Impressive

Rating: 10/10 (7 April 2004)

Having never read any of the Hellboy comic books, I went into the movie with no idea what the plot would be about. I used to collect comics so I knew what to expect from the genre. (That, and I play Champions, the Hero System RPG.)
I have to say I was extremely impressed with the quality of acting in this movie. I knew that Ron would be good- I've been a fan of his since 'Beauty and the Beast'- but, wow! This movie didn't come across as campy like a lot of the other super-genre movies (Batman, et al). To me the characters here were believable, and I actually forgot who the actors were behind them while I watched. That is a mark of a great movie, in my opinion.
The script was a great balance between comedy and drama, just like any good comic book movie should be. I'd say it's on par with Spiderman, if not better.
The special effects were very good, too. Personally, I wasn't happy with the 'C'Thulu-esque' style of monsters they battled but, hey, no movie is 100% perfect. And even so, the special effects were very smoothly integrated and I didn't notice any obvious CGI effects during the show.
Well done, I am ready for the sequel!
M