So underwhelming was this film that a recent
screening in New York only sparked polite
applause after it was finally over. And that was the
red carpet premiere with all the cast in attendance.
So even having Hellboy in the audience couldn’t
whip up much enthusiasm for “Hellboy.”
Harbour himself is fine, channeling the blue-
collar, resigned here-we-go-again ethos of
Hellboy. But his lines seem to fall flat. “Let’s eat
some barbeque!” he declares as he attacks the pig
monster. It’s sort of funny but somehow in this
muddle of a film, it doesn’t land. It’s a pity because
underneath all the silliness, there’s a rich vein the
film seems to try to mine — whether what you
are born determines who you become.
“There has to be a world where monsters don’t
have to hide in the shadows,” the Queen of
Blood says to Hellboy, tempting him to join
her side. This makes Hellboy pause, since he’s
basically slaughtering his brothers and sisters.
“You made me a goddamn weapon,” he screams
at dad.
That discussion raises a question about the film
itself: Maybe the reason it staggers so poorly is
because its DNA is all wrong. If the first two films
lacked a certain verve and the third is a violent
muddle, maybe making “Hellboy” movies is as
cursed as its hero.
“Hellboy,” a Lionsgate release, is rated R for
“strong bloody violence and gore throughout,
and language.” Running time: 120 minutes. One
stars out of four.
MPAA definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying
parent or adult guardian.