Cheesy But Pretty Fun

Rating: 7/10 (13 September 2014)

Guillermo del Toro is known for writing some pretty cheesy scripts when it comes to English speaking movies, and this movie is no exception. It is full of cheesy lines and clichés, but it's still a lot of fun. It's a comic book movie made before todays time of constant comic book movies.
The story is one that is one third original, one third cliché, and one third stuff that del Toro loves. There's Nazi's that are involved with paranormal, weird creatures, creatures with tongue like things that shoot out, and all around odd things. Del Toro loves all this stuff (for more on that, watch The Strain) and it's kinda more funny than it is serious and dramatic, but it's still fun. It's self aware at times and a lot of humour is thrown in which works.
Now there's a good mix of CGI and practical effects. The practical stuff works for me, but a lot of the CGI doesn't. Granted it is 2004 and we have come a LONG way since then, but there are a few specific shots, such as Hellboy crushing a redbull can, that are absolutely terrible looking. They look incomplete at times. But I will say that for the most part it looks passable. Not amazing, but okay.
The movie shines in the department of design of sets and characters. The outfits and general appearances of the people in this movie are really top notch and feel fresh. It certainly makes them fun to look at. Even the general style of filming this movie goes for is kinda unique and fun. It feels like del Toro actually had a vision for this movie, like he does with most of his films.
Overall this is a movie that is pretty fun. It leans more to the popcorn flick side of things, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. It's part of the beginning of the comic book genre of movies we see today, which as a side note, i'm really damn sick of.