| Overall Grade: |
A |
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| Story: |
B+ |
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|
| Acting: |
A |
|
|
| Direction: |
A |
|
|
| Visuals: |
A+ |
|
|
A Real Review By A Real Person
by HollisM16 (movies profile)
Jun 21, 2008
155
of
185 people found this review helpful
This was a great action/humor movie. It had more funny moments than I could keep track of- which had me happily surprised- plus a great cast who meshed into their roles like they'd been doing them for years.
Ron Perlman's unmistakable mug pulled off the role of Hellboy beautifully. This was the first role I've really seen him shine in. He was good at the action stuff in Blade II and Aliens: Resurrection, but he definitely had more than just one side to him in this story. It was a very welcome change, and extremely entertaining on all counts (especially humor- watch for the scene with the kittens). He was practically made for this role.
Selma Blair was another great member of the cast. She was a good fit as the pyrokinetic/firestarter (although she doesn't like to be called either), and brought another big element to the story with several characters being infatuated with her.
David Hyde Pierce is surprisingly well-fitted as a superhero. Who would have thought Niles Crane from the TV show "Frasier" could ward off more evil than a daddy longlegs? He plays the intuitive merman quite tastefully... and the animated sequences with his character are done top-notch as well.
Jeffrey Tambor (the jailbird father on TV's "Arrested Development") tries a little too hard in the generic "police captain" role (only he's in the FBI). I've always thought he's over-the-top though, so it might just be me. However, you'll see his character warm up near the end of the film.
As far as Directing is concerned, it's quite evident by now that Guillermo Del Toro knows what he's doing. He blends together fantastic, huge fight sequences (not too long though) with more sobering, personal and intimate character development. Being a partial writer of this no doubt gave him further insight into the story. And there's no doubt in my mind that this guy has a definite grasp on who and what Hellboy is about.
I'm still not too impressed with the computer-generated special effects these days, but I always love the live-action ones. This movie was not exception. The cgi bits are fine and dandy to keep the story rolling with its original intent, doing what cannot be done due to physical limitations and danger, but you will love all the costumes and live-action this movie offers. It's obviously built heavily upon the idea that flashy colors and extreme animatronics are a good thing- and you'll definitely agree after you see it.
All in all, I'd give this move 3.5 stars. For what it is- it's great. Don't expect Oscar-worthy acting or storyline, and do expect it to make fun of itself whenever it can. If you like action, humor, or a good comic book, then this one's a keeper.
Later~
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