One Of The Best Big-Screen Comic-Book Adaptations

Rating: 10/10 (11 April 2004)

"Hellboy" is the newest film by director Guillermo del Toro, who not only directed the film, but wrote it as well. And it was a good thing he did. Del Toro does a wonderful job of capturing the escence of the comic and bring it to life on the big screen.
The Concept: In the final days of World War II, the Nazis attempt to use black magic to aid their dying cause. The Allies raid the camp where the ceremony is taking place, but not before a demon - Hellboy - has already been conjured. Joining the Allied forces, Hellboy eventually grows to adulthood, serving the cause of good rather than evil. As an agent of the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, Hellboy finds the things that go bump in the night - and bumps back!
Hellboy is played well by Ron Perlman. He gives the character (and I know this may sound strange) a sexy appeal about him that you can't help but love.
Helping Hellboy along the way is the aquatic-humanoid Abe Sapien, played by Doug Jones. Doug does well in giving his character, who I thought would be the most likely to fail, the same mystic that made his character so great in the comics. But the stand out preformance in "Hellboy" is Selma Blair as Pyrokinetic agent Liz Sherman. If ever there was a great comic book adapted character, Liz would be it all in thanks to Selma's pitch-perfect preformance.
On the human side of things, helping Hellboy is Agent John Myers, played wonderfully by Rupert Evans. Play Hellboy's adoptive father Professor Broom is film legend John Hurt. His presence in the film is great, and it would not have been the same without him.
"Hellboy" is bound to be a box-office hit, and for good reason. The action is unbelieveable. The relationships between the characters, and character development never weakens through the special effects and fights. In The end, Guillermo del Toro was fathful in every way to the comic. He not only created a fun action film, but he very well might have made the best comic book adapted movies ever.
I give it **** out of ****