Hellboy

Even though some critics thought it might. Now this had a bad standing from the beginning. And while the actors are quite nice and the R-rating was secured (something fan boys really wished for), it did not make nearly as much money as it was supposed to. Or rather as much as the producers and the studio hoped for overall.

And while this is layed out to warrant sequels, this probably won't happen. And it's almost a shame, because it isn't at all bad. The effects are good, the new Hellboy managed to stay afloat (which is quite an achievement if you think about the shoes he had to fill - or is it the horns?) - the story made sense too. But I guess there is a comic book fatigue to a degree. There are so many movies out there, that people pick and choose. Maybe there were other reasons too, but in the end it doesn't really matter ... speaking of endings: there is one mid credit scene and one after credit scene. So if you watch it, watch it proper

First the bad and they aren't that bad. 1) While David Harbour does a pretty good job as Hellboy. But he lacks the natural charm that Ron Perlman had in the title role. Not to say that there aren't times that he comes off prefect for the part. 2) It is a well made film. But it doesn't have the spit and polish that Guillermo del Toro put into his film duo. One the good side Neil Marshall and the writers stayed true to the story Hellboy. The role of the big bad was beautifully played by Milla Jovovich (fair warning on this part I have been nursing a 20 + year crush on her). Daniel Dae Kim and Sasha Lane were great in their roles of Domino and Alice. They add a little more depth to help flesh on the new world created for the film. And the adding of Church as Lobster Johnson was great. On a whole it was a solid film. If you like modern fantasy, and want to move away from the Marvel/DC fight of which is the better superheroes. You could do worse than Hellboy.

Although the effort of the director and the talent of the actors, the movie lacks the charm of the Guillermo del Toro duology. The movie is way more faithful to the comics but it also tries to be faithful to the previous movies (which every reboot should try to be) but it just becomes a mess of attempts. The CGI is overused- WHEN WILL STUDIOS LEARN!- and although the creatures design is very interesting, pretty much every character lacks the dept the old duology provided. At the end of the day Hellboy(2019) is just another failed reboot that tries to be it's own thing while respecting the previous movies. My rating? 5 out of 10, but I do agree with the 61% rating on rotten tomatoes because the movie isn't all crap, there's a charm to it but it's not enough to make you overlook it's flaws. Just watch the Guillermo del Toro duology, it's a far superior franchise, and I would of loved to see the third movie if the studios didn't cancelled it. If you are interested in the director Neill Marshall (which despite the failed attempt of rebooting Hellboy is a damn good director) go watch Dog Soldiers which is criminally underrated. See you next time at the movies, Ruben the Critic

Currently being slammed by critics and sitting a very low score on rotten tomatoes, Hell Boy is a film I went into with zero expectations. I just wanted something silly, entertaining and over the top, and the exactly what I got, and I must say, I enjoyed the..erm..hell out of it. Directed by Neil Marshal, who has worked on Game of thrones and West World, this is not the Neil Marshall who gave us the horror masterpiece that is The Decent. This is the Neil Marshal who gave us Dog Soldiers and Doomsday. Silly, gory, surprising and does not give a **** about embracing it absurd concept to the full. David Harbor knocks it out of the park as Hellboy, and one thing he has over Ron Perlman's performance is a sense of threat; that he really could be evil of pushed too far. The whole film moves at a fast pace and has a feel of a video game, but here it works, with a mix of Devil May Cry and God of War, especially in the combat and design of some creatures. Maybe I was in a forgiving mood but the Bebop like villain Gruagach had me in stiches with his sweary mouth and English northern accent. Go see it if you want some outrageous fantasy violence and a few laughs.

Although the trailer & even poster had more spoilers than you could possibly believe, & the casting switch takes a bit to get used to, this new 'soft' reboot IS Hellboy in EVERY WAY, SHAPE & FORM! Even without Del Toros creature shop, the digital characters & translations from the Hellboy comic were on point, interesting & terrifying. The R rating, is probably the movies biggest flaw- excess swearing & SUPER graphic violence seem unnecessary & is probably a box office mistake for a paranormal action movie that kids would absolutely love. Except for the origin briefly retold, it seems like JUST another great Hellboy adventure more than a reboot, being so close to the first two movies that Del Toro & Pearlman could EASILY come back with a sequel in a years' time & it not hurt whatsoever. While skeptical to begin with I completely warmed up to it in very short time- fun, gross, crazy & very likable.