Sometimes, films are unjustly judged. Other times, popular opinion needs to be challenged. Either way, our review of Hellboy will almost definitely be Unpopularity Content.
After two well-loved movies in the ’00s, Hellboy’s cinematic story continued in 2019 with a reboot. However, without the magic touch of fantasy filmmaking legend Guillermo del Toro, many considered the film a marked step down from its predecessors. Both the film’s critical reception and box office take proved poor, and the sequel it teased seems destined never to happen.
The film stars David Harbour as Hellboy, a demon adopted by a human and raised among paranormal researchers as the ultimate monster hunter. It brings a handful of characters from Mike Mignola’s comics to its story, incorporating elements of different Hellboy tales into its narrative. It follows Hellboy as he attempts to stop a centuries-old witch from returning to power and enslaving the Earth with an army of monsters.
As well as Harbour, 2019’s Hellboy boasts a solid cast. Milla Jovovich plays Nimue, the vengeful witch, and Ian McShane, Daniel Dae Kim, Sasha Lane, and Thomas Haden Church also appear. Steven Graham also features in a voice role as the Gruagach, a boar-like being who holds a grudge against the hero.
Despite Some Solid Ideas, 2019’s Hellboy Wastes Its Potential
There are a few key points of praise earned by the film. It makes Hellboy look simultaneously monstrous, powerful, and sympathetic, bringing the demon hero to life with brilliant visuals. Its story comprises a handful of ideas from the comics, but sadly there’s little more to say in defense of the remake.
In spite of the characters of Hellboy and Baba Yaga looking appropriately horrifying, the film’s extensive CGI makes most of its other fantasy characters look horrific in all the wrong ways. However, the film’s biggest failing is its script, which somehow manages to be cheesy, predictable, thoroughly boring, terribly paced, and occasionally nonsensical all at once. Throw in a handful of main characters with abysmal approximations of British accents, and that’s about everything.
How Hellboy’s Poorly Written Script Fails The Source Material
Perhaps in an attempt to distance itself from previous adaptations, the film borrows a few elements from different comic stories. The result feels a Frankenstein’s monster of a comic book movie, failing to either adequately adapt the source material or even capture the spirit of the character. Stylistically, it doesn’t represent Hellboy as a character very well at all.
Thematically, it does explore some of the core tenets of the character, and it offers up a couple of moments of fan service. Outside of a couple of cameos and Easter eggs, it’s a film that does little to improve upon its predecessors or to honor the source material. Ultimately, it’s a shame, because David Harbour is perfect for the role, but his casting was wasted on a subpar film.
Rating: 30%
Summary: A dull and lifeless reboot that manages to recreate none of its predecessor’s dark fantastical charm, 2019’s Hellboy is a poorly-written and inconsistently crafted comic book adaptation.
Highlight: Hellboy boasts one or two fun action sequences, and the short scene the hero shares with Baba Yaga stands out as the best-presented moment in the entire movie.