"Hellboy" (2004) - Movie Review

Guillermo Del Toro’s visions are appreciatively bizarre. He creates the bizarreness through these grotesque creatures in appearance but a unique soul in each to overcome to alter the perspective based on their character as we see them in action. Del Toro really seems to get the superficial life we lead to give a peek in to the imagination of his minds of doom, destruction and a damn lot wit. Rising from the comic book by Mike Milogna, “Hellboy” is like “X-Men” wide apart in characterization.

During World War-II, Hitler has deviously planned to marvel in the collaboration of science and black magic to grant him the power he obsessed. Hence through his assassin Karl Ruprecht Kroenen (Ladislav Beran) seeks a man named Grigori Rasputin (Karel Roden) and opens the channels to awaken a deadly monster to bring in the end of the world. In the process of disruption, the US army with the help of young Professor Trevor “Broom” Bruttenholm (Kevin Trainor) stops that and a little demon emerges out of the other side of the world to be known as Hellboy. Sounds cheesy through each letter in paragraph, isn’t it? Del Toro is the X factor for novelty in this routine.

As years pass by with Hellboy now all grown up is played by Ron Perlman who I have seen in some movies sparsely, as the villain written on his forehead. Here he dismisses the opportunity for any other actor to represent this Red man. He is grown but is like a kid with cockiness as his potion for motivation. He aids the FBI through the department of paranormal activities and defense. There exists other people with similar special abilities, one of them is called Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) resembling a fish dressed in scuba outfit and has immense sensation of the surroundings and senses. Also there is Liz (Selma Blair) who has secluded herself from the bureau in order to maintain her sanity of going pyro-crazy (which is her power). Hellboy loves her and that part is dealt with a profound maturity not boggling it with melodramatic awkward pauses of romance.

Del Toro knows the line up of super hero and special powered beings films made with the concentration on their existence to fit in this society. In looking on most of these films, it is always the question of mingling normally. Not being gawked at for appearing otherwise from the crowd. It is a wide view of such the people reacting on the outlook and being accepted. To have a life of regularity as one might call it. But it is to prove something else to some one of their affection. To say that they fit the normality of living as the humans have defined and I can be there for you to like me but mainly love me. This is where it lies upon anywhere one goes and lives. Hellboy is one among those people who appear and may behave different from the clan of monotonous guidelines of humans for seeking an embrace of love.

Ron Perlman’s lines of wit are crackers of simple eloquence suiting the situation and the body language of this character is much beyond than perfection. The character obviously is cocky and wants advertisement of his dexterity in performing the task of hunting down the monsters these big officials fear to near. At the same time, his affection for his father Broom (John Hurt) is immense and obedient. He becomes a small boy in fear and loyalty towards him when he knows his behaviour has caused concern to his pop. To nanny and keep Hellboy in sight comes John Myers (Rupert Evans), a young lad not alarmed but curious to know these people’s purpose and behaviours.
End of day it is a visual film. With the entire budget he has got, Del Toro goes crazy like a kid finally getting the right equipments to paint on big screen than in his brains. The stunts are choreographed with uber graphics and routine scenes but the one-liners make it worthwhile. But more than graphics is the make up department whose intense details astonished me. The way we are able to separate blood on this Red man and make gooey creatures, eggs and what not with a tolerance to sustain through it while appreciating the art of its creation are purely spectacular.

I did not watch the sequel “Hellboy: The Golden Army” since I was waiting for this to arrive. Hence I missed the action on big screen which is tragic since I missed “Hellboy” over the screen too. Yet what makes “Hellboy” series is not that alone but the witty, adventurous, imaginative and surprising screenplay with characters and a genuine emotion existing with each other. Del Toro went ahead to make the brilliant “Pan’s Labyrinth” about the girl who may or may not be guided by a fawn and missions. Seeing “Hellboy” gives more information on how the girl’s imaginative character has been structured. None other than the creator himself, Guillermo Del Toro.