike other comic book adaptations, Hellboy does not feature a whole lot of A-list talent but none-the-less features one of the most impressive casts this year, despite several flaws that become evident as the feature progresses. Ron Perlman is Hellboy, no ifs, ands, or buts about it! Perlman was apparently the major requirement by Guillermo del Toro when he shopped around the project and was one of the major setbacks for the project as well with the studios wanting someone more famous to play the red hero. Fortunately for movie-goers, del Toro stuck to his guns and showcases a real eye for talent with Perlman's marvelous performance. John Hurt, who portrays Professor Bruttenholm, gives a delightful performance of a character that cares dearly for his adopted son but knows clearly that his time on Earth is running out. You can't help but have a tear in your eye during his final scene in the film. There were few problems with the cast but the ones that were contrary to the rest were quite evident, this included Jeffrey Tambor and Karel Roden. It wasn't necessarily their performances but the characters themselves. Tambor plays some-what of an adversary to Hellboy in the course but you never exactly get an idea why this is. Perhaps he's the typical `uptight governmental agent who fears people different from him and therefore looks unkindly toward freaks' like Hellboy'  in that case, this just makes the character rather a lame addition to the overall story. And Roden as Rasputin? You just don't see enough of him to care or clearly grasp what he's doing in the film or trying to achieve.
Overall, Hellboy lands up in purgatory, it is neither a hit nor a miss, not necessarily leaving you clamoring to see it again nor is it a feature that you would detest repeating, if it were presented to you. What it does leave you with is the feeling of wanting to know what the Hell (no pun intended) was going on and how it all makes sense, one way or another  a thing del Toro never clearly demonstrates in this film. First off, the feature, though only lasting a little over two hours, feels a lot longer then it actually is especially with several seemingly endless chase scenes. Secondly, it felt as though too much was being crammed into one film and might have been better split up but with enough problems getting this first one made it is understandable why del Toro might have getting a sequel. Third, there were several prominent instances where it felt as though the over-the-topness of the film was too much, including the scenes with Kroenen waving his swords around like that guy from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Many were expecting someone to pull a gun out, shoot the Nazi SOB, and move on from there but that never came about. And finally, concerning Kroenan, how does that work out? The man (figuring he is even human) is mostly dust but continues to do the things he does over a nearly sixty year time span  how is that possible? What keeps him, supposedly, alive? And what makes the last scene with him seem like the end of his character? Guess that's asking too much. Hellboy, in the end, becomes a comic-book fanatic's dream but the for the rest it leaves them confused.
My Rating: *** ½ out of 5 (Grade: C+)