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HELLBOY (2019)
Hellboy (2019) poster

CAST
DAVID HARBOUR
DANIEL DAE KIM
NITIN GANATRA
BRIAN GLEESON
STEPHEN GRAHAM (VOICE OF)
THOMAS HADEN CHURCH
MILLA JOVOVICH
SASHA LANE
IAN McSHANE
PENELOPE MITCHELL
SOPHIE OKONEDO
ALISTAIR PETRIE
RICK WARDEN

BASED ON THE DARK HORSE COMIC BOOK CREATED BY
MIKE MIGNOLA

SCREENPLAY BY
ANDREW COSBY

PRODUCED BY
KEITH GOLDBERG
LAWRENCE GORDON
CARL HAMPE
LLOYD LEVIN
MATTHEW O’TOOLE
MIKE RICHARDSON
JOHN THOMPSON
CHRIS TONGUE
LES WELDON
PHILIP WESTGREN

DIRECTED BY
NEIL MARSHALL

GENRE
ACTION
FANTASY
HORROR

RATED
AUS:R18
UK:15
USA:R

RUNNING TIME
120 MIN

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hellboy (2019) image

A visually spectacular and gloriously violent reboot, Hellboy struggles to differentiate its “end-of-the-world” storyline from so many others before it, although David Harbour’s excellent turn and Neil Marshall’s go-big-or-go-home direction saves the film from the bowels of monotony.

Hellboy features blood thirsty giants, man-sized vampire bats, the creepiest witch to perhaps ever scare the screen, and enough dismembered corpses to fill a football field. Yet why does it all feel so familiar? After years of watching various comic-book movies deal with “end of the world” scenarios featuring a villain summoning a whirlwind of destruction, it is quite maddening to see a film like Hellboy copying convention instead of standing apart from the pack. This beast needed be set loose, yet rather stock writing refuses to let it do so.

Based on the popular comic book series created by Mike Mignola, Hellboy stars David Harbour as the title character, a spawn of Satan conjured by the Nazi’s at the end of WWII, only to be rescued and raised by occult warrior Professor Broom (Ian McShane). He trains Hellboy to fight against supernatural threats as part of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defence. This is put to the test when ancient medieval sorceress Nimue, the Blood Queen (Milla Jovovich) is resurrected and puts into motion a plan to, you guessed it, “destroy mankind!!!”

Directing is Neil Marshall (The Descent). It is indeed a big task for any filmmaker to replace the void left by previous franchise director Guillermo Del Toro. To Marshall’s credit he does a very commendable job in doing so, with a larger than life approach to building a world of monsters, spirits, ghouls, and the many “heroes” tasked to combat this threat. The action set-pieces in Hellboy are all consuming, colossal affairs. One sequence in which Hellboy battles a trio of man hungry giants epitomises the potential of Marshall’s big, bold and bloody approach to filmmaking when backed with the right budget and resources. Key among them is make-up designer Joel Harlow (Star Trek), whose creature design work in Hellboy is frightening, innovative and truly mind blowing. VFX houses Mr.X, Rhythm & Hues, Rise FX and Worldwide FX suitably compliment Harlow’s work.

Harbour proves to be a fine replacement for Ron Perlman, stamping his authority on a character struggling to not succumb to the devilish aspects of his nature, constantly keeping himself in check as a defender of humanity as opposed to its destroyer. Ian McShane is suitably gruff as Hellboy’s adopted father and mentor. Milla Jovovich does what needs to be done as the stock “bringer of doom” villainous.

This brings us to the anchor that stops Hellboy from flourishing into something spectacular: the constant need to play it straight with the typical superhero rules of engagement. In a market submerged with comic book movies, Hellboy had the opportunity to stand outside of the pack as a grizzly, bloody, horror action-adventure tale, that could and should have given the middle finger to the genre, just like Watchmen and Deadpool did beforehand. Yet much like the character himself, Hellboy suffers from an identity crisis that plays it safe story-wise too many times. If a sequel does eventuate, here is hoping that this shackled beast embraces more of its rebellious, mean spirited nature.

 

***

 

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