Logan Sork Film Reviews
Hellboy
When it comes to the world of Hellboy I will admit I know nothing about it. Despite being an iconic comic book character and having two previous major films, I still never took time to learn about the character. So, when it was announced that a new Hellboy reboot was underway I was a a little intrigued but not over the moon. The trailers however did promise a movie that is a lot of fun, so my hopes were raised a little bit. For the most part, that was exactly what I got, a movie with a lot of fun scenes great characters and imaginative designs. It’s just a shame that these things are hindered by terrible editing, poor CGI and an unfocused narrative. Still I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have fun.
Hellboy is directed by Neil Marshall and is a reboot for eh film franchise based on the comics of the same name by Mike Mignola. The film stars David Harbour as the titular character Hellboy, a demon who was summoned by the Germans at the tail end of WWII but was converted to fight for the good of humankind by his adoptive father (Ian McShane). In the present day, Hellboy works for the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, an organization dedicated to protecting humankind from monsters. While on a mission to get rid of some giants, Hellboy is nearly killed before being rescued by Alice (Sasha Lane), a young girl whom he helped save in the past. While recovering, Hellboy learns that some monsters he wronged in the past are working to resurrect Nimue the Blood Queen (Milla Jovovich), an ancient sorceress hell bent on merging the human world with a demonic alternate dimension. In the face of this threat, Hellboy must work with his human allies to stop the Blood Queen before she brings about the apocalypse, all while avoiding his prophesized role as the one who will bring about the end of the world.
Before diving into what makes this movie enjoyable, it is perhaps best to get the bad things out of the way. First and foremost, the editing in this film is absolutely terrible. Scenes that feel like they should have more to them are condensed to help improve the pacing. This however only makes it worse, as by moving at such a breakneck pace, the audience will barely have enough time to grasp what is happening before being moved on to the next scene. The movie is two hours long, but it feels like it should be longer to allow for more time to properly introduce the characters and the world they inhabit. There are entire sequences in the first act that could be removed entirely and would not have an impact on the narrative. There are seven some scenes that feel like they are in the wrong order, particularly the ones concerning the origins of our hero and villain. Had the film been longer and those sequences been removed or switched around the pacing of the first half would’ve flowed a lot better. Admittedly however, the film does flow better as the story goes on. Had the film stayed more focused towards the beginning, the viewing experience would’ve been improved greatly.
Another area where the film could’ve improved is the visual effects. While they aren’t terrible per say, they don’t feel particularly real. The CGI effects never feel like they are actually in the scene but rather pasted onto it after filming was complete. Good CGI should look like you can reach out and touch it, these are not examples of that rule. Thankfully though, the filmmakers opt to use a large amount of practical effects to help compensate the poor computer eyesores. These effects are truly amazing and are visually stunning. In fact, the entire production design of the film, from the characters to the locations to the props, is visually intriguing. Even when it’s rather shoddy CGI it still has an interesting design. Plus, the practical effects make the film feel so much more alive. It’s a shame that all of the effects aren’t practical because when they are computer generated it really brings the film down, hindering the otherwise great practical effects on display.
The film also contains a lot of fun and inventive scenes. While the film has some trouble being cohesive throughout the run time, I will not lie and say that what I was watching wasn’t entertaining. There are so many great scenes to be found in this film that it made me wish they had found a better way to make it flow better. The action scenes in particular are very fun to watch, as the filmmakers find creative ways for Hellboy to battle a wide variety of different creatures. There are other great scenes that involve characters interacting with one another that make them seem more grounded and realistic. The problem comes when you try to put these scenes together. They just don’t flow well together and hinder the main story. So, while these scenes are entertaining on their own, the movie becomes a bit scatterbrained at times.
What ultimately saves this film however are the cast and characters. David Harbour is a fantastic Hellboy. His take on the character is different enough from Ron Perlman’s to stand on its own but he also gets the core elements of the character right making him a blast to watch. Sasha Lane and Daniel Dae Kim bring a lot to their relatively small roles to make them memorable while Ian McShane is fantastic as always. Who really stole the show for me however was Milla Jovovich as the Blood Queen. Because she has had a lot if experience with these types of films she knows exactly what to bring. She takes it seriously enough but also has fun with it, making her a threatening yet slightly over the top nemesis. Without this fantastic cast the film would crumble.
In the end, there’s a lot wrong with the film. It feels like it was edited by a child, the story is all over the place, the computer effects are laughable and there are some great scenes that don’t really have a place in the film. That being said, there are enough great performances, impressive practical effects and fun action scenes that prevent it from being a total bust. In my opinion, Hellboy has a lot of flaws, but the film does so much to make up for it that it’s almost impossible to hate it.
6/10