Rami Ungar The Writer

Remember when we were all skeptical of a new Hellboy film without Ron Perlman? And then we saw early shots of David Harbour of Stranger Things as the titular character and were like, “This could go somewhere”?

Well, I just got back from the theater, and this was a fun little romp. And from the sound of things, I may be the only person saying that, but whatever. This is my blog, so you’re getting my opinion today.

Hellboy follows…Hellboy, a demon creature who was raised by a monster hunter to fight all the creepy-crawlies that go bump in the night. On a mission to England though, he finds himself discovering rather uncomfortable truths about his past and lineage, as well as struggling with whether he is as good a creature as his father wants him to be. All while a powerful witch named Nimue is resurrected with plans to spread a plague across the world and bring on the Apocalypse. Possibly with Hellboy at her side.

I have to say, this feels like a comic book movie. By which I mean, the plot feels lifted right from a comic book. There are tangents and flashbacks galore for exposition. And for the most part that works. It’s fun, fast-paced, and has some great action scenes with lots of movement and kicking of ass. And unlike Us, the sprinkling of jokes throughout the film works here, possibly because it’s a comic book movie (though Us is still a phenomenal film).

I also liked the characters. David Harbour as Hellboy and Sasha Lane as Alice Monaghan, a girl Hellboy once helped and who now works as a medium/apprentice ass-kicker are among my favorites from the film for their chemistry and humor. And for those who were worried about David Harbour as Hellboy, don’t be. Yeah, Ron Perlman will always be great, but Harbour’s essentially playing a different version of the character, one who’s still getting to know himself and figure things out. Thus he’s a lot rougher and has more issues than previous film versions. He also drinks a lot and doesn’t have a million cats throughout his home, so there’s that.

I also enjoyed Milla Jovovich’s performance as Nimue. The character is kind of one-dimensional, but the actress brings angry and on a mission to the role very well. And my God, she does not look a day past 28, and I’m falling in love with her just writing this.

That said, the many flashbacks, some of which are pretty long, can be kind of distracting and are used mainly for lots of info-dumping. I would’ve liked it if maybe some of the flashbacks were shortened so we could get more on Ben Daimio, who I felt needed a more fleshed-out emotional arc. It would make sense to do that rather than have a lengthy flashback about Hellboy’s “birth” with a superhero character named Lobster Johnson who doesn’t really contribute that much to the story. Actually, more than a few characters were in this film with no purpose. There was a witch character who I could not see the point of. She interacts with Nimue, talks to Hellboy, and then leaves. I mean, what the hey?

I get a feeling a lot of creative decisions were made in order to jumpstart a film series or even a cinematic universe, and thankfully there was less groundwork-laying for future films than there was in Batman vs. Superman or 2017’s The Mummy, neither of which I care for, but it could’ve been handled a lot more delicately in my opinion.

On a scale of 1 to 5, I’ll give Hellboy a 3.2. It’s nothing that amazing, but it is a fun two hours of monsters, action and mayhem. If you’re just looking for a mindless comic book action film, you could do worse. As it is, this is good enough for me, and sometimes, that’s all I ask for.

And while I still have your attention, I’m still looking for advanced readers for Rose. The novel is a fantasy-horror story following a young woman who turns into a plant creature (and that’s just the start of her problems). In exchange for an early electronic copy, all I ask is that you read it and consider posting a review online somewhere on or after the release date. If interested, please send an email to ramiungar@ramiungarthewriter.com.