A fun comic book movie

Rating: 8/10 (9 September 2009)

Hellboy works on a number of levels: as a pure action film, as a fun comic book adaptation, and even as a decent character study. That's because Ron Perlman, best known for the TV series Beauty and the Beast, completely inhabits his character, a red-skinned half-demon who grows up in the care of the U.S. government and helps hunt down bad guys and monsters of all stripes. Perlman is very human behind his alarming makeup, and gets to wisecrack in a way that works far better than it has in other comic book-oriented films. He also is surrounded by a first-rate cast, including John Hurt as a kindly professor/mentor and Selma Blair as Hellboy's psy-powered love interest. For those who don't care a whit about comic book movies, watch it just for the subway scene. And I must say the CGI is some of the best I have seen since STARSHIP TROOPERS.