Hellboy (2019)(Post-release)
- Thread starter Vivek
- Start date
Gimpdiggity
Master Member
The trailer didn't sell me on this film and the poor reviews are the nail in the coffin to my sadness for the unfinished Del Torro trilogy.
Tan Djarka
Sr Member
Seeing it tonight. Very low expectations. Saw a commercial touting it's R rating as a feature! Also, another commercial had the line "About g**d*** time!" In the movie? Fine. But do you really need that in a televised commercial? Have TV standards just gone completely in the toilet?
I took a chance and watched the premiere. I really wanted to like it. I was even defending it prior to the release, trying to convince people to give it a chance, but it really was a disappointment in all aspects. Poor script, pre-2000 era CGI, bad makeup, even the props and costumes were subpar. There was absolutely no nuance to this film. Everything was ham-fisted and spoon fed like a cheesey low budget early 90's flick. The funny parts weren't funny. I'm not sure if I even chuckled once. I went into it with a really forgiving and good attitude, (had a margarita in my hand and everything), but you gotta be way more F'd up than that to enjoy this one. Maybe I'm being too harsh, but I just wanted so much more for it.
Tan Djarka
Sr Member
Note to producers: graphic violence and salty language will get you an R rating, not a better film.
Simply Milla Jovovich and Ian McShane were miscast. Not Ron Perlman as Hellboy wasn't as objectionable as I'd anticipated. Although the makeup was far less elegant than the version GDT gave us, and the Right Hand of Doom looked like it was made out of cardboard. In fact, the production design tended to dwell on the grotesque rather than the fantastic nature of the supernatural.
Overall, I didn't hate it, but it could have been much better. If you took out the language and violence for a lower rating, it wouldn't be a better film, but it wouldn't be worse either. Completely unnecessary addition.
Simply Milla Jovovich and Ian McShane were miscast. Not Ron Perlman as Hellboy wasn't as objectionable as I'd anticipated. Although the makeup was far less elegant than the version GDT gave us, and the Right Hand of Doom looked like it was made out of cardboard. In fact, the production design tended to dwell on the grotesque rather than the fantastic nature of the supernatural.
Overall, I didn't hate it, but it could have been much better. If you took out the language and violence for a lower rating, it wouldn't be a better film, but it wouldn't be worse either. Completely unnecessary addition.
Last edited:
SteveStarkiller
Sr Member
ohhhh mann I really had hoped something... anything... aw man...
Just got back from it. Went in thinking I would hate it (based on my love of the Del Toro films and how awful the trailers have been), but came away really liking it, so I guess I'm the odd one out for this one. Lots of great nods to the books- in some ways it ways a bit of a "Hellboy's Greatest Hits", which is both good and bad. Less bothered by the hair and RHOD in the film that I was before seeing it. There's good and bad in the makeup too- there were imperfections, but the expressiveness of this makeup was much more evident. (Probably because it was silicone and not foam?) When Lobster Johnson came on I felt myself breaking out in a stupid grin. I think my biggest criticism would be that it felt a little rushed... they tried to cram at least two films into one. Maybe my opinion will change on more viewings, but right now I'm fine with this living alongside the others.
HonorableWhat
Jr Member
My feelings aswell. Il always say the original 2 films are my favorite but ive seen much worse "reboots" than this. Also i as well feel another 30 minutes to a hour would have helped the film. 2 hrs just doesnt feel long enough to iron out the verse and plot of a movie that is garnered as a reboot. If its a reboot, i dont feel like you should use the old films as a crutch. It didnt do it terribly much, but still
I watched it today and it wasn’t horrible. Wasn’t good either.broom and hellboy were the worst part of this movie.horible casting desision. The one thing I really enjoyed were all the monsters. I thought they were creepy looking,especially the old lady who wanted hellboys eye.in the end I was glad I saw it,it kept my interest for a few hours but I don’t think I could sit through it again.
Quantum Stan
Active Member
I'll wait for Streaming based on these reviews...
Saw it, wasn't great.
Hellboy was great, attitude and demeanor was pretty spot on. The makeup on his face were pretty bad, you could tell in every other scene it was prosthetics, didn't sync up well to his talking. aside from that, they captured his attitude perfect from the comics, even his drinking.
Terrible CGI, like Scorpion King levels bad, acting from a lot of the leads were terrible, with lines delivered like first actors. This movie could have been epic, but a lot of poor creative decisions were made with casting, production and confusing tone of the film.
The epic monsters were barely used for all of 3 minutes lol. Shame shame shame. Watch the Golden Army immediately after this film and I could just tell the difference in passion and execution in the later.
Hellboy was great, attitude and demeanor was pretty spot on. The makeup on his face were pretty bad, you could tell in every other scene it was prosthetics, didn't sync up well to his talking. aside from that, they captured his attitude perfect from the comics, even his drinking.
Terrible CGI, like Scorpion King levels bad, acting from a lot of the leads were terrible, with lines delivered like first actors. This movie could have been epic, but a lot of poor creative decisions were made with casting, production and confusing tone of the film.
The epic monsters were barely used for all of 3 minutes lol. Shame shame shame. Watch the Golden Army immediately after this film and I could just tell the difference in passion and execution in the later.
so the 2 main character's were the worst of a movie about them, that's enough for me. 
Okay, looks like i will pass on watching it in a movie theater. I did fear that Broom would come across as not a likeavle character and it seems like that fear was justified.
Noeland
Master Member
The film was lucky to be released, is my understanding. The fact that it was at all comprehendable as a narrative is a small miracle. There was very serious behind the scenes issues between the director and producers, and the director did not have final cut, and from what I've heard didn't even see the final CGI renders of Ian McShane's . . . well, I'm not sure what to call that but if you saw it you know what I mean. It was beyond terrible CGI. The producers were responsible for that nonsense, and they cut the film together for release and included all those crappy songs as well.
Kind of broke my heart after reading about the troubles on set. I was rooting for this film.
I had purchased the score about a week before seeing the film. I really like the score. It's barely in the movie. I recognized only 2 or 3 pieces of music in between the songs, which pretty much destroyed any chance of atmosphere. Music can make or break a film for me. If it's done wrong, and it was done wrong in Hellboy, it can just ruin everything else.
I would have to say I enjoyed Lobster Johnson the most, though his big action scene was not well edited and felt really choppy and off. I never thought I'd ever see Lobster Johnson on film, so that was a cheap thrill for me, as he's one of my favorite comic book characters. Even if his glove was just a light up cosplay prop and they didn't bother to do any FX on it.
I liked Harbour as Hellboy. Apparently he had issues as well, to the point of storming off set and getting into screaming matches with previously mentioned producers.
I liked seeing stories from the comics pulled used for the film, although they crammed in a little more than what was needed. Especially since a few of the scenes never paid off.
Broom was not Broom. He was an entirely different character they called Broom.
All in all I would say I liked the movie, but it's lack of artistry, it's lack of compelling or interesting visuals, and all those damn songs crammed into the score were tough for me. I won't see it again. I'm not a huge fan of Neil Marshall anyway, but I still would rather that he had final cut, and was able to work with the Director of Photography he wanted to work with, etc.
Kind of broke my heart after reading about the troubles on set. I was rooting for this film.
I had purchased the score about a week before seeing the film. I really like the score. It's barely in the movie. I recognized only 2 or 3 pieces of music in between the songs, which pretty much destroyed any chance of atmosphere. Music can make or break a film for me. If it's done wrong, and it was done wrong in Hellboy, it can just ruin everything else.
I would have to say I enjoyed Lobster Johnson the most, though his big action scene was not well edited and felt really choppy and off. I never thought I'd ever see Lobster Johnson on film, so that was a cheap thrill for me, as he's one of my favorite comic book characters. Even if his glove was just a light up cosplay prop and they didn't bother to do any FX on it.
I liked Harbour as Hellboy. Apparently he had issues as well, to the point of storming off set and getting into screaming matches with previously mentioned producers.
I liked seeing stories from the comics pulled used for the film, although they crammed in a little more than what was needed. Especially since a few of the scenes never paid off.
Broom was not Broom. He was an entirely different character they called Broom.
All in all I would say I liked the movie, but it's lack of artistry, it's lack of compelling or interesting visuals, and all those damn songs crammed into the score were tough for me. I won't see it again. I'm not a huge fan of Neil Marshall anyway, but I still would rather that he had final cut, and was able to work with the Director of Photography he wanted to work with, etc.
Similar threads
