Click Here >> Watch/Download Hellboy 2004 Online
The Ultimate Guide to Hellboy: An Honest Review
If you’re a fan of Superhero movies, the name “Hellboy” must ring a bell. The supernatural superhero has become an iconic figure in popular culture since his creation in 1994. In 2019, the long-awaited Hellboy reboot released by Lionsgate Films hit theaters across the world, bringing back the bad-ass demon and his team to fight evil. Here’s everything you need to know about this latest installment.
The Storyline
The storyline picks up from where its prequels left off, where our hero is assigned to prevent an ancient sorceress from destroying humankind. The movie adaptation is based on Mike Mignola’s graphic novels of the same name and offers an entirely new story arc compared to Guillermo del Toro’s beloved adaptations.
The Casts
Hellboy fans were excited about a few cast members like David Harbour (Stranger Things) as Hellboy because of his portrayal of a similar character in the Netflix series and Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil) as Nimue, “The Blood Queen.” However, Ian McShane played Professor Bruttenholm was a highlight for me with his impeccable acting skills.
Fact Check
The Hellboy reboot received severe criticism even before its release due to actor Ed Skrein’s casting as Major Ben Daimio. The character Major Ben Daimio was of mixed Asian heritage in the comics, but Ed Skrein is Caucasian. However, when Skrein became aware of the issue, he quit the role, thereby enabling an Asian actor Daniel Dae Kim to play Major Ben instead.
The Plot
Hellboy has never been a franchise that focused on intricate plot lines. The movie’s scriptwriter Andrew Cosby chose to keep it that way, which led to a wildly repetitive and predictable plot. The lack of thrill and suspense made it a tedious watch for me.
Acting and Characters
David Harbour’s portrayal of Hellboy was subpar at best, with some scenes even bordering on cringe-worthy acting. Whenever he wasn’t delivering smart-alecky one-liners, he was either grunting or screaming incoherently. As for the other characters in the movie, their performances were average at best.
History
The latest version of Hellboy is a tribute to the comic book series created by artist Mike Mignola in 1993. The first Hellboy movie was released in 2004, directed by Guillermo del Toro and starring Ron Perlman. It earned critical acclaim, followed by a sequel in 2008.
Score and Popularity
Despite being a much-awaited reboot, Hellboy failed to live up to the hype and received an overall poor score of 17% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film’s poor quality resulted in it not gaining popularity among fans either.
Evaluation
Directed by Neil Marshall and produced by Lawrence Gordon, Lloyd Levin, Michael Richardson, and John Thompson, Hellboy was one of the anticipated movies of 2019 for Comic Book movie fans. However, with its mediocre storyline and acting skills, it did not tickle my fancy as much as I would have hoped.
Cinematography
The movie’s cinematography was well executed as it was aesthetically pleasing for viewers without being heavily reliant on special effects alone. The cinematographer Lorenzo Senatore had previously worked on notable TV shows such as Game of Thrones and SPARTACUS.
Opinion & Analysis
The film fell short in many ways, especially when compared to Guillermo del Toro’s previous adaptations. The lack of innovation in the story structure, uninspired dialogue, and poorly written characters made it a mediocre film. Neil Marshall’s direction couldn’t save the movie or its cast performances.
Special Effects
The only redeeming quality of Hellboy was the way the special effects were executed, which were remarkable and well-orchestrated. The practical effects team did their best to bring Mignola’s otherworldly creatures to life on screen with convincing CGI and fantastic make-up artistry.
Dialogue
The dialogue throughout the movie was unimpressive and lacked depth or wit that would have kept me engaged in the story. It seemed like a jumbled mess of crass humor, one-liners, and generic superhero moves that most comic book fans might be able to predict ahead of time.
Crews
With four producers, Hellboy seemed like a movie that was going to be executed perfectly. However, given the poor execution of the film, it’s safe to say that the producers didn’t direct or guide its team members correctly for successful implementation.
Scenes
The movie offered an array of beautifully crafted action scenes but still managed to fall flat on its face. Even though they were well-shot and choreographed, they seemed pointless and didn’t serve the purpose of moving Hellboy’s story forward.
Gossip
Gossip surrounding the movie appeared after Skrein left his role as Major Ben. He received massive support from Hollywood and social media where people appreciated his stand against white-washed casting in Hollywood movies.
Soundtracks
The Hellboy score was composed by Benjamin Wallfisch, who had also worked on popular films like It (2017) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017). The music deftly complemented each scene, setting the tone and elevating the movie’s emotional output.
Production
The reboot was produced with a budget of $50 to $60 million and went on to gross a disappointing $44 million worldwide. The producers had hoped that the movie’s popular predecessor would draw audiences, but it instead resulted in a box office disappointment.
Criticism
Hellboy received major criticism from critics worldwide for its poor storyline, unimpressive dialogue, and poor performances. Its failure resulted in Lionsgate Films scrapping future plans for further sequels in the franchise.
Editing
The editing of Hellboy was decently done by Martin Bernfeld. It created an excellent balance between gory violence and comedic moments. However, the sloppy storytelling made it challenging to appreciate the expert editing.
Conclusion
Overall, Hellboy had moments of brilliance but failed to deliver a coherent story or engaging characters like its predecessors. The poor acting and lackluster scriptwriting made it an unremarkable experience at best. My expectations were significantly higher after seeing great things from Neil Marshall, David Harbour and Milla Jovovich prior to the film’s release. While it is still a significant movie in the Hellboy franchise, it falls short when compared to its predecessors.