A demonic superhero

Rating: 8/10 (6 July 2017)

In late 1944 a group of Nazis, with the help of Rasputin, the 'Mad Monk' who didn't die as history told us, attempt to open a portal to a demonic realm hoping to unleash various demonic forces. They are stopped by a group of US soldiers guided by Professor Trevor "Broom" Bruttenholm. One demon comes through the portal; a young red demon with one outsized hand, horns and a tail. Cutting forward to the present day the demon, dubbed 'Hellboy' has grown up and is working for a US government agency that deals with paranormal threats. We are introduced to this agency as Agent John Myers arrives for his first day working there.
It turns out that two of the Nazis survived and are apparently unaged; they resurrect Rasputin before summoning a hellhound known as Sammael. Hellboy manages to defeat the Sammael but there is a complication; every time it is killed two more soon appear! As well as dealing with Rasputin, the Nazis and the Sammaels Hellboy has another problem; he has feelings for a girl named Liz, who can start fires, but can't bring himself to tell her how he feels. To make matters worse she seems to be getting closer to Agent Meyers. Inevitably there will be final confrontation as Rasputin tries to force Hellboy to open the portal and begin the apocalypse.
This is certainly different to most superhero moves; not only is Hellboy a demon but apart from being very strong and impervious to fire he doesn't have the usual wide range of superpowers. He is also officially denied and has no human alter ego he is always Hellboy. Director Guillermo del Toro does a great job bringing the story to the screen; not that I was too surprised as he seems to understand how to do monsters and other fantastical creatures. Ron Perlman is great in the role; he gives us a delightfully grumpy yet witty hero. The villains are suitable evil; Nazis are good go-tos when you want a nasty villain and Karl Ruprecht Kroenen is particularly menacing thanks to his mask and the fact that he appears to be less than human. If that weren't enough we have Rasputin; a menace from Tsarist Russia and the Sammaels which are impressive CGI creations. As well as Hellboy there are other impressive 'good guys'; Selma Blair is good, if a little underused, as Liz; Rupert Evans did a fine job as Agent Meyers and John Hurt brings a touch of class as the older Prof Broom. Doug Jones was also rather fun as Abe Sapien, an aquatic supernatural creature with some interesting powers. There is a good amount of varied action which features impressive special effects. Overall I enjoyed this more than I expected and would certainly recommend it to fans of the superhero genre especially if you want something a little different.