Our rating: 3 out of 5

Rated: PG13

reviewed by Charity Bishop

Comic book super heroes are not usually my forte (although the collection of them on my DVD shelf might indicate otherwise) but Hellboy is a decent sci-fi adventure. It is not as good as the sequel (which somehow I managed to view first) but does set up a great collection of characters.

Toward the end of the second World War, Hitler is interested in breaching the bridge between our world and the next through paranormal investigation. He sends a group of individuals, including the infamous Rasputin to a church that supposedly stands on the barrier between worlds. But Professor Bruttenholm and his small group of military boys show up around the same time and put a stop to the otherworldly portal. When it is closed, all that is left behind is a tiny, bright red "hell baby." With little horns and a giant left hand, the orphaned toddler is nicknamed "Hellboy" and drafted into the government.

Sixty years later, Bruttenholm (John Hurt) is still looking after Hellboy (Ron Perlman), but he has grown into a mega-sized half-demon by now. Devoted to Catholicism and especially fond of cats (including rescuing kittens from dangerous monsters and cuddling a couple hundred of his own meowing roommates), Hellboy is frustrated because he cannot go out in public without causing a panic. He is also mourning the loss of Liz Sherman (Slema Blair), the one woman in the world he loves most. Liz has a little bit of a problem with getting overheated. Whenever she gets angry or scared or simply cannot control her powers, the room turns into an inferno, but she is determined to be "normal" and so has left the government program and tried to find a place in the world. But when a monster is unleashed from an ancient statue in a museum and wrecks havoc on mankind, the unlikely duo, along with the aquatic Abe Sapien (Doug Jones), will unite to face down an old adversary.

This first film in what will likely be a trilogy is interesting. It is not as strong as the sequel in terms of character development but does pack a fun punch for the sci-fi crowd. Hellboy is a great character -- he is sarcastic and big, with a good heart. "Cute" does not seem appropriate when referencing his fondness for felines, but it won this cat-lover over. It's not a bad script and the special effects are fantastic. But something about it just didn't grab me like I wanted it to. I'm not sure what it was, but it might have been the simplicity of the villains. I find it more interesting to combat intelligent adversaries than hunt down and slay slobbering monsters. But there is a place in cinema for six-eyed creatures too and in that respect, Hellboy does a good job of establishing itself in the genre. Certain portions of it are predictable at times, but it is a grand old adventure story that will appeal to both male and female viewers, provided you can handle "something as weird as this movie is."

Weirdness abounds here, in creepy monsters and supernatural twists. There are implications that Hellboy is the spawn of Satan and is meant to destroy humanity, but his own determination and his love for Liz pull him through even the darkest of times. There are some peculiar and unnerving scenes, including creating monsters out of ancient dust and Hellboy reciting a Latin spell to bring a long-decayed corpse back from the dead. There are a couple of mild innuendos. Jesus' name is abused a half dozen times, along with some uses of GD, and quite a few mild profanities. There is a tremendous amount of action violence including Hellboy being beaten up, him finishing off monsters, people being stabbed, enveloped by fire, and blown up. Sometimes the hell beasts come to rather gruesome ends.

I wasn't all that comfortable with some of the elements (necromancy, for example) but did enjoy the nuances of the world the director created. It's very stylized and intriguing enough that you are pulled into it. I like the style of the filmmaking but at the same time the plot needed strengthened. There were times when my attention wandered. On the other hand, I loved their twist on history and the opening scenes in particular are magnificent. It almost makes you wonder if WWII ended the way the history books said it did, or if there was a little bit of paranormal intervention going on. If you like the genre, you will love Hellboy.