Hell yeah!

Rating: Null/10 (24 September 2004)

At long last, the film that Ron Perlman was born to star in hits the UK. Hellboy is adapted from the comic book by Dark Horse Publishing, and tells the story of a demon who just wants to be a good guy. Director Del Toro has held the rights to the film for a few years now, but wanted to raise his profile, and that of Perlman, before making the film. Blade 2 was the film to do that. Much like Blade, Hellboy is a character who is relatively unknown to all but the most fanatical of comic book fans. Again, like Blade, it is a character which is aimed more at the older end of the market.
The backstoryÂ….Towards the end of World War 2, the Nazis were conducting rituals to tap into occult forces. One such ceremony was intended to tap into the power of Hell itself. However, the allied forces stopped the damage being done, but not before a demon child made its was through the gate. The child, with horns and an arm of stone, was adopted by a scientist, and raised to fight the evil in the world. This is Hellboy, and now, fully grown, he files his stumps down to try to fit in with the human world as he fights occult forces.
As mentioned above, this is the role Perlman was born to play. His looks, character, and nature are all perfect for the role of the 'gentle, brooding giant' figure that is Hellboy. Perlman captures the soul of the character so well, becoming a perfect translation from the pages of the comic. The inner turmoil of a being who so wants to be accepted as a human, yet tries to distance himself from others all the time is well portrayed here, and we get a glimpse into the heart of the guy. The wisecracks and quick one-liners are played with such a dryness by Perlman that you could think he missed his true vocation in life as a stand-up comic. Support from Hurt as his 'father figure', and Hyde Pierce as the voice of his aquatic comrade are also strong, adding extra flavour to the story. Not forgetting love interest, and pyrokinetic esper, Blair, who adds an extra sense of angst to the demon's soul.
The humour is one of the strongest aspects of the film. A story which is so fantastical could have been played out with all seriousness, and would have failed by doing so. It is the very fact that the film doesn't take itself all that seriously that enables you to suspend disbelief and accept the fantastical elements. The director Del Toro, who for once is given almost complete freedom on all aspects of the film (including editing, the one area which has upset earlier films by him), shows his knowledge of the source material by really delivering a film for the fans. The fact that he got Hellboy creator Mike Mignola on board to advise him on aspects must have helped a lot. Mignola will be staying on board for the second film, and is also involving himself in the script. This is, perhaps, one of the best comic-to-film translations ever, which the fans will be more than happy with. That's not saying that non-fans will feel alienated by the film. The story is, after all, an origin story, and gives plenty of story to draw in new-comers, and allow everyone to understand the background to this demon.
Suffice to say this is one which I will be watching again, and again, and with word of a 'director's cut' already in production (it was intended to have it ready for the cinema release in the UK, but they didn't manage it), I'm truly excited. Recommended to everyone.