I have long been a fan of Hellboy, having read many of the comics over the last dozen years. The first movie was just so-so. They didn’t quite get it right. The sequel is certainly better. The general tone is faithful to the comic, and the story, while fairly basic, works.
The movie has a lot going for it. Ron Pearlman is pitch perfect as Hellboy, and the director has an incredible imagination, creating scenes so rich in fantasy that it’s a visual splendor. I usually don’t get caught up in I have long been a fan of Hellboy, having read many of the comics over the last dozen years. The first movie was just so-so. They didn’t quite get it right. The sequel is certainly better. The general tone is faithful to the comic, and the story, while fairly basic, works.
The movie has a lot going for it. Ron Pearlman is pitch perfect as Hellboy, and the director has an incredible imagination, creating scenes so rich in fantasy that it’s a visual splendor. I usually don’t get caught up in that so much, but the visuals are a real treat.
For me, the issue was length. The first hour was so jam-packed with action sequences I actually found myself a little bit bored, as the action was a little tedious for me. But about an hour in they slowed the pace down a little, let the movie breath a bit more, and, for me at least, the movie came more alive at that point.
[i]Hellboy II[/i] works overall, and there’s a lot to like. But at 2 hours, 20 minutes … too much. I like getting my money’s worth, but in this case, less would have been more. Still, as a comic-book/fantasy movie, it’s worth the price of admission.
