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Hellboy
4/5
R E V I E W   B Y   R I C H   C L I N E dir-scr Guillermo del Toro
with Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, John Hurt, Rupert Evans, Karel Roden, Jeffrey Tambor, Ladislav Beran, Bridget Hodson, Doug Jones, Corey Johnson, Kevin Trainor, David Hyde Pierce
release US 2.Apr.04, UK 3.Sep.04
Columbia
04/US 2h12

Here's looking at you, kid: Perlman and Blair.

perlman blair hurt

See also:
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY (2008)

hellboy This vivid comic book action movie has a cynical sense of humour that sets it out from the crowd, even though it's not hugely original. It's basically a cross between Men in Black's secret FBI division (dealing with the supernatural instead of Aliens) and X-Men's mutant good guys.

At the end of WWII, the Nazi's were desperate for victory, turning to the immortal Rasputin (Roden), who opens a portal to hell and brings a demon infant across into this world. But "Hellboy" is intercepted by the English spy Professor Broom (Trainor, then Hurt), and now 60 years later as a red-skinned, stone-fisted adult (Perlman) he helps the FBI to deal with supernatural nuisances, along with the brainy water-bound Abe (Jones, with Pierce's voice) and the fire-starting Liz (Blair). As Broom's protege Myers (Evans) forges a relationship with Hellboy, a kind of love triangle develops between them and Liz. All while they're coping with the reappearance of Rasputin and his cronies (Beran and Hodson).

Yes, the plot is rather complicated, and Del Toro takes a refreshingly offhanded approach, keeping things strangely realistic amid the outrageousness of the plot. Like the X-Men, each major and minor character has a personal journey, and they interact with warmth, dry humour and edginess. All are very well-played, and the daring casting of Perlman pays off with a sardonic, energetically charged performance that fills the screen with sheer attitude. He's the coolest of movie superheroes; even though he's a demon, we want to be him!

These depths of character draw us in and make the film much more than an exercise in eye-poppingly inventive design, make-up, effects and action sequences. The extraordinary colour spectrum makes it simultaneously gothic and modern, while the script is involving, witty and surprisingly moving, often at the same time (such as in the deepening Hellboy-Liz relationship). Yes, the humour sometimes gets a bit corny, but it emerges from the characters rather than making them the butt of the joke. And Del Toro bravely resists the temptation of overblown Hollywood-style finales to the action or romantic plotlines--both are understated and clever, leaving us with something to think about while we wait for the sequel.

cert 12 themes, violence, suspense 11.Apr.04

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© 2004 by Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
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