Anti-climactic Ending Ruins It.

Rating: 7/10 (20 July 2009)

I looked forward to seeing this flick, ever since the trailer ended with the giant squid like creature grabbing Hellboy after proclaiming "How Big Can It Be". That really had 'bad-ass' written all over it. I never went to the theatre though and had to wait for DVD. After seeing the flick I can tell you it's not my favourite comic book adaptation, but it is a decent one.
Never reading the Hellboy comics I did not know what I was getting myself into, but the film looked like it was going to do one thing and that was entertain me. The problem I had with it was that it wasn't entertaining enough. It had all the right ingredients, it just didn't mix well. What I got was a pretty average flick with a sub-plot that I did not really care for.
Perlman is in his zone with this character and even though he is under heavy make-up, I can't really see anyone else pulling this off the way he does. The right amount of comedic touch adds an odd layer to this demonic looking creature.
The rest of the supporting cast didn't do much for me. I didn't care if the young agent died or not and Selma Blair was just too depressed for me to want to like her.
The special effects were good and interacted well with the characters. Even though most were over the top, this is a comic book film after all. So I let it slide.
Finally, it wasn't climatic enough. Remember when I told you how 'bad-ass' that end part of the trailer was with the giant squid. Well, I was prepped for an epic showdown and was let down by a 10 second fight. That really put me in a bad funk and when you're ending a film, you want your audience to feel good. Shame on you Hellboy, shame.