My New Favorite Movie

Rating: 10/10 (18 January 2019)

Until I watched this move, I new nothing about Hellboy except that he was in Injustice 2 (a DC fighting game) and that he was a demon. When I watched this film, I was completely blown away. Guillermo del Toro brings Hellboy to life with breathtaking imagery and truly likable characters. After I finished, I couldn't stop thinking about the movie.
Ron Perlman as Hellboy was a perfect fit. Not only did he make Hellboy seem like a real life character, he also made him so likable and human that I couldn't help but fall in love with him. Hellboy perfectly exemplifies the message of the movie: it's the choices that a man makes that truly defies him, not where he's from or what his origins are. Despite being a demon and destined to bring about the apocalypse, Hellboy shows that just because he's supposed to be the bad guy, that doesn't mean that he has to be. I truly enjoyed every single moment that he was on screen. Not only is he funny, but he's also caring, charismatic and kind-hearted and will do whatever it takes to protect his friends.
The rest of the supporting cast was also amazing to watch. Abe Sapien was so likable and sweet that I loved him from the moment I saw him. John Myers is also very memorable. He's the 'good cop' to Hellboy's 'bad cop' tendencies. Myers is not only funny but also brave and kind. While I do believe that Selma Blair's acting was a little too unemotional at times, Liz was still an enjoyable and engaging. Her relationship with Hellboy was one of the best parts of the film and the flashback to her childhood was heartbreaking and a tearjerker. Professor Broom was one of my personal favorites. I loved that fact that he truly believed in Hellboy which in turn led Hellboy to become a good person and a hero. As for Jeffrey Tambor's character, not much to say except that he made some weird faces when yelling and he was pretty cool when he hit Kroenen (one of the bad guys) in the face with a gear.
The villains were some of my favorites ever. Rasputin and Ilsa both had a charm to them and also relished their evil deeds. Kroenen was very intimidating. Del Toro's choice to keep Kroenen's face hidden for most of the movie amped up the fear factor for me. And when it was revealed, it was really disturbing to look at. Along with his crazy fighting style, the mask Kroenen wore basically told me that this was a guy that I didn't want to mess with. Sammael and the Ogdru Jahad were also super cool. Sammael was cool looking and an incredible fighter. I really liked that he wasn't easy to beat and that he kept resurrecting. I also really liked that the Ogdru Jahad were never fully shown. The giant tentacles that are shown are scary enough. It reminds me of the Kraken. The monster as the end was good but I felt that he needed to be a bit stronger.
One of my favorite parts of Hellboy was music. The composer outdid himself. The saddest scene, when Hellboy discovers that his dad died, has this incredible music that is so powerful and conveys just how special the professor was and how close he was with Hellboy as the latter's reaction was truly heartbreaking.
Overall, Hellboy is a truly amazing film that is worth watching over and over. It had great characters, visuals, music, villain, awesome theme song and a hero who truly shows that a man is defied by his choices not by fate or destiny.