245. Hellboy; movie review

HELLBOY
Cert 15
118 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong bloody gore, violence, language

Just how many remakes or sequels can there be during one year of cinema releases?
I have to confess that Hellboy was new to me because I hadn't been attracted by his original incarnation.
That was in the days before I attempted to watch every release in the UK so I waited until now before literally confronting my demon.
What I found was a very different type of hero - a muscle-bound beetroot with an arm and hand the size of 50 mallets and the spikiest of attitudes.
Hellboy is a gore fest which is littered with unnecessary profanities. If it is intended that the raw language adds humour, it doesn't.
Indeed, it looks rather weird to see a giant talking hog (Stephen Graham) spouting the f-word repeatedly in a Liverpudlian accent.
Meanwhile, Hellboy himself (David Harbour) could also do with his mouth being washed out with soap and water.
Neil Marshall's film focuses on an ancient sorceress (Milla Jovovich) who whose body parts were buried at different locations after being chopped up by King Arthur.
Moving forward several hundred years and the giant pig is putting her back together again while bloodily bumping off anyone in his way.
Meanwhile, Hellboy is finding out about his past as it emerges that there are fears that he will feel compelled to join forces with the sorceress and bring about the end of the world.
Lost yet? I must admit I was.
The mix of Arthurian legend, a present threat to mankind, bloodthirsty monsters and a bright red potty-mouthed anti-hero whose horns have been amputated, was all rather difficult to take in.
Even when there was a moment of pathos surrounding Hellboy's adoptive father (Ian McShane), I was bemused.
And it looks as though I will never get the chance to work out what was going on because this Hellboy lost $10m - pretty much assuring that it is one remake which will not be remade.
Thank goodness for that.

Reasons to watch: Hellboy is certainly unique
Reasons to avoid: The gory death scenes and the indiscriminate bad language

Laugh: None
Jumps: None 
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 6/10

Did you know? DC Comics turned down Mike Mignola who pitched them Hellboy because they found the hell element uncomfortable.

The final word. Mike Mignola: "This new one certainly does follow the comics more closely—mostly the Wild Hunt storyline, with a lot of other bits sprinkled in. It’s actually very surreal to see characters and situations that are so close to the actual comic page. Comics Beat

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