Logo

Cool News

More HELLBOY Reviews Pouring In!!

Published at:  Mar 16, 2004 9:16:15 PM CST

Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...



There have been two screenings of HELLBOY now, and I hope Guillermo Del Toro feels pretty damn good about himself and his movie because it delivers the goods in a way that is preposterously, infectiously entertaining. This is one of those litmus test films for me now. If you don’t end up enjoying this, then we better just agree to disagree, because we just aren’t wired the same.



David Poland seemed to agree in his review today, and the message boards over at CHUD are going crazy with people who were blown away by it. Our own Quint was the first AICNer to get his review ready. I know Harry saw it Sunday night, and after I saw it last night, we talked. I think it’s safe to say we’re all giddy about this one, and you will be, too.



Want more proof? Check this out:



Hellboy is the finest comic book adaptation I've seen to date. The
story, the characters, the nuances of what made Hellboy kick ass in the
comics is all there, plus the touch of Guillermo del Toro's thoughtful
layering of so much of what make movies great. In Hellboy, you get a
super(anti)hero movie, a love story, a monster movie, a thriller,
pulse-pounding action, and the whole gamut of what publicists only
allege other movies to have in their 90 to 120 minutes.

Ron Perlman is perfectly cast in a role that Guillermo himself said
cost the production 30 million in budget, and I'll be damned if I don't
say he's worth every penny plus a few billion. Fuck it, he's
priceless. This movie could never have worked with an all-CGI Hellboy,
nor would it have worked with anyone who doesn't have the superior
talents and presence of Mr. Perlman. His extensive range as an actor
is on full display: everything from gruff, gravelly-voiced tough guy
to adolescent jealousy. The tenderness Ron gives us is beautiful when
viewed countering the ass-kicking Dude With a Gun persona that Hellboy
puts on 90% of the time. Anyone who comes away from this film with
anything less than awed respect for the delicately composed performance
Ron gives us is either dead or has no heart.

As for Hellboy's supporting cast, sweet Jesus at the box office...

Selma Blair gives us a Liz that the affectionate guy in us all can fall
in love with, despite the tough-guy shells we sometimes project. The
combination of David Hyde Pierce's voice and Doug Ross' mimed
performance as Abe Sapien was perfectly executed. Being somewhat
familiar with the comic, I was most worried about how Abe would be
executed in a film, but knowing Guillermo's past work, I knew I could
trust him. That trust paid off seeing one of the best practical
wet-makeup jobs I've ever seen. GORGEOUS work. John Hurt and Rupert
Evans effectively give tight performances rounding out HB's closest
inner circle. Hurt gives one of my absolute favorite of his
performances, doing a part that is almost the "elder guide" archetype,
but made unique by Hurt's aura of a young man enclosed in the body of
an older man. Lines like "Did he now?" (you'll know it when you hear
it) give us this hint of something more behind Broom than what one may
see at first. Evans' Agent Myers (as Quint put so well) doesn't get
lost at all, and in fact, stands out as "that guy who usually fades to
the background but didn't." A very strong performance here will make
seeing him a welcome sight in the inevitable sequel.

I must focus on Jeffrey Tambor in his own little section, as he
deserves some special recognition here. Tambor plays humor in this
film, and in many others, so naturally, resisting the impulse to go
broad, that it really singles him out as not only a comedic gem, but a
choice actor overall. Tambor plays within the reality of the scene,
never giving in to the ego urge so many other actors feel when it's
time to be funny on the screen. This is the kind of performance I
dream of other men capable of being hilarious would give more often.

As for The Villains, I'll say this: sweet Jesus' eventual DVD gross...

Kroenen and Rasputin are so beautifully executed that I must say I've
rarely if ever seen the chief villains of a piece a better fit in terms
of look, personality, and performance. They will scare the hell out of
you a couple times, in that way in which we actually like being scared.

As for the effects, I'm inifinitely pleased to see so many
well-executed practical effects in addition to the CGI. The places
where the CGI feels like CGI, you have no problem looking past it.
These are minor occurrences that you'll end up not caring about in the
long run, because overall, the CG work is so gorgeous where it really
has to be. Liz's fire effects are out of this world good.

After the screening, Guillermo mentioned that next on his To-Do list is
either the Lovecraft adaptation mentioned on AICN a while back or a
bookend to The Devil's Backbone, set in the 40s. I hope he does them
both, the latter before the former, as he said Lovecraft will take him
like five years. He said everything depends on what happens in a
couple weeks.

So let me say this now: go see Hellboy first weekend. Take all your
friends, or make them all go by persuading them. There really is
something for everyone in this movie, whether you know the character or
not. A friend I was with hates superhero/comic book movies, and he was
floored by this. He said it was the best thing he'd seen in ages (not
counting LotR, which is in it's own category unto itself). This is no
Hulk or Daredevil or Captain America or just name any comic property
that has ever disappointed you. It really says something that not only
were Guillermo and Ron there, but Mignola was too, partially so that he
could say how HB really is the adaptation comic creators dream of for
their own work. Forget about Van Hellsing, this is gonna end up the
movie-with-monsters of the summer.

That's my take,

Monty Cristo

Still not convinced? How about this?


This is my first review. You can call me “Donut Boy.”

I went to see the screening of Jersey Girl at the Paramount in Austin on Sunday night and was hoping that I could stay in the theater to see the Premiere of Hell Boy. That was the plan, but after Jersey Girl ended, we were quickly ushered out of the theater where a crowd of 2000 people were waiting to get in to see Hell Boy. I didn’t have a ticket for Hell Boy and the line wrapped around the block twice, so I figured I’d go home. On my way to my car I bumped into a friend that had extra tickets and invited me in.

I sat smack in the middle of the theater directly behind the director of Second Hand Lions (can’t remember his name,) and in front of Robert Rodrigeuz. Ron Perlman sat to my right two rows up. I was hooked up!

I’m not a big comic fan, but I am a geek. I never read the Hell Boy books, so I can’t really tell you how true to the comic the movie was, but here is my review:

The cinematography is excellent. The beginning of the movie starts with a group of soldiers searching for a secret Nazi research project on a dark raining night. Everything looks so good visually. I’m instantly drawn into the story.

Guillermo does a good job setting up the characters for those who didn’t read the comic. After ten minutes, I was familiar with them the Hell Boy universe.

Ron Perlman is a perfect Hell Boy, but the makeup they used on him was a little disappointing. Ron is a great actor and I felt as though the face makeup/prosthetics made it difficult for him to show facial expressions. His forehead also cast a shadow over his eyes making it difficult to see his eyes. Regardless, he still manages to put on a great performance.

The bad guys in this movie are part CG and part Human actors. I liked the Human actors more than the CG characters because they had dialog and didn’t just run around trying to kill everything. The character Kroenen is very spooky and there is a scene in the movie where he takes off his gas mask that will make you squirm in your seat. His character sort of reminded me of the Nazi from Raiders of the Lost Ark whose face melts at the end.

There was a lot of comic relief in this movie and there is a particular scene at the end between the head of the FBI and Hell Boy that had the theater rolling in their seats. You’ll know it when you see it.

Overall I had a great time seeing this movie. I had just seen Jersey Girl right before, so I was itching for something a little more believable and Hell Boy delivered. My friend who sat next to me remarked that this move was better than Spiderman. I think I agree.

Boy, you’re playing hardball. Try this one on:



Hey Moriarty, the Scientist here with a quick review of Hellboy
from the LA screening. All I can really ask is, what Hellboy fan
could not be happy with this movie?! For that matter, what
person would not like this movie (fundamentalists aside)?

As soon as Harry announced the screening in Austin on Sunday, I
felt extremely jealous that us LA folks were getting left behind.
So, I was giddy like a schoolgirl when I happened upon the man hocking
tickets for this screening and realized that I would only be a day
behind afterall!

But, seriously, the review... Ron Perlman was born to play Hellboy.
Years before Mike Mignola was born, out came a little baby devil-boy
who was painted Caucasian and raised as a human. It's good to see that
he finally did away with the makeup and is playing himself. I cannot
praise enough his characterization. This is Hellboy.

While Abe was underused, the supporting cast was uniformly terrific.
I was a little disappointed that they decided to fool around with the
core BPRD gang, but everyone they cast fit the glove perfectly. John
Hurt was a perfect Bruttenholm. Rick Baker's work on Doug Jones for
Abe was a showstopper, it was so good.

The story? Mix one part Seed of Destruction with one part Right Hand
of Doom, a dash of the Corpse and a hint of Conqueror Worm. While I
would have fallen out of my seat if Guillermo did a more faithful
version of Seed, I have to say I'm mighty happy with the screenplay
that was concocted. Couldn't have hoped for more sarcasm to drip from
HB's lips.

The effects, in all, were actually good. There was no Blade running up
the wall moment here. I guess it helped that so much of it was done with
makeup and robotics.

The direction was uniformly tight and very reminiscent of the sure hand
seen in Cronos and the Devil's Backbone (in fact, loved the cameos from
both the Cronos machine and the dead fetus). Guillermo del Toro is a
gift to genre lovers, that's for sure.

When the movie finished, I just wanted to go hug the man for doing such
a superb job. unfortunately, he was swamped. That means I didn't get to
ask when the DVD for Devil's Backbone would finally get released
properly over here.

My sincerest hope is that this movie is a success so that we can enjoy
more Hellboy for years to come. Mignola's creation will certainly live
on in the comics, but it's just pure geek joy seeing him up on the
screen.

In case you couldn't tell from the above, I loved this movie. Absolutely
fantastic. I can't wait to go see it again.

Until the next batch gets cooked up in my lab, this is the Scientist.

P.S. Keep the DVD reviews coming, my fellow man of science. Even if only
once a month.

What do you need? A signed testimonial from the Pope? Word is he saw HELLBOY and said, “It rocks ass as it rocked ass.” Or words to that effect. Check out this reviewer’s take on things:



Hi, Harry. Long-time, first-time, you know the drill....

Well, well. After losing two nights of sleep, driving to Austin at the
armpit hours of night to get passes, waiting for HOURS in line to get into
the film, and a smidgen of time spent waiting for the movie to start, we
got
to see Hellboy.

Now, you ask, is it worth it, was it worth it to watch this non-mainstream
comic brought to life? Was it worth it to see Ron Perlman on the screen
in
bright-red makeup, beating down things with a stone hand?

OH GOD YES IT WAS.

For those of you who are fans of the comic, you’ll see pretty much the
panels lifted and brought to life. You’ll see Hellboy with full horns and
burning crown. You’ll see corpses giving directions. And yes, you’ll see
pancakes (not, sadly, pamcakes).

For those of you who haven’t caught other reviews and the like…

Hellboy is the beast of the apocalypse. Brought to earth in a ritual
performed by the Russian sorcerer Rasputin as a small child, he falls not
into the hands of the Nazis who worked with Rasputin, but instead allied
forces.

This is all pretty well established in the first few minutes of the movie.
Quickly thereafter, we are treated to credits and a montage that show the
boy a man, and talk of all the tabloids, like bigfoot or batboy. Granted,
in the comics, he’s more a celebrity, with entire web-pages dedicated to
his
personal life.

Skip to the modern day, where the FBI denies all knowledge of Hellboy, or
a
supposed “Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense.” Of course, both
exist; Hellboy has been brought up by Professer Bruttenholm of the Bureau
and is, for having red skin, horns, a tail, and a hand made of stone, an
all-in-all normal guy. He’s far from the only oddity of the bureau,
though;
over the years the BPRD has accquired a psychic fish-man named Abraham
and
a troubled (currently absent) pyrokinetic named Liz.

Unfortunately, Hellboy’s origins come back to haunt him, along with
Rasputin
and nazis sustained through dark magic and darker science.

The result is perhaps less cohesive than the standard Hellboy storyline;
the scenes in the city feel in a way divorced from all that happens in
Russia, and the action from the plot. All are good in and of themselves;
excellent, even. They just don’t mesh perfectly.

Otherwise, the performances are good. The computer graphics
are...well…decently lovecraftian, but as del Toro said, the moment that he
said he wanted Ron on this puppy, the budget was slashed by a third, and
sometimes it shows. But the visuals are passable, and the dialogue is
where
this baby really shines. Anything that pops out is pretty much solid
gold.

In short, go see this movie.

And should I need a name, you can call me that guy from the balcony who
failed to initiate a standing ovation for this wonderful movie. Or
Mockery,
for short.

Let’s put it this way... I rarely plead with you to try a film out. I’ll just post my opinion, and you can take it or leave it. But in this case, I’m going to be greedy. I want sequels. I want to see more HELLBOY adventures. So I’m prepared to beg. Give it a try. I think you’ll end up loving it with the same passion as everyone I saw it with last night. I’ll have my own review up later this week, along with my takes on ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND and THE MAYOR OF THE SUNSET STRIP.



"Moriarty" out.








AddThis Social Bookmark Button
    + Expand All

    Readers Talkback

  • Mar 16, 2004 9:23:33 PM CST

    I'm

    by setenza

    rick james bitch!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 16, 2004 9:28:13 PM CST

    sweet

    by stevo the cougar

    Ok, now im interested. Up until now, I wasn't looking forward to this, so to say, but now im gonna see at as soon as I can. I had never heard of Hellboy, as a comic or movie, until AICN mentioned it, so my interest level was low. But if it really is this good, and this isnt just fanboy hype, it will kick ungodly amounts of ass. Bring it on.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 16, 2004 9:34:44 PM CST

    SOLD!

    by johnny ahab

    I'm there. Opening weekend. Mori, I will answer your call. I'm a fairly devout Marvelite for years, and have sampled some other comics -- but never Hellboy. But after seeing the fun/cool trailer, I thought "wow, I gotta check this out - just hope it doesn't turn into another shitty comic adaptation like LXG." But the cascade of raves has me primed. Thanks for the good word, folks. It's been a grim winter/spring after ROTK opened with crappy movie after crappy movie unloading at the local multiplex. Looks like "Hellboy" might just turn the winter drought around.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 16, 2004 9:36:59 PM CST

    Hope all this hype won't let me down...

    by thes

    ...'cause based on what I've read/heard so far, I'm hooked. Looking forward to this more than Spidey2, Helsing and (dare I say it?) SW:eps3!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 16, 2004 9:46:49 PM CST

    OK OK, I'll go see it

    by tequilaworm

    but if this sucks, I will personally go to fucking Austin and steal all the food and ice cream from Harry's fridge. Man! will he suffer slowly!...CHEERS Amigos!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 16, 2004 9:52:09 PM CST

    so... it's better than Gigli... right?

    by jackburtonlives

    i'm not so sure about this one. could these 'reviews' be plants? i mean, doesn't harry has vested interests in this film? so aren't these reviews equivalent to an infomercial? i'm still waiting for independent confirmation on this one... anyone actually see it here?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 16, 2004 10:01:20 PM CST

    Fix the Talkback order!

    by tequilaworm

    or are you as drunk as I am? I'm still fucked up since last week. Shit! Cancun is great...CHEERS Amigos!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 16, 2004 10:02:02 PM CST

    Still...

    by dru

    The trailer has the feel of 'Men in Black.' The reviews have fanboy written all over them, so inasmuch as I'm happy they're happy, I don't wanna take their word for it. I'm not worried about bad CGI, I'm not worried about (un)faithfulness to the source material, I'm not worried about the ass-kicking-cool factor of the villains. I'm not worried... I'm just not convinced. Out.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 16, 2004 10:24:06 PM CST

    hella-good times.......

    by jedielf

    ron is on..... that abouts all i's gots to say abouts that. by the way, what's up with that DMX "Never Die Alone" banner all over this site..... is it just me or does it look like someone sold out to a studio and will post ads for anything money is thrown at????? just a thought.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 16, 2004 10:30:51 PM CST

    Isnt this a Revolution movie?

    by capt. miller

    Good reviews. What a surprise. Wouldnt want to bite the hand....

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 16, 2004 10:50:06 PM CST

    Hey...

    by davidpuddy

    you owe me a HIGH FIVE!!!!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 16, 2004 11:07:27 PM CST

    ALL HAIL HELLBOY!

    by soundofred

    i have Wake the Dead and it was great, hellboy is a fucking awsome character and i have faith in this film

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 16, 2004 11:10:13 PM CST

    If this movie is so good, why does it look so bad?

    by gere's assgerbil

    I smell some paid reviews in here. Looks like Sony's desperate to get a number one opening weekend outta this one. No matter how many good reviews this crap gets, at the end of the day it'll still be a movie about a guy in a red, rubber suit.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 16, 2004 11:11:07 PM CST

    I want this to be good really badly . . .

    by hellpop

    But i recall a lot of people saying Daredevil was the best comic book movie made yet too and that sucked ass.
    Sitting here with my fingers crossed.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 16, 2004 11:19:03 PM CST

    Made me laugh when Donut Boy said "more believable than JERSEY G

    by frankdrebin

    An undead Rasputin conjures a baby demon from hell who is raised by the Army to fight Lovecraftian horrors--vs--Ben Affleck's acting! I'm sorry I missed SNL when Affleck was on. I hear the opening monolog was pretty good. It seems SNL is the new starting point for career rehab(Winona Ryder spoofs her shoplifting, Calista Flockhart spoofs her anorexia, Paris Hilton spoofs her whoredom, etc.).

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 16, 2004 11:28:41 PM CST

    Guilermo Del Torro ...

    by lion fire

    ...did Blade. Nuff said. It'll be a good movie.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 12:22:12 AM CST

    They should do Hellboy 2 WITHOUT Hulk Hogan as the Baddie

    by nubthesquirrel

    It should be Mick Foley instead! =P
    Actually, I can't wait to see this movie. If it's as good as I've been hearing, I will make sure everyone I know sees this movie. Two more weeks. Can't wait! Can't wait!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 12:25:50 AM CST

    C'mon, it wasn't THAT great.

    by spaceman spliff

    I was lucky enough to attend the screening on Sunday (in the same row as Perlman and 2 seats away from Mignola!), and while I thoroughly enjoyed it, I just don't understand the stratospheric enthusiasm I've been reading here. Yeah, Perlman's Hellboy was great. So were most of the performances, in fact. (Except for Selma Blair's, I'm afraid. I just didn't feel emotionally connected with her in any way.) But the plot was merely a not-awful framework upon which to hang the coolness. Not BAD, certainly, but by no means "the finest comic book adaptation I've seen to date." And I could have done without about half of Big Red's clever witticisms (at least one of which I saw coming a mile away). I don't know. It seems like a lot of people are just trying way too hard to make this into the masterpiece that it isn't. But then, maybe I was just pissed off at myself for telling Mignola that I liked his work on Alpha Flight after he autographed issue 30 for me. FYI: I DON'T. (I'm such a whore.) P.S.: Can anybody explain to me why that Nazi chick Ilse didn't age? Is it mentioned in the comic? Not that I have to have every little thing in a movie spoon-fed to me, but that one kinda stuck out. Okay, so, sorry if I piss anyone off with this, but there ya go. I'd say B+/A- quality.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 12:28:13 AM CST

    Oh yeah...

    by spaceman spliff

    And did Rasputin remind anyone else of Cipher?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 12:30:28 AM CST

    saw it at the advance screening

    by mutesaint

    I was at the show that the second reviewer spoke of thanks to that free pass thing this site advertised. I dont think it was necessarily the best comic book movie of all time it was definently good. I dont know how faithful it was to the "source material" but I can say that it was hilarious and very good. My only problem was that I expected a bit more drama and the final baddie. Im just not into the massive huge creature badguys. The scene where Selma Blair explodes in the aaylum is beautiful. That was my take on it. Pardon any misspellings. End post.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 12:54:48 AM CST

    Looks like Tim Curry in LEGEND...

    by capt. miller

    You know it's fucking true.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 12:58:39 AM CST

    rule out one plant

    by the scientist

    I love how when I reviewed Below two years ago I got called a plant and I see people calling plant now. Granted, I'm a Hellboy fan, but I'm being honest when I say that other people who have never read Hellboy really did enjoy the movie. For those of you who don't remember the Below review: http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=11432

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 12:59:28 AM CST

    I'm not hearing enough about Abe - I want spoilers!

    by j_r_kerr

    Argh! More about Abe's humor! I want huge chunks of his dialogue as spoilers! More on the Frazetta composition! Are there big black shadows connecting all the bodies to the ground? *holding breath*

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 1:43:16 AM CST

    Speaking of Hell, SAVE HOWARD STERN BEFORE HE LEAVES RADIO!

    by notchjohnson

    "Hellboy"? I'm too busy trying to rally the troops to SAVE HOWARD STERN. LOS ANGELES FOLKS, GET TO THE HOWARD STERN RALLY. PEOPLE IN NEW YORK, TAKE TO THE STREETS. WRITE THE FCC, WRITE TO YOUR CONGRESSMAN. SAVE HOWARD STERN. Notch out. (BOYCOTT CLEAR CHANNEL STATIONS)

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 2:44:49 AM CST

    I'm no plant, I'm a human being, dammit

    by monty cristo

    Look, I'm no plant. I'm a college student who got lucky and made it into the Paramount and scammed his way to the floor seats. I'm not a Hellboy devotee, but I've read a couple trades. I'm an actor, I sometimes have directed live theatre, and more than anything, I'm a fan of good movies. I wouldn't have sent that in if I wasn't being honest. Disbelieve me if you will, but if you're willing to waste money on shitty movies now and then, do yourself a favor and give HB a shot. You'll be pleasantly surprised. I was worried at first but then was able to have faith in it knowing Guillermo was involved. The man is a passionate storyteller who (Mimic aside) has delivered every time.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 2:52:30 AM CST

    I didn't say the best comic movie ever, HOWEVER...

    by monty cristo

    ...I did say it's the finest adaptation. Read that for what it means, not what you interpret it as. Favorite/best comic movie, that's up to anyone. From the objective standpoint, I can say it's the best adapted comic work I've seen, and you'll know when you see it. I promise. Call me a liar in two weeks, I dare you.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 3:02:06 AM CST

    I want to love it but the f*cker isn't out in the UK till Septem

    by reni

    Why???????

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 3:41:55 AM CST

    Stupid DAMN Danks.

    by turningalive

    Rasputin's love child? I didn't give two turds when I first saw the preview - I thought, "Gee, another craptacular CGI film." Now that I have read about the plot, I see it is much more than that. It's a recruiting film for the most evil power in the universe. Rasputin! You're a damn fool if you can't see it. Hellboy is a metaphor. Rasputin will rape your mind, just like he did that first young boy all those years ago! Don't believe me! Ha! I've met the great Rasputin, he told me how he levitates above his bed and I've seen, second-hand, just what his powers can do. Yes! He loves little boys, but this isn't your standard rape situation... What he does is spiritual too, it is unspeakable, and I plan to never find out what really happens. What does this have to do with this film? Well, the creator, and anyone involved with this project, must have had the same treatment, and now their trying to spread it to you. With the sad state of the people of the world's minds today, You'll probably be raped just by watching it... Go ahead, watch it! Pave the way for the Russian invasion. By the time its out of theaters, I'll bet the whole damn planets been raped.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 6:00:17 AM CST

    Being cynical is no longer cool

    by cellardoor

    Peter jackson has filled my heart with light and now I only wish to be entertained, mesmerised and made to feel all squooshy inside. When peeps say the hyperbole is undeserved but the movie is good nonetheless I can't help but be giddy with joy at the prospect of being entertained. Now, if only I didn't have to wait until September. *sigh*

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 8:14:14 AM CST

    See, the thing about geeks is...

    by grendelcalhoun

    Sounds to me as though your bitter because you recieved one to many swirlies, and your sister didnt make the squad. To say "geeks" are the only sub culture group that suffers from a heard mentality is pure denial on your part, and only goes to weaken your argument, and dull your point.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 9:00:14 AM CST

    If this movie is so good, why does it look so bad?

    by grendelcalhoun

    Im not sure where this animosity is coming from for Hellboy. Some of us are very excited about this movie, and are admitedly hopeful for a movie that will due the comic justice. Others seem to want the movie to fail simply for the fact that it is a comic book movie that is getting good reviews, and lots of press. As to the comment about it being about a guy in a red rubber suit, i have 3 words: Suspension of Disbelief.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 9:06:31 AM CST

    Who are these Hellboy Haters?

    by thewoodman

    I mean, anyone who doesn't like Mignola's books is a certifiable retard, so it can't be that people who dislike the character are simply assuming that the movie will suck. There's been a sort of relentless drone of naysaying and Hellboy-bashing on these boards ever since this project was announced, all of which adds up to little more than "this movie's gonna suck, because... uhh... well, 'cause it's gonna suck, that's why". Who are these people? My theory: they're "Anti-Plants", employees of a rival studio that has some lame-ass lightweight date movie coming out the same weekend. Folks, listen... if you don't like Hellboy, that's fine; this is America, you're entitled to your "opinion". Just put on your hockey helmet, take your seat on the short bus, and SHUT THE FUCK UP.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 9:25:20 AM CST

    mynameisnobody , a comic film DID surpass Donner's SUPERMAN...

    by blok narpin

    ...SUPERMAN II. As good as I was, II was better. KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 11:38:48 AM CST

    help...

    by willywompa

    how do i turn off my pop-up blocker so that i can see the eternal sunshine of the spotless mind music video? please answer. and in your response, feel free to put the subject as "willywompa is a douchebag."

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 11:46:34 AM CST

    this movie

    by willywompa

    ... dumping into a theater near you April 2nd. Count me out. I'll be watching Walking Tall on the screen next door. Hell yes!!!!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 12:46:45 PM CST

    The Guy who runs the Comic store saw it, and he said it was pree

    by the founder

    Their probably isn't much that can be done to make the film look good with the trailers, or maybe it's me. I will see Hellboy, and I won't knock it, but it does look cheesy, and to obscure to succedd as a film. Even though the reviews are pretty good I still satnd by my opinion that the fim will take in about 50-70 million doemestically. The trailer just doesn't catch your interest enougg to make you want to see it, and I'm talking from a non comic fan/geek/fanboy point of view. I don't think the mainstream is going to eat this up. The great reviews will only trickle to the fanboys and the people they know. Hellboy will probably be good to me, I trust the guy at the comic store word, but in the end Hellboy will end up being a cult favorite as well as one of those films where the movie is good, but it doesn't make any money.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 12:47:36 PM CST

    Three words

    by blackbeltjones

    NEILL CUMPSTON REVIEW! Where is it. Those are the reviews I live by. The Belt Has Spoken!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 12:49:40 PM CST

    With the success of the Passion of Christ, will the religious ze

    by the founder

    I'm so sick of these religious people coming out of the wood work and trying to focus their views on eveyone else. The Passion is going strong, and that may mean bad news for Hellboy. I mean a successful religious film, and now a film about Demonic creatures coming out? You know what it may be just me.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 1:11:47 PM CST

    About "zealotry"

    by mortsleam

    I was playing Strip Scrabble the other night and realized that I had an "A" an "E" a "L" a "O" a "R" a "T" and a "Z" Triple bonus score for the "Z", plus a bonus for using all my letters...I won the game. So thanks, all you psycho religious nuts out there, for making my girlfriend get naked. True story. Uhm...Hellboy looks good.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 1:18:33 PM CST

    You know what really scares me?

    by christopher3

    The 'bookend' to "Devil's Backbone." That film was perfect. Don't do it, Guillermo.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 1:42:10 PM CST

    i think "monte cristo"

    by zo

    came all over himself whiole typing that review

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 2:07:17 PM CST

    Off Topic...

    by mr chuff

    I know this is a Helloboy TB but seeing as most people here are comic/film geeks I thought I'd ask if anyone knows the "HUGE NEWS" thats apparently due out today about Batman Begins?? batmanonfilm.com has a posting that something huge is to be announced today... anyone know shit?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 2:50:12 PM CST

    test

    by vizzini

    test

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 2:51:41 PM CST

    Blade 2....Mimic

    by vizzini

    Both were TERRIBLE! I don't hold out much hope for this. BTW Blade 1 pisses all over Blade 2.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 3:08:17 PM CST

    jeffrey tambor...

    by joe brady

    is a genuinely funny actor. i would have a lot of respect for his talent if he weren't a piece of shit scientologist.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 3:13:57 PM CST

    Correction to my review

    by the scientist

    I was emailed by one of the guys from Spectral Motion because he noticed an error in my review in that I attributed Abe's makeup to Rick Baker's group. So the review should be fixed as follows.

    Original paragraph:
    While Abe was underused, the supporting cast was uniformly terrific. I was a little disappointed that they decided to fool around with the core BPRD
    gang, but everyone they cast fit the glove perfectly. John Hurt was a perfect Bruttenholm. Rick Baker's work on Doug Jones for Abe was a showstopper, it was so good.

    Revised paragraph:
    While Abe was underused, the supporting cast was uniformly terrific. I was a little disappointed that they decided to fool around with the core BPRD
    gang, but everyone they cast fit the glove perfectly. John Hurt was a perfect Bruttenholm. Spectral Motion's work with Abe was a showstopper, it was so good. They also did a phenomenal job with Sammael and everyone's favorite half of a corpse.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 3:14:47 PM CST

    TPTOC vs. Hellboy

    by tomokato

    Give the us vs. them talk a rest. I am a conservative Catholic who loved TPOTC and can't wait for April 2nd to see Hellboy. I suppose it may help that I make my living as an artist doing Sci-Fi/Fantasy art (www.atomicart.com) but I still take God and Jesus very seriously but see no conflict between that and what looks like a wonderfully imaginative and entertaining movie. Cheers to all and pax vobiscum!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 4:01:41 PM CST

    Are there any decent looking "meat & potatoes" action flicks com

    by nicemarmot

    Man alive, what is up with all these fucking comic-book movies? Hellboy, Catwoman, Spiderman 2, Blade 3, Batman Umpteen, Aliens vs Predators, Sky Captains and the Day After Tomorrow, Punisher, Devastator, Discombobulator, The Enemator... Are there any action flicks coming soon that wont be guaranteed to have crappy thrash-metal/rap soundtracks, tons of product placement, and inane plots directed by former music video directors whose PC'd razor thin characters are tailor-made to appeal to every single 14 year old male? I know the Bourne sequel is happening sometime soon and "I Robot" sounds somewhat intruiging, but what else? Oh, how I long for the days of Siegel, Frankenheimer, Eastwood and Marvin.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 4:11:55 PM CST

    SpacemanSpliff, Nazi chick Ilse didn't age because...

    by artofwar

    During the summoning ceremony at the beginning of the film Grigory (Rasputin) bestows Ilsa with "eternal life".

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 4:24:55 PM CST

    Not Rick Baker?

    by animatron

    Word around the campfire is that Rick baker didn't actually do any work on Hellboy. I read this on Counting Down. Is this true? The Best Buy DVD makes it look like he did all the makeup and creature effects. Isn't this false advertising? I saw a screening and I really liked the movie but was very disappointed to learn that Baker is taking credit for somebody else's work.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 5:08:09 PM CST

    I don't know dick about

    by coffinrock

    Hellboy, but that latest trailer and these reviews have got me psyched as fuck to see this thing. And if Guillermo is really entertaining the idea of doing a Lovecraft flick, well, all I got to say is, bring it the fuck on !!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 6:16:53 PM CST

    the scientist

    by psyclops

    I hear ya. I've posted several positive reviews on this site and have been labeled a 'plant' each and every time. Anyway, I'm really looking forward to HELLBOY. I hope it's as good as everyone is making it out to be but I've learned from experience to keep my expectation in check (just in case).

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 8:24:42 PM CST

    Good Review!? You're on their payroll

    by gmoneyman

    Doesn't Revolution pay your bills???? Am I supposed to believe this is a good movie espcially when you have a writing deal with the studio and where others are giving it a mixed review!! In light of your direct interest...isn't it obvious that you would be giving it great reviews?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 8:49:26 PM CST

    i didn't want to reads the revies for fear of spoilers... but i

    by mansep

    whilst all the people involved are cool, and the feedback allegedly all seems to be cool, i am seriously worried about this film simply because of the crud god awful trailer. i WILL go to the cinema to see this but i will go with baited breath and tight sphincter. i hope this movie delivers what my fantasy hopes for.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 17, 2004 11:45:50 PM CST

    Bought Reviews!

    by huffyone

    Seems like you've been bought Moriarity! Of
    course you find good reviews for Hellboy - as long as
    your paycheck keeps coming in.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2004 10:39:23 PM CST

    There Is A Problem With The Hellboy Marketing So Far

    by barron38

    The problem is that the trailers make absolutely no sense to anyone who doesn't already know what the Hellboy comic is already. I love the Hellboy comics. They're great fun, and I hope the movie is good. That said, I think you're average mainstream movie-goer is going to be confused by the trailers, which do not really seem to make clear who Hellboy is and what the movie is really about. I think non-fans might pass on this film based upon the advertising. You just see this demonic-looking guy running around fighting weird monsters and BDSM outfitted people who are not clearly identified. There is not any real context or explanation for all this, which must be off-putting to anyone who is not a Hellboy fan. This movie obviously needs to reach mainstream movie-fans beyond the small number of Hellboy fans to succeed at the box office. I am concerned the advertising does not really convey what this film is and who the characters are to anyone not already familiar with them *****By way of suggesting some sort of solution to this, I think that there needs to be some sort of better narrating or framing device in the trailer that succinctly explains WHO Hellboy is, and who his enemies ARE...I realize that it is obviously too late to change the advertising, but I would make the suggestion anyway to illustrate what I am talking about....*****The trailer narration could be something along the lines of "In 194X, the World was at War, and the forces of evil made a pact with darkness in a bid to rule the Earth [show Nazi villains CLEARLY identified as Nazis by insignia, etc. Start off slow/no quick cuts, so the viewer can identify the villains as Nazis. Make the occult connection clearer as well, by perhaps showing a clear shot of a pentagram on the ground being traversed by the Nazi villains. The key here is to make it clear who the villains are: Nazis somehow wrapped up in the occult]. Out of this conflict was born HELLBOY [insert shot of the young Hellboy being summoned into a pentagram]. Brought to our World to serve the unknown plans of darkness [shots of Nazi villains], Hellboy was saved by a kindly scientist [insert shot of John Hurt as Bruttenholm] and raised as one of his own... Now he fights for us. [close-up of grown Hellboy, speaking a tagline of dialogue, exlosive montage of Hellboy fighting supernatural enemies]. Joined by his allies from the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense [shots of Abe Sapien, Liz Sherman, BRPD Headquarters, etc], Hellboy fights the forces of darkness and stands against evil [more combat shots of Hellboy, Rasputin, other villains, Liz and Abe, etc]. On April 2nd, Give Evil Hell. *****Anyway, that's my take on that. Hellboy is a cool property, but is so unknown outside comic book circles that I think the character and his world really need to be spelled out in the ads for non-fans. I think the trailers look kind of confusing to non-fans. The characters and effects look cool, but we really get no real sense of who Hellboy is and what he is about. It is really the story and character that elevate Hellboy above the common comic book property, not the admittedly cool visuals. The nature of the character and his story could be conveyed better to non-fans, I think. I even perused a promotional Hellboy film magazine at the supermarket yesterday. The magazine had a lot of cool photos, but the text really did not even explain who the characters were or what the story was about. Each character had a section, but the articles went right into the actors playing the characters without making an effort to explain the characters and their world to the uninitiated. *****So, I feel that this is a problem: the movie is not being well-marketed to non-fans, who will have a hard time figuring out what Hellboy is really about. That all said, I DO hope the movie is good and that it will succeed at the box office despite this drawback that I perceive in the marketing plan. After all, the relatively unknown comic book character Blade succeeded at the box office, so there is no reason why Hellboy can't also. I wish the movie well, and being a fan, I will certainly go see it opening weekend. It looks like a fun time at the movies.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 19, 2004 12:14:28 AM CST

    Guy In A Red Rubber Suit

    by barron38

    The poster that said something to the effect that ultimately HELLBOY is just a movie about a guy in a red rubber suit is sort of half right. This is just the sort of perception that people are going to get of this movie from the trailer who do not already know Hellboy, I fear. The real point about Hellboy is that he is an interesting character in an interesating world. I am concerned that the trailers do not convey any of that, and instead seem a cacaphony of monsters and effects and a "guy in a red rubber suit". (See my post at the end of this Talkback about the Marketing Problems for this movie). If you read the comics, you will see how great the character of Hellboy is and how fun his world and its stories are. The problem is, Hellboy has not been read by many outside the world of comics. This is not the X-MEN or SPIDERMAN, which have been around for decades and are nearly icons. Hellboy is a newer phenomenon, and needs to be communicated well to the many non-fans. He is more than a "guy in a red rubber suit". He is a cool and interesting character. I hope that people will give this movie a chance, or better ye, seek out the comics, which are just a lot of fun.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 19, 2004 6:10:32 AM CST

    Yep, Barron38, you solved it there....

    by avidking

    Clearly you are an expert guru in movie marketing. I'm amazed at how you know the box office pull that nazis and pentagrams have. Now if only Little Nicky had nazis in it.....

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 19, 2004 8:43:18 PM CST

    Moron

    by barron38

    It has nothing to do with the "box office pull" of Nazis and pentagrams. The point is that the trailers make no sense. They do not explain who or what Hellboy is (a creature from Hell allied with the good guys), nor do they make clear what the story is (fighting the occult) or who the enemies are (Nazi occultists and others). The trailers are just a chaotic mess of creatures and FX, and are utterly confusing to anyone not already familiar with the Hellboy mythos. That is a major problem, in my opinion, since Hellboy has only a small cult comic book following, and needs to draw in non-comic book fans to make the movie successful. Instead of making an intelligent response to this view, you just post stupid, off-topic crap. Moron.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 19, 2004 10:59:39 PM CST

    Mr. Moron to you buddy.

    by avidking

    Sorry, I guess you forgot the part where you said...
    ****The trailer narration could be something along the lines of "In 194X, the World was at War, and the forces of evil made a pact with darkness in a bid to rule the Earth [show Nazi villains CLEARLY identified as Nazis by insignia, etc. Start off slow/no quick cuts, so the viewer can identify the villains as Nazis. Make the occult connection clearer as well, by perhaps showing a clear shot of a pentagram on the ground being traversed by the Nazi villains.

    Idiot.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 20, 2004 9:44:04 PM CST

    You Are Still Being Stupid

    by barron38

    You are persistently avoiding the whole point of my posts. The Nazis and the occult are ALREADY IN THE MOVIE. They are the main villains from the comic books. My point is that the trailers fail to make it clear who Hellboy is (a creature from Hell who allies with the good guys) and what he does (fights occult evil and the original Nazis who summoned him to Earth). The trailers are confusing to anyone who has not read the comics, in my opinion. They just show some big red devil guy fighting a lot of weird CGI creatures. They do not clearly explain what the whole concept of Hellboy is. My suggestion was simply geared towards developing a trailer that spells the character and his world out more clearly to non-fans. Pointing out that the Nazis and the occult are the enemies would go a long way towards making it clear to viewers what the movie is about. I beleive that the existing ads fail to do this. I have no idea what the hell your posts are supposed to express anyway. They make no sense. I am not suggesting that they put Nazis and the occult into the movie. They are already there. I AM suggesting that they feature these elements more clearly in their ads, since these elements are key parts of the Hellboy story. To non-fans, I think the trailers do not sell the Hellboy story very well. What exactly is your point?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 20, 2004 10:17:13 PM CST

    Furthermore

    by barron38

    Your responses to my posts don't make any sense and totally miss the point of what I wrote (this is what I meant when I wrote that you posted "off-topic"; you are not addressing what I actually said, but rather are addressing an argument I never even made; you're responses are thus totally beside the point, and do not actually address anything I actually said). You imply that I state that Nazis and pentagrams have "box office pull". This is where you entirely miss the point. I implied no such thing. My point is that a clear story, with clear villains, clear heroes, and a clear context for their conflict, is what draws movie-goers in. Hellboy has this kind of clear, strong story in the comics. The trailers fail to make any of this clear, in my opinion. My suggestion was simply to make the villains (Nazis, the occult) more clear and to explain who Hellboy is and what he actually does. Simple narration and some basic visuals would do this. Making this clear in the ads is what will create "box office pull". Your posts seem to imply that I invented the Nazis and the pentagrams myself. I didn't. They are already in the story, and are key elements of that story (at least in the comic books). My point is that the trailers need to make these elements clear. A clear story with strong villains and a strong context are what is compelling in an ad. The Nazis and pentagrams are already in the story. An ad that clearly shows these elements would go far to explain who the villains are (Nazis and occultists) and what the central conflict is (Hellboy versus supernatural evil). Making this clear is what will create "box office pull". I am not sure at all what your original point is to begin with as it is apparent from your own posts that you are confused about the basics of the simple, straight-forward argument that I made in the first place.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 22, 2004 9:47:57 PM CST

    Anti-"Cliff's Notes" trailers

    by mr. flapjacks

    While marketing makes the world go round in the cold reality of film these days, I'm really sick of audiences *requiring* a sort of "Cliff's Notes" version of a film inside the trailer. Baron's plea for a better marketing plan just set me off. Baron, you may be the posterboy for why marketing works. The mass audience unfortunately plays into the marketing's hands and unfortunately dictates content in it's wake. I don't want "Hellboy for Dummies", I don't want Eternal Sunshine explained to me in the trailer, and I sure as hell wish it weren't this way. But all of you who think this way, and put so much worth into a trailer, are the ones who create the formula mentality. You're responsible for all the crap that hits our screens on a weekly basis...because you want everything dumbed down so that you can "get it"...or at the very least decide if you're gonna give it the chance to "get it". If you need the hard sell on anything... F*CK YOU! How about taking a chance? How about not puting your money down on "safe" films. How about figuring it out for yourself once you see it...or at least attempting to watch with a clean slate? The amount of prejudgment within this site (that's supposedly made up of film lover's) is freakin' ridiculous.

    Here's your damn set up Baron...
    Hellboy = equal parts Indy Jones, Fox Mulder, and Evil Dead's Ash wrapped into the body of a Demon who decides to fight for the good guys. If that recipe does nothing for you and you need explanation beyond that to get your ass into the seat, well...enjoy your Walking Tall or whatever that "remove-Jean-Claude-VanDamme-insert-Rock-here" movie is called.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 24, 2004 1:53:55 AM CST

    Let me clear my throat...

    by avidking

    First of all, Flapjacks, I'm with you big time. But Baron, you seem to be too articulate to be as dense as you come across in your overly long responses to me. If you read my posting once again, you will notice that all I'm saying is that Nazis and Pentagrams don't sell fucking tickets in the US!!!!
    They may sell it to pimpled face geeks still living with mommy who are coming to the fucking movie anyway.
    You want to know what works in the US? Ask Mel Gibson. As for story clarity, because you know too much about the comic book disqualifies you from having a truly objective opinion on the marketing challenges. All you seem you want is your Hellboy. Well mainstream America may not. Marketing needs to acclimate,
    then close the deal. Sometimes
    it works for the general audience and sometimes it doesn't. As for ultra fans such as yourself, studios can
    never make you all happy, but they can count on you showing up more than the rest of the folks out there.

    Reply to Talkback

User Login

Forgot password? Retrieve it here

or register as new user

Quick Talkback Form

Please login to post talkback