Hellboy

2004 comic book movie

Rating: 10/20 (Mark: 11/20; Amy: 12/20)

Plot: Near the end of World War II, Nazis are in Scotland trying to do something. While that something is about to take place, something else happens which somehow releases Hellboy, a red surly ape baby with a deformed hand. The government puts him somewhere with some other freaks for some reason and try to keep citizens from knowing about him but for various reasons occasionally unleash him. Other than that, he just sits around grinding his horns and complaining. Fifty years later, the same Nazis return and attempt to do something else (or maybe the same thing) and Hellboy and his fish friend and fire girl have to save the world.

Another one of those movies I needed to have explained to me. I'd been thinking about seeing this since hearing that the sequel is pretty good, so when my brother mentioned wanting to see it, I decided to make the trip across town to watch it with him. It's got elements--some pretty cool characters (my favorite being the guy with the gas masks) and sets and lots of style, at least at the beginning. Unfortunately, it's also got one really obnoxious character poorly played by the apparently useless Selma Blair, far too many comic book tough guy one-liners that really make Hellboy seem too worldly, and a final half hour that turns into a cartoonish mess. Special effects are fine but inconsistent, and there's one scene involving Hellboy running that made me laugh out loud and scare a cat. Perhaps the biggest problem here is that I didn't really like the Hellboy character. He was just too grumpy and looks sort of silly. And any movie that forces me to imagine something that looks like Hellboy having a sexual encounter with Selma Blair automatically loses points. I had to give the point back for Jeffrey Tambor though. I've got no real interest in seeing the sequel but probably will at Mark's place eventually.