Hellboy (2004)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Guillermo del Toro

Writers (WGA):

Guillermo del Toro (screenplay)
Guillermo del Toro (screen story) ...

Release Date:

2 April 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy

Tagline:

From the Dark Side to Our Side

Plot:

A demon, raised from infancy after being conjured by and rescued from the Nazis, grows up to become a defender against the forces of darkness.

Plot Keywords:

Nazi | Demon | Occult | Assassin | Superhero

Awards:

2 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Ron Perlman	...	Hellboy
John Hurt	...	Trevor "Broom" Bruttenholm
Selma Blair	...	Liz Sherman
Rupert Evans	...	John Myers
Karel Roden	...	Grigori Rasputin
Jeffrey Tambor	...	Tom Manning
Doug Jones	...	Abe Sapien
Brian Steele	...	Sammael
Ladislav Beran	...	Karl Ruprecht Kroenen
Biddy Hodson	...	Ilsa Haupstein (as Bridget Hodson)
Corey Johnson	...	Agent Clay
Kevin Trainor	...	Young "Broom"
Brian Caspe	...	Agent Lime
James Babson	...	Agent Moss
Stephen Fisher	...	Agent Quarry

Also Known As:

Super Sapiens (Malaysia: English title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence and frightening images.

Runtime:

122 min | 132 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Russian

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Malaysia:18PL | Iceland:14 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #40117) | Germany:12 (also director's cut) | France:U | South Korea:15 | South Africa:10V | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Chile:TE | Czech Republic:U | Denmark:11 | Finland:K-11 | Finland:K-15 (director's cut) | Netherlands:16 | Peru:PT | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A

Filming Locations:

Barrandov Studios, Krizeneckeho namesti, Prague, Czech Republic

Company:

Revolution Studios

Trivia:

Cameo: [Mike Mignola]Hellboy's creator appears dressed as a knight in a crowd of costumed people menaced by Sammael.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Hellboy stops the car by slamming his hand into the bonnet and flips the car, the grille and bumper are seen to break off the front and as it flips over the grille about to fall on Hellboy, but when the car lands the grille and bumper are nowhere to be seen.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Professor Trevor 'Broom' Bruttenholm: What is it that makes a man a man? Is it his origins, the way things start. Or is it something else, something harder to describe? For me it all began in 1944, classified mission off the coast of Scotland. The Nazis were desperate. Combining science and black magic they intended to upset the balance of the war...

Movie Connections:

Features Matador Magoo (1957)

Soundtrack:

We'll Meet Again

Is being human what it means to be human?

Late in World War II the Nazis, in a desperate attempt to change the course of the war, conduct a ritual to bring forth a demon from hell that will bring about the end of the world and a new Eden. U.S. soldiers interrupt the ceremony and the demon is instead brought up by a professor of the paranormal as a monster fighter (along with others of unique backgrounds and gifts). Sixty years later, those who birthed Hellboy are back for him and the end of the world.

I loved this movie! Loved it! For anyone who is interested in history and cultural mythology and believes that movies, to some extent, are the telling of old tales in new ways (and some will become tomorrow's myths), "Hellboy" will definitely keep that belief alive. Not to mention it's simply just one exciting damn fine fun kick butt movie! There is not a weak performance (onscreen by actors or offscreen by crew) in this film. You do not have to be a fan of the comic to enjoy this movie. It's fantastic storytelling mix of family devotion, burgeoning love, acceptance of personal power, overcoming prejudice, sacrifice, with action, comedy, horror, comic book stylized evil and one of the eeriest bad guys ever to weld a knife, as well as one of the most intense (and well dressed) villains to ever threaten the earth.

Ron Perlman has the lead and, as in the past, gives the excellent magic of make up artist Rick Baker life. He takes what would be for most actors stifling full make up and a weighty cumbersome costume and gives the audience a being with the flesh of a demon, the voice of a dark angel, the attitude of a blue collar worker, the humor of a college student, the mind of a professor, the heart of a young man in love, and the soul of a human being.

Favorite line: "There are things that go bump in the night Agent Myers, make no mistake about that, and we are the ones who bump back."

Favorite line spoken by Ron Perlman (a lot): "Awe, crap."

Definitely worth a buy!