Hellboy Review

Hellboy 

Release Date: 19th August 2004 - Australia

Production Companies 

Revolution Studios (presents)

Lawrence Gordon Productions

Starlite Films

Dark Horse Entertainment (in association with)

Distribution

Sony Pictures Australia 

Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 117 minutes

Budget: $66,000,000

Box Office Gross: $99,318,987 

(Worldwide)

 
Plot Summary 

Born in the flames of Hell
and brought to Earth as an
infant to perpetrate evil,
Hellboy was rescued from
sinister forces by the
benevolent Dr. Broom, who
raised him to be a hero.

In Dr. Bloom's secret Bureau
of Paranormal Research
and Defence, Hellboy
creates an unlikely family
consisting of the telepathic
"Mer-Man" Abe Sapien and
Liz Sherman, the woman he
loves who can control fire.
Hidden from the very society
that they protect, they stand
as the key line of defence
against an evil madman who
seeks to reclaim Hellboy to
the dark side and use his
powers to destroy mankind.
(Source - EzyDVD)

Cast

Ron Perlman - Hellboy

John Hurt - Trevor "Broom"
Bruttenholm

Selma Blair - Liz Sherman

Rupert Evans - John Myers

Karen Roden - Grigori

Jeffrey Tambor - Tom Manning

Doug Jones - Abe Sapien

David Hyde Pierce - Abe
Sapien (Voice) (Uncredited)

Brian Steele - Sammael

Ladislav Beran - Kroenen

Bridget Hodson - Ilsa

Corey Johnson - Agent Clay

Kevin Trainor - Young "Broom"

Brian Casper - Agent Lime

James Babson - Agent Moss

Stephen Fisher - Agent Quarry

Garth Cooper - Agent Stone

Angus MacInnes - Sgt. Whitman

Jim Howick - Cpl. Matlon
Roy Copus - Kid on Rooftop
Tara Hugo - Doctor Jenkins
Andrea Miltner - Doctor Marsh
Jo Eastwood - Down's Patient
Andrea Stuart - Girl with Kittens

Millie Wilkie - Young Liz
Bob Sherman - Television Host
Guillermo Del Toro - Guy
Dressed as Dragon (Cameo)
(Uncredited)

Crew

Story/Screenplay/Fight
Choreographer/Director - 

Guillermo Del Toro

Story - Peter Briggs

Based on Dark Horse Comic

"Hellboy"/Co-Executive
Producer/Visual Consultant -
Mike Mignola

Executive Producer - Patrick J. Palmer

Producers - Lawrence Gordon,
Mike Richardson and Lloyd Levin

Production Designer - Stephen Scott
Visual Designers - Wayne D. Barlowe, TyRuben Ellingson, Jose Fors and Carlos Haunte
Supervising Art Director - Simon Lamont
Art Directors - Marco Bittner Rosser,
Peter Francis and James Hambidge

Costume Designer - Wendy Partridge
Special Makeup and Creature Effects Supervisor -
Brian Walsh
Makeup Supervisor/Puppeteer - Mike Elizalde
Makeup Consultant: Hellboy/Special Effects Director -
Rick Baker
Makeup Designer and Creator - Matt Rose

Director of Photography - Guillermo Navaro
Stunt Coordinator - Monty Simons

Special Effects Supervisors - Nick Allder,
David Beavis, Jeff Clifford, Kevin Draycott
and Kamil Jaffar
Key Animatronic Designer/Puppeteer - Mark Setrakian

Visual Effects Supervisor/Producer - Edward Irastorza
Visual Effects Supervisor - Jonathan Rothbart
Visual Effects Supervisor: Tippett Studio - Blair Clark
Visual Effects Producer: The Orphanage - Velvy Appleton
Creature Supervisor: The Orphanage - David 'Rudy' Grossman
Animation Supervisor - Domenic DiGiorgio
Animation Supervisor: Tippett Studio - Todd Labonte
Animation Supervisor: The Orphanage - Mauricio Baiocchi
Computer Graphics Supervisor - William Todd Stinson

Film Editor - Peter Amundson
Sound Designer - Steve Poeddeker

Music Supervisors - Peter Afterman
and Margaret Yen

Music - Marco Beltrami

Review

The character 'Hellboy' was first created by Mike Mignola and entered its publication at Dark Horse Comics in 1993. Every avid comic book reader would have an issue or maybe one of the series. In the mid and late 2000s, two movies were adapted from the same source material and they were produced by director Guillermo Del Toro. Prior to his success of later films he directed such as 'Pan's Labyrinth' and 'Pacific Rim'. He was known early in 2002 for the last horror themed superhero action movie 'Blade II'. A movie that may have influenced him to direct the two features of 'HELLBOY' and so far introduced him to Hollywood fame. The first installment may have went abroad after the release of 'Spider-Man 2' in the same year, it has action and good wit to keep the fandom and audiences amazed and overjoyed. Even the dark tone of the comics from the creator's vision is enough to excite them all for one film.

Non A-lister Ron Perlman was very fascinating for the performance of the title character that has the gruff persona and a soft spot. John Hurt is well-suited as he plays the fatherly figure to the protagonist. 

'HELLBOY' is much to be behold, but it doesn't captivate audiences like the way other films do. I however considered it a great movie and highly recommend it.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

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