Hellboy

Hellboy est cool. Il a du cœur, de la magie, de l'humour, un charme cool, une dimension fantastique et on sent que le scénariste et réalisateur Guillermo del Toro l'a fait avec amour. Cependant, ce n'est pas son meilleur film. Il n'y a pas assez d'action et la scène finale, la plus importante, est étonnamment discrète et bâclée rapidement. Sans parler de l'absence de dynamisme et d'élan général du film (à cet égard, Blade II était meilleur), ce qui ne devrait certainement pas manquer à une bande dessinée similaire. À moins bien sûr qu'elle ne soit capturée par une psychologie plus dramatique (comme X-Men 2), ce que Hellboy n'est pas. En effet, Del Toro l'a conçu comme un divertissement pur basé sur l'humour, la sympathie des héros, la laideur des monstres gluants et l'atmosphère magique d'un "autre monde". En gros, il a simplement entremêlé des scènes de repos, où nos héros se trouvent dans le laboratoire, avec des scènes où ils partent à la rencontre de leurs ennemis et leur en mettent plein la vue. Et ces deux aspects se succèdent malheureusement pendant deux heures sans rien résoudre de majeur et sans que nous soyons tendus pour savoir ce qui va se passer ensuite. ***1/2 (13/08/2004)

A visually captivating, but plot-wise somewhat overwrought breather that, given the premise, could have been better. The action sequences aren't great, the humour sometimes misses the mark and del Toro isn't very good when it comes to psychology. A lot is made up by the visuals, which are quite striking despite the average budget of 60 million, with decent effects (even if sometimes too computer-ey) and good make-up (Hellboy and especially Abe Sapien are simply awesome). The script didn't give Roden much space, but Perlman radiates charisma for a hundred lengths of his devil's tail. On the other hand, there is the very bland character of a young FBI agent who tries to woo Hellboy's girlfriend, but is otherwise completely useless. All in all, a film that entertained me on average and didn't resonate with me after I left the cinema. We’ll see with the sequel. (24/09/2004)

Hellboy is a comic book Accenture exactly to my taste. It has a devilishly dark and sometimes perversely disgusting atmosphere, humor as black as a freshly filled grave and a hero so sympathetically unsympathetic that there’s nothing quite like it. The main winner of Guillermo Del Toro's film is Ron Perlman, whose mask creation surpasses everything I have seen so far in the comic book remake genre. Hellboy is a hero with a soul who doesn't have to define himself to the world through tons of explosions and fights... it's a little big poem about the eternal feud between hell power and good human aspects, which turns into something almost poetically tender in that big red body. The scenes where Hellboy strokes a kitten with his stone hand or eats cookies on the roof in the company of a nine-year-old boy, debating love with him, are the highlights of the film. Del Toro was able to properly balance the ratio of action and conversation, thus joining the commendable trend of X-Men 2. It's amazing how a movie about a horned monster managed to impress me... but not only that. The film was able to entertain me with well-crafted action sequences (which, however, are rather only above average and old-world nowadays), and it suggested an atmosphere to me that balances on the edge of black comedy and horror. It too bad that in the end the film loses some of the escalation and directorial cleverness with which it is conducted (with a slight exaggeration). Hellboy's world is very sympathetic and understandable to me, which is why I hope that "Red" does not end his brash journey with this film. It would be a pity if this muddy hellish relic doesn’t get a successor... (30/09/2004)

Hellboy has huge potential, but the creators didn’t do a good job in transferring it to the screen. The greatest mistake is that they completely ignored the mysterious Gothic atmosphere that simply oozes out of the comic books. In terms of story this is an almost disrespectful mishmash and the only thing that saves the day is Ron Perlman in the title role of Hellboy himself. Add to that the rather sluggish pace, over-long running time and a lame finale. So the result is unfortunately a mediocre affair that can be watched once, but never again. (06/07/2004)

What does make a person human after all? Mentally he is 20, in love, irritated, strong, conflicted - and because of that, irresistible. I still remember that I didn't believe in Hellboy at all after watching the trailer, and then I stayed staring. A very fragile bond with Liz, constant teasing from the agents around, a complicated relationship with his father, or just battles with Sammael - this hellish boy gets me everywhere. After many, many screenings, I simply have to admit that my beloved genre of comic book adaptations has its inconspicuous, red king. (09/04/2006)

Hellboy is quite likable, but not particularly exceptional film, which suffers from an unfinished script and a weak finale. Unfinished script in this case means that the evil is too unimpressive and incapable, the heroes don't struggle enough in their fight, leaving the viewer unsatisfied. On the other hand, the cast is sympathetically chosen, with Ron Perlman fitting perfectly into the role of the demon (it seems to me that they could have saved some money on makeup) and Karel Roden clearly enjoying his portrayal of Rasputin. Some props and set designs are visually interesting. It's a light above-average film, hence 60% overall impression. (07/12/2007)

An enjoyable film that gets more and more under my skin each time I watch it. Ron portrayed Hellboy exactly how I imagined him and the whole universe around him is just delicious. Abraham, Liz (Selma Blair's only sympathetic role)... everything fits together and forms a compact whole together with the second film. There is also, of course, the added bonus that the film features Karel Roden, who certainly deserves praise. Hellboy is just a guy who looks like a guy from hell and likes cats, beer, and his flammable half. It's good to watch both movies with this cool guy. (03/02/2012)

Karel Roden in the villain role of Rasputin is not very good, but Ron Perlman as Hellboy is quite charismatic. The visual effects are decent, but overly cluttered and inconsistent. The film has all the parameters within the normal range, but doesn't excel in anything properly. (29/09/2004)

"I'm fireproof. Not you." I understand that a person who hasn't had the pleasure of reading Hellboy on paper might not appreciate the movie as much. But trust me, it's perfect (although many, many things are changed and many, many things are left out)! As far as Ron Perlman is concerned - that's what you call the role of a lifetime.__P.S. The extended version contains rather cosmetic changes and improvements, but the scene with Rasputin's eyes is excellent. (20/09/2007)

If it wasn’t for Ron Perlman in the role of his life, I would have a hard time understanding this movie. It is he and his immense charisma that give the whole film an unadulterated comic touch, interspersed not only with great catchphrases and action, but at times also with natural human concerns. As a true Hollywood superhero, Hellboy has it all: he's rugged, fearless, committed to goodness, oozing with dry humour and, most importantly, his heart is in the right place; simply great potential, which Guillermo del Toro exploits to the fullest, tailoring the script around Hellboy's characteristics. As a result, we don’t have a grand drama full of twists and turns and dark atmosphere as in Snyder's Watchmen, for example, but we are presented with a lovingly made fantasy diversion that, despite the story's shortcomings, still offers the best entertainment one could wish for in the genre. I was just a bit disappointed by the surprisingly unimaginative final action set-piece, I expected something more than what del Toro served us. But that doesn't change the fact that Ron Perlman is really cool and Karel Roden once again confirmed that as a villain he has hardly any competition. 3.5* (28/08/2012)

Le premier ne m’avait pas vraiment emballé… L’univers de del Toro est fantastique et efficace, mais personnellement, je le trouve ennuyeux, tout comme l’intrigue et les méchants presque inoffensifs. (05/06/2011)

One of my favorite comic book movies, which relies mainly on Hellboy, or rather on his performer Ron Perlman. He is a quoting beast, incredibly dry. A B-movie hero who has his adventures with Rasputin. He got the face of Karel Roden, which simply pleases. Especially when it is a truly crucial role. The right combination of humor, pathos, and great tricks. One does not understand where all this disappeared in Guillermo's execution in the movie "Pacific Rim". (22/01/2014)