ViewGuide

Created Apr 15, 2008 12:41AM PST • Edited Jan 24, 2009 11:10AM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Good 3.0

   Well mounted comik story that engagingly follows the classic routines: badass avenger with a heart of gold wisecracks his way through a series of titanic death duels, saving the world in the process. Importantly, the bad guys provide sufficient interest, with Rasputin a particularly interesting and hissable villain.

4. Acting

   Very Good 3.5

   Ron Perlman delivers a reasonably charismatic performance as the big red dude, while Karel Rodin exudes appropriate menace as Rasputin. John Hurt turns in a reliably nuanced performance as the erudite genius who serves as Hellboy’s adoptive father.

5. Male Stars Very Good 3.5

6. Female Stars Very Good 3.5

7. Female Costars Very Good 3.5

8. Male Costars Very Good 3.5

10. Film

    Good 3.0

11. Direction Great 4.0

12. Play OK 2.5

    Mostly spare and interesting, but the jokes almost all fell flat.

13. Music OK 2.5

14. Visuals Great 4.0
15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 1.7

    Comik violence: i.e., gut wrenching fights and battles without any blood shed, kind of like in Lord of the Rings. OTOH, the scary monsters and reanimated corpses will be more than enough to give youngsters a month of nightmares.

17. Sex Innocent 1.0

18. Violence Fierce 2.5

19. Rudeness Salty 1.6

21. Reality

    Fantasy 4.3

    Comik book reality, which is to say “Fantasy.” If I was more of a fan, I’d dissect the reality rules the story employs, but I’m not so I won’t.

22. Circumstantial Surreal 3.0

23. Biological Fantasy 5.0

24. Physical Fantasy 5.0