One of the most criminally underrated and under-recognized features of the past 20 years, "Hellboy" excels with its abundance of thrills, laughs and most of all... heart.

Rating: 9/10 (4 August 2016)

The "Hellboy" film franchise is a story that could almost be called a tragedy. Mainly in that it so perfectly encapsulates one of the most troubling aspects of modern film-making and distribution.
That is, no matter how high a quality a production may be, it all comes down to the money. If a moderately-budgeted film isn't a runaway hit or doesn't attract a massive audience, chances are it won't be able to continue to completion no matter how much it clearly should. Which is most certainly the case for the beloved cult-favorite "Hellboy."
Whether it be the the highly entertaining and appealing "Hellboy Animated" series that ended at two entries despite audiences being promised a third that never came. Or this film and its similarly- singular follow-up. Despite their wild popularity amongst a more niche, cult audiences and general high critical praise... they just never quite brought in those big numbers that studio-suits salivate over.
It's this fact- this terrible, terrible fact- that lends both the live-action and the animated "Hellboy" features an almost poignant air when they are revisited as the years pass. Because you can see masterful artistry and top-notch production work on display that should have so much more recognition (and obviously so many more sequels and follow-ups), but just doesn't.
Directed and co-written by the poetic cinematic genius Guillermo del Toro and loosely inspired by the famous comics of mastermind Mike Mignola, "Hellboy" tells the tale of, well... Hellboy. (Ron Perlman) A demon summoned to Earth as an infant during World War II by the occult division of the Nazi's in a last-ditch attempt to sway the war in their favor. However, the kindly Professor Bruttenholm and a group of allied soldiers stop the ritual that summoned him in the nick-of-time, and he is taken in by the Professor. Brought up by a good man who taught him values and morals, Hellboy now works for a secret government division known as the "Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense" where he hunts monsters and other supernatural threats while being kept hidden from the view of the public.
Now, when the spirit of the infamous Rasputin (yes, THAT Rasputin, as portrayed by Karel Roden)- the man partially responsible for summoning Hellboy to Earth so many years ago- re-emerges with a plan to bring about the end of the world as we know it, Hellboy must confront this devious figure of his past. Along for the ride are a colorful cast of supporting characters, including:
-Liz Sherman (Selma Blair)- a beautiful but troubled pyrokinetic who Hellboy pines for
-Abe Sapien (Doug Jones)- an aquatic "fish-man" with psychic abilities
-John Myers (Rupert Evans)- the new-guy at the bureau who has been assigned to watch over Hellboy
-Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor)- the head of the bureau whose a bit of a jerk, though he just might have the smallest of soft-sides
The cast is just wonderful. Especially Perlman, who was born to play Hellboy and makes him as fun, relatable and complex as you could possibly imagine. Which is no small feat considering he's playing the role under heavy prosthetic make-up that gives him red skin, massive muscles and devil-horns. But he makes the character so lovable and oafish, you'll constantly find yourself forgetting about his looks.
Blair is also stunning in her role, adding a lot of pathos and heart to the film, especially as her love for Hellboy and his love for her plays a major role, despite them not being together. It gives the film such a great emotional core.
Hurt is a blast of fun as Bruttenholm. Jones (with voice-over work by David Hyde Pierce) brings the aquatic Abe to life with an absolutely magical physical performance. And supporting roles by Roden, Evans and Tambor are very well played, even if their roles are written somewhat flatter than our leads. (Though Tambor is given a lot more room to shine in the second film.)
But it could be argued that the real star here is the wonderful script and pitch-perfect direction courtesy the wickedly entertaining and talented del Toro. His work is always so poetic and complex but also never alienating. He much loves melodrama (something he admits), and it's used to perfection in much of his work- "Hellboy" being no exception.
His visual direction is smooth, slick and stylish. Always moving and writhing around the scenes like a beautiful serpent. Expertly painting the visual image before us. Combining this with the wonderful cinematography of DP Guillermo Navarro, and his work here is just plain stunning.
Then there's his wonderful handling of character and story, in both his actor-direction and writing. It's witty. Never dull. And oddly enough for a film about a big, red demon- frequently and consistently heartwarming. Yes, this film has perhaps the biggest heart of any superhero/comic film of the past 20 years. And that's what really drives home just how special it is.
And while I do have to dock a point from my score due to a few clichés and contrivances here and there, I really hope that doesn't indicate that I don't completely love and adore this film. Because I do. For it's wonderful performances. For it's gorgeous visuals. For it's fascinating design and phenomenal score courtesy the fantastic Marco Beltrami. And for it's great sense of humor and heart.
This is a near-perfect 9 out of 10. Please give it a shot if you're even somewhat interested. A hidden gem like this really deserves wider recognition. (As does its sequel, the quirky and fun animated spin- offs and of course the incredible comic that spawned them all.)