Above average,perfectly watchable fare

Rating: Null/10 (1 October 2004)

STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs
In the closing days of World War 2,Grigori Rasputin (Karel Roden) and his cronies attempt to open a portal that will allow them to control the world.However,British soldiers intervene,thwart his diabolical plan and in turn discover an infant demon,who grows up to be known as Hellboy (Ron Perlman) a cigar chomping,wise-cracking superhero.However,when he learns that Rasputin has been risen from his confinement and is intent on world domination,he decides to fulfill the legacy of his father figure,Professor Broom (John Hurt) and stop him forthwith.
This charmingly titled action adventure is the latest in a long line of superhero comic book movie adaptations of 2004.And it's a pleasantly surprising one.The movie benefits from some excellent graphic design.That bad guy with the black helmet face and the swishing swords is cool.So is that blue looking bloke who floats around in the aquarium.And a lot of the action has a nice visual style to it and is fairly engaging throughout.Some of the effects themselves generally ain't bad either.Perlman adopts a Bruce Willis esquire wise-cracking good guy stance in the lead role and is on fairly good form.Despite some bad acting and a slightly wavey story,this is one that's well worth catching.After the ponderous Blade 2,director Guillermo Del Toro has come back with a film that puts him right on an even keel.****