Not earth-shattering but a decent comic book film

Rating: 6/10 (1 September 2008)

"Hellboy", helmed by Guillermo del Toro and created by Mike Mignola, is a CGI-heavy comic book film based on the exploits of the title character, a hot-headed demon from another dimension enlisted by the government to keep supernatural forces at bay.
Ron Perlman portrays the title character and manages to infuse him with a curmudgeonly but ultimately likable personality. There are some familiar faces among his allies including John Hurt, Selma Blair & Jeffrey Tambor. David Hyde Pierce also lends his voice to the character of Abe Sapien. All in all, the acting is pretty good for a comic book film but nothing to write home about.
The story is pretty forgettable stuff built around black magic and the supernatural. Basically, its only purpose is to provide a link from one action set-piece to the next. There's an element of interpersonal drama but it isn't much more substantial than in any typical action flick. The film is solid from a technical standpoint, though, with decent effects and top-notch direction by del Toro.
In my opinion, it's not among the cream of the crop in terms of comic book films but it is a well-crafted action film with modest aspirations.