(2004)
Dir - Guillermo del Toro
Overall: GOOD
After delivering two less than ideal director-for-hire jobs in Hollywood, Guilermo del Toro finally got to make his long in the works, mega-budgeted adaptation of Mike Mignola's Hellboy. As personal as Cronos or The Devil's Backbone before it, del Toro's stylized take on the bizarre comic book title is rather well-fitting for the material. Themes and subtext of father/son dynamics, embracing one's inner outsider, unconditional love, religious alignment, and destiny vs choice, it is far more complex and dynamic that most superhero films allow. That said, the structure is still quite conventional and the PG-13 rating gets a bit irksome at regular intervals where higher amounts of blood and profanity would have helped to make it both more entertaining and grounded. Not that the film is going for realism mind you nor should it, but when characters get chomped to pieces by vicious, Lovecraftian demons with little-to-no gore and Hellboy chooses to constantly censor himself by saying "damn" or "crap" instead of "shit" or "fuck", it inescapably gives off the feeling of trying to offend as few people as possible. These are nitpicks though for a movie that primarily works due to excellent production values, performances, and story construction, all of which ultimately matter most.
(2006)
Dir - Phil Weinstein
Overall: GOOD
Serving as both the first tie-in animation film in the Hellboy series as well as a direct sequel to the 2004, live action film, Hellboy: Sword of Storms is a collaboration between original creator Mike Mignola, fellow comic book writer Matt Wayne, Disney animator Tad Stones, and director Phil Weinstein. It also brings back Doug Jones, Selma Blair, and Ron Perlman reprising their respected roles in the leads and also providing Jones to do his own voice over work as the actor was unofficially dubbed by David Hyde Pierce in the initial film. The story revolves around ancient Japanese demons trapped in a katana, dimensional travel, slumbering dragons, and a whole slew of other supernatural mysticism that serves the animated format here quite well. Though the set pieces are clever and the script keeps the action going with some well-placed humor thrown in for good measure, it also gets a bit monotonous. Hellboy himself spends the entire film fighting off monster after monster that comes after him, all with his trusty blade. Meanwhile, the third act features a battle with a giant sea beast that quickly results in a stalemate. There is also no character development whatsoever, which was the dominant factor in the previous movie. Still, as a fun detour which was clearly the intention, it is tastefully done.
(2007)
Dir - Victor Cook
Overall: GOOD
Overall: GOOD
The second animated installment in the Hellboy series which simultaneously serves as a prequel to the initial live action film, Hellboy: Blood and Iron pits the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense against vampires, werewolves, harpies, ghosts, and a giant, darkness-dwelling stone goddess. The framework is rather ambitious as the film bounces between present day and reverse-chronological flashbacks which end up setting up the events of the initial, Guillermo del Toro-helmed movie. Referencing ancient, Greek mythology as well as the legend of Countess Elizabeth Báthory, (here taking the form of the undead baddie Erzebet Ondrushko), the story throws plenty of literary, supernatural ingredients into the mix. These are balanced quite well by all of the characters getting a chance to square-off against different monsters in many an action scene. As far as the title character goes, Hellboy almost plays a supporting role and spends the last act smashing and getting smashed through walls while flinging his demon fists at the snake goddess Hecate. It is also a plus that the cast is all back once gain, with the extra bonus of John Hurt reprising his role as Professor Trevor Bruttenholm.
(2008)
Dir - Guillermo del Toro
Overall: GOOD
A standard sequel in all proper respects, Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy II: The Golden Army features an original, collaborative story between he and creator Mike Mignola that works off of folklore, clockwork monsters, and the director's persistent themes of misunderstood outcasts and love conquering all. Comparatively, the heartfelt, character-driven core here takes a bit of a backseat to relentless visual flair. This is more true for the first two acts which let the already established characters play a supporting role in set piece after set piece of dazzling and inventive production and creature design. Most impressive of all perhaps is that the final act remains just as creatively stunning as the rest of the film while simultaneously being the most emotionally engaging. The plot structure is pretty textbook with a few convenient maneuvers thrown in there to propel things along, but del Toro is such a visually captivating storyteller that his unique creation here is just endlessly engaging. It is as strong as the first film, helped along once again by committed and funny performances top to bottom. The only downside can be that it ends on a bittersweet note as nothing further came of this initial series since studio finances dried up and all parties involved then moved on to other projects. Its never too late of course to revisit, but even if this stands as the official coda, better to leave them wanting more.
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