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Stars:
Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Jeffrey Tambor, Karel Roden, Rupert Evans, and John
Hurt
Writer:
Guillermo Del Toro
Screen
Story By: Guillermo Del Toro and Peter Briggs
Based
Upon The Dark Horse Comic Created By: Mike Mignola
Director:
Guillermo Del Toro
Feature
length: 122 minutes
Extras: Feature
Length Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Guillermo Del Toro and Co-Executive
Producer/Hellboy Comic Book Creator Mike Mignola, Cast Audio Commentary With Ron
Perlman, Selma Blair, Jeffrey Tambor, and Rupert Evans, Branching DVD Comics By
Mike Mignola, “Right Hand Of Doom” Set Visits, Storyboard Track, “From The
Den” Hellboy Recommends Gerald McBoing Animated Shorts, Video Introduction By
Guillermo Del Toro, Video Introduction By Selma Blair, “Hellboy: The Seeds Of
Creation” Documentary, Deleted Scenes With Optional Director’s Commentary,
Character Bios, Animatics, Multi-Angle Storyboard Comparisons, Maquette 3-D
Sculptures Video Gallery, Poster Explorations, Theatrical Trailers, TV Spots,
Filmographies, Previews
DVD-ROM Extras:
Printable Original Screenplay, Script Supervisor’s Book, Director’s
Notebook, Hellboy Merchandise Web Link
Languages: English
and French Language Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Subtitles: English
Captions and Closed Captions and French Language Subtitles
Packaging: Single
Sized Two-Disc Amaray Keep Case Within A Cardboard Slip
Chapter Stops: 28
Sound: Dolby
Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Year of Theatrical
Release: 2004/DVD Release: 2004
Theatrical
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Home Video
Distributor: Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Reviewer: Mark A.
Rivera
In the 1940s,
Gregory Rasputin attempted to bring forth the end of the world by releasing the
Ogdru Jahad, ancient beings banished from the Earth many millennia ago. Rasputin
believes that out of the destruction a new Eden will grow on Earth and the Nazis
are desperate to enlist the help of the supernatural in order to win the Second
World War. Fortunately, the ceremony was interrupted and the Ogdru Jahad was
unable to escape their imprisonment. However something did get through the gate
in the form of little red boy with tiny horns and a red tail. Dubbed
“Hellboy” (Ron Perlman), for the last sixty years, he has assisted the
Bureau of Paranormal Research headed by his father figure, the benevolent Doctor
Broom (John Hurt), with stopping occult threats. Along with various agents and
weapons designed to defeat evil creatures that do not succumb to mortality
easily, Hellboy travels with Abe Sapien, an aquatic humanoid of unknown origin
with telepathic abilities. Though Hellboy is old by human calculations, he’s
aged both mentally and physically into an enormous muscle-bound young man in his
twenties. He is in love with the beautiful Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), a woman
who has the ability to create and manipulate fire spontaneously. When a new
agent (Rupert Evans) is assigned to assist and watch over Hellboy, the big guy
becomes jealous and resentful of him because he thinks Liz might fall for him.
However things are even more complicated with Doctor Broom being secretly
terminally ill and the evil forces that tried destroying the world once before
summoning dark forces to bring it about again.
“Hellboy” is a
nice mix of H.P. Lovecraft inspired dark fantasy and comic book hero adventure
with excellent special effects and makeup by Rick Baker. I have never read the
Dark Horse comic book created by Mike Mignola so I cannot note how faithful it
is to the source materials, but coming into the film little to no knowledge of
the series, I still found “Hellboy” to be an engaging experience that
actually gets better with repeated viewing. The first time I saw it I was a
little confused, but I still enjoyed the film. Del Toro’s screen direction
seems to be very solid and the framing is particularly interesting. According to
the filmmakers, the actual comic inspired much of the shots in the film. I
hesitate to compare this film with other big screen comic book adaptations
because it really is different in so many ways from the normal superhero action
picture. Some elements here and there reminded me of certain films, but again I
think “Hellboy” really stands well on it’s own merits for what it is and
for the most part it doesn’t simply rely on eye candy to get the film going.
The actors do pretty well with makeup and effects and there is a certain
sympathy that comes through here and there that yields a more three-dimensional
quality to both the characters and mythology of the film. It is also very clear
that Del Toro was passionate about this project, which he developed for seven
years. The theatrical version of the film was edited down for pacing, but
Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment will release an extended Director’s Cut on
DVD later this year with more character development scenes and new extra
features for fans of the film and the comic book.
This two-disc
special edition presents the theatrical version of “Hellboy” with a
beautiful anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) aspect ratio presentation. The colors
are very lush and there is no hint of artifacts at all. A well-rounded and at
times quite aggressive English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack is included
along with a French Language Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack and English
Captions and Closed Captions for the hearing impaired as well as French Language
Subtitles encoded as options. One cannot activate the subtitles without going
back to the interactive onscreen menus once the film begins so be sure to
activate your options before you start the film so you can view it through
without interruption.
Writer/Director
Guillermo Del Toro and Co-Executive Producer/Hellboy Comic Book Creator Mike
Mignola participate in a screen specific feature length audio commentary that
even addresses the deleted scenes that may appear in the upcoming Director’s
Cut DVD. Cast members Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Jeffrey Tambor, and Rupert Evans
also participate in a feature length audio commentary that is a bit more
retrospective in nature, but never-the-less still enjoyable. Guillermo Del Toro
also provides optional audio commentary for three letterboxed deleted scenes on
disc two labeled as “Breaking The Ice Wall” (: 30), “Cab Ride” (1:24),
and “Russian Warehouse” (2:33). In addition he provides a brief video
introduction on disc one as well as video explanations for the various
storyboard galleries on disc two. There is also an Easter egg video comment by
Del Toro (: 46) on the first disc. Viewers can activate a picture-in-picture
storyboard to completed scene comparison while watching the film with either the
5.1 language Soundtracks or commentaries running at the same time. There are
also branching features that enable the viewer to see behind the scenes footage
or some specially created DVD comics while watching the film without missing a
second of action. These features can also be accessed separately in index menus.
Three “Gerald McBoing” cartoons as well as “The Tell Tale Heart”
narrated by James Mason are also featured on disc one. DVD-ROM enabled users
will have access to a printable screenplay for the film, Script Supervisor’s
and Director’s notebooks as well as a link where on can purchase Hellboy
merchandise too.
Within the keep
case there is a very detailed breakdown of the contents of the two discs
complete with branching diagrams that shows exactly where the bonus features are
located. The second disc features a detailed documentary entitled “Hellboy:
The Seeds Of Creation” (142:43), which is extremely detailed though a bit
dull. I think there was problem with the audio too. It just seemed way too low,
especially in the earlier segments. The documentary can also be viewed in
individual parts. In addition to the above mentioned storyboard galleries, there
are character bios, select cast and filmmaker credits, and multi-angle galleries
of various creature maquettes and galleries of one-sheet art. The text is a bit
difficult to read onscreen for the character bios. I think it would have been
better to have them within the insert instead. There are also two trailers that
run respectively at just over two and a half minutes and nearly a minute and a
half as well as nine TV spots that can be viewed individually or as a whole
(4:55). Bonus trailers for “Seinfeld” (1:44), “Spider-Man 2” (2:36),
“Spider-Man: The New Animated Series” (2:00), “13 Going On 30” (2:31),
“White Chicks” (2:32), “Stephen King’s Kingdom Hospital” (1:07),
“Anacondas: The Hunt For The Blood Orchid” (2:20), “Resident Evil:
Apocalypse” (1:24), “Kaena: The Prophecy” (1:36), and “The Forgotten”
(1:40) wrap up the features on disc two.
The menus are well
rendered to create the environments portrayed in the film and feature animated
transitions to standard interactive still frame menus that are easy to navigate.
As a whole this is a good two-disc DVD set with entertaining commentaries and a
nice solid picture transfer. I think some of the extra value features were a bit
disappointing, but imagine that when combined with the eventual Director’s Cut
DVD release, fans will have a very detailed insight into how “Hellboy”
stepped out of the comic book pages and onto the big screen that will complement
both editions collectively as an even better home video release. “Hellboy: 2-Disc
Special Edition” will debut on DVD-Video on Tuesday, July 27, 2004 at
retailers on and offline from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment.
© Copyright 2004
By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
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