Hellboy

24th April 2019

As this Hellboy reboot gets going, it doesn’t take long before I’m wondering why Del Toro wasn’t asked back. The first two Hellboy films were quite well-received. They weren’t life-altering films by any means, but Del Toro nailed the both the comic’s dark and colourful elements. Marshall’s Hellboy outing, however, is a confused and inconsistent affair.

Marshall’s Hellboy is what I imagine the love child of Suicide Squad and Silent Hill might look like; there’s unnecessary gore, cheesy one-liners, off-kilter pacing, and grandiose stakes that requires all together too much exposition.  But it’s not all bad - it’s David Harbour, not Ron Perlman who dons the horns of Hellboy this time, and despite Perlman’s excellent portrayal, Harbour stands up to the challenge. The one real shame of Harbour’s appearance is that his Hellboy simply wasn’t given enough time to develop organically.

This Hellboy throws fewer tantrums and is less rebellious, but he manages to portray a deep, dark hurt that unfortunately isn’t given the time of day on screen.   Hellboy, as you’d expect, packs a lot of punch. It’s driven on action, gratuitous swearing, and the most imaginatively gruesome ways to rip the human body apart. If that sounds like your thing - you’ll have a blast, but don’t go expecting an altogether coherent plot.   

Rated: 3/5 Stars

Reviewed by: Rebecca Macklin