The Best Comic Book Movie Ever?

Rating: 10/10 (3 April 2004)

I don't read comic books and have never even seen a "Hellboy" comic and I loved this movie. I had no expectations of high art--I just wanted to be entertained, but I ended up being a little bit surprised at the better-than-usual-in-a-comic-movie acting and dialog.
No one but Ron Perlman could ever play this role. It's not just his looks, but the way he can say the corniest dialog with utter sincerity and conviction. Selma Blair is also well-cast, with her perpetually depressed eyes and understated delivery.
The monster fights are great at first, but once you've seen one, you don't need to see it three more times, especially with the same monster. The plot is pretty standard heroes n' villains stuff, with the twist being that the main hero is an apocolyptic demon from hell who loved kittens and eats stacks of pancakes that would gag Louie Anderson.
Yes, it all sounds so corny, but I was drawn in because the actors and the script didn't take for granted that I was just another drooling fanboy. Guillermo Del Toro has made a great action movie, and I'm looking forward to the sequels.