Movie Review: Hellboy (2019)

When an ancient queen returns and is intent on wiping out humanity, the only way to stop her is to raise a little hell. And who better than Hellboy to do said hell-raising? Well, the live-action Hellboy reboot is out! Did it hit harder than the Right Hand of Doom, or was it a fizzling failure? Let's find out! I do want to warn that I will try to make this review as spoiler-free as possible, but there may be some minor stuff.

The first thing I had noticed was that this film took full advantage of its being rated R. Seriously. There is a ton of blood, violence, and f-bombs in the movie. I did feel the language was a bit excessive at times.

I did enjoy the cast. David Harbour of Stranger Things fame takes up the Right Hand of Doom, and his Hellboy is a bit more emotional and rougher-edged take, like he was a younger version of the character. He displayed some nice moments of humor in his performance, and there is a scene with him and Ian McShane's Trevor Bruttenholm that made me tear up a little. Daniel Dae Kim was also really good as Ben Daimio. His and Hellboy's interactions were fun. I also thought Sasha Lane's Alice Monaghan was great, too. I liked her evolution into a butt-kicker in her own right.

One of the flaws I felt the film had was the villain, Nimue. I felt she did come off as a bit wooden. Like they didn't let her emote. I also felt that her trying to tempt Hellboy to the dark side was kind of thin as we did not get a lot of Hellboy interacting with regular people to show that he was as 'hated and feared' as she claimed. I also was not completely into Ian McShane's performance as Trevor Bruttenholm. His Bruttenholm was a bit harsher and meaner than the portrayal by the late John Hurt in the GDT Hellboy films, and I think it would not have hurt for him to show some sympathy and kindness towards his son on occasion.

I have seen a lot of reviews saying this film was terrible. I do agree on one thing: This film is not as good as the Guillermo Del Toro films. I think that the film did not quite have the heart those did, mainly thanks to Del Toro's fondness for making monsters more human. However, I don't think the film was completely terrible. There were some cool visuals, and if you like bloody fights, this film would be right up your alley. This Hellboy is more of a straight-up action film than a character piece. And hey, the GDT films still exist, so they can still be enjoyed. Heck, if you have Netflix, the first one is there.

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Hellboy (2019) Trailer #2, My Thoughts

Back in December, I gave my thoughts on the first trailer for the upcoming cinematic reboot of Hellboy. I remember enjoying the first trailer, and getting some laughs out of it. I also remember people really hated that trailer. Eh, I'm sure the Hellboy comics have their fair share of silly moments. I haven't read them, so I can't really say.

Well, a second trailer has arrived, so let's take a look. Now, I do want to warn you, this is a "Red Band" trailer, which means that it's for mature audiences. Yeah, so don't watch this trailer at work or when you got the kids around. And with that, let's play this thing!

Burning away the band. Clever transition. I love stuff like that for some reason.

It was a dark and stormy night...

Oh, this is a take on Hellboy's origins.

Has that Nazi got 3-D glasses on? Is that Kroenen?

Daniel Dae Kim has neither time nor willingness to pity you right now, ha ha.

Ooh, I like that cover of Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water".

Wow. Milla Jovovich is so pretty.

Does she have an Infinity Gauntlet? Would explain the dusting effect.

Did Sasha Lane just punch a dude's SOUL out?! She's been training with the Ancient One, hasn't she? Yeah, this film is MCU canon!

Eh, I imagine it's the same reason the X-Men fight for those who "hate and fear them": somebody has to. Also, like the X-Men, people would have a legitimate reason to be a bit nervous around Hellboy. Mainly that HE IS A DEMON WITH AN ARM THAT CAN DESTROY THE WORLD. THAT WOULD MAKE A PEOPLE A LITTLE SKITTISH, LADY.

Is that the Cloverfield monster's mutant cousin?

London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down...

I want those brass knucks.

That'll hurt.

He's a werecheetah. Well, that's...different. Cleaning out his litterbox must be a pain.

Hellboy riding a dragon. FILM OF THE YEAR.

I'm surprised nobody has countered that offer with, "How about you stop being evil, and then we'll hook up. How about that?" I mean, it may not work, but at least it's worth a shot.

Well, I have to admit, I enjoyed this trailer. I'm not as...hostile towards reboots as many people are (after all, nobody's making anyone watch them, and the last two Hellboy films exist and are still good), so I'll give this a fair shot. It looks like it'll be a fun movie. I especially like that it looks like it'll tell its own story and not retread the first movie. I think this'll be a fun time at the theater!

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Hellboy (2019) Trailer, My Thoughts

Hellboy. Created by Mike Mignola, he first appeared in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 (August 1993). The eponymous character was a half-demon named Anung Un Rama who was summoned to Earth as a child during WWII by Nazi occultists. However, he would become a defender of Earth against supernatural forces alongside the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (B.P.R.D.).

The character has become quite popular over the last 25 years, appearing in numerous comics, animation, video games (He was a guest fighter in Injustice 2), and films. Yup, live-action movies. Hellboy appeared in two live-action films in 2004 and 2008, both directed by Guillermo Del Toro and starring Ron Perlman in the title role. I love those movies, they are so good.

Well, a reboot has been announced in the works, with David Harbour taking up the big red Right Hand of Doom, and here's the trailer for it!

Hey, Billy Idol! Awesome!

Yeah, I don't think you need to ask for ID from a big red demon, lady. He's pretty distinctive.

...does Hellboy have to play King Arthur here? You know, get the sword out of the stone?

You'd think the BPRD would tell the cops, "Hey, we got a guy to handle this. Just keep in mind he's big and red, please don't shoot him."

I hope that place is a legit fish and chip shop. You can grab a snack on the way to the meeting. That's always convenient.

Well, to be fair, a red demon with a big gun and equally big right hand can be scary at first glance.

Join the BPRD! Free equestrian lessons!

The hand also unlocks the end of the world. No biggie.

HELLBOY VS. WINGED MONSTER AT WRESTLEMANIA! BOOK IT, VINCE!

OW. THAT WILL HURT.

Milla Jovovich as a villain, huh? That'll be interesting.

Ohhhhh, Hellboy's gone full demon. Aw, Hell...

I know are people are complaining about it, but yeah, people like to complain. Honestly, I'll give this a fair shot. I liked the original films, so I hope this new film is good.

Injustice 2 Hellboy Trailer, My Thoughts

Injustice 2 is the sequel to the hit fighting game that pitted some of DC Comics's greatest heroes and villains in an epic fighting game. And naturally, its success would spawn a sequel. It brought us new characters, and...a bit of a surprise. A certain half-demon paranormal investigator has arrived in the arena! He's ready, willing, and able to duke it out with some of DC's finest! I'm talking the Right Hand of Doom himself, from the mind of Mike Mignola, please welcome...Hellboy.

I have to say, I was surprised to see Hellboy in the game's roster. Yeah, I heard Raiden and Sub-Zero were also in the roster, but this game is made by Netherrealm Studios. Mortal Kombat is their big cash cow, so it's not surprising they'd bring some MK characters into the game.

In a way, a crossover like this is rather typical of Netherrealm games. After all, the last Mortal Kombat game had the Xenomorph, Leatherface, and the Predator in it. Come to think of it, maybe Hellboy would be a good fit for that game.

I do like the voice they got for Hellboy. I do wish it was Ron Perlman, but from what I hear, Michael-Leon Wooley is doing a good job. I did like his line when facing off against Atrocitus. I also enjoyed watching him bludgeon the bejesus out of everyone with his big ol' Right Hand of Doom.

I loved that bit where Hellboy beat Atrocitus down as they descended into Hell. That was fun to watch.

I have to admit, it's pretty cool seeing Hellboy in this game. Makes me wonder what other crazy characters they're going to bring in. I hope he plays well. He looks like he'll be a blast to play as.