Hellboy

Hellboy II: The Golden Army [Blu-ray]

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (3 Disc Special Edition)

Hellboy (Director's Cut) [Blu-ray]

Columbia Pictures Hellboy (Blu-ray)
From visionary writer/director Guillermo del Toro (director of "Blade II," "The Devil's Backbone") comes "Hellboy," a supernatural action adventure based on Mike Mignola's popular Dark Horse Comics series of the same name. Born in the flames of hell and brought to Earth as an infant to perpetrate evil, "Hellboy" (Ron Perlman) was rescued from sinister forces by the benevolentDr. Broom (John Hurt), who raised him to be a hero. In Dr. Broom's secret Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, Hellboy creates an unlikely family consisting of the telepathic "Mer-Man" Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) and Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), thewoman he loves who can control fire. Hidden from the very society that they protect, they stand as the key line of defense against an evil madman whoseeks to reclaim "Hellboy" to the dark side and use his powers to destroy mankind.

In the ongoing deluge of comic-book adaptations, Hellboy ranks well above average. Having turned down an offer to helm Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in favor of bringing Hellboy's origin story to the big screen, the gifted Mexican director Guillermo del Toro compensates for the excesses of Blade II with a moodily effective, consistently entertaining action-packed fantasy, beginning in 1944 when the mad monk Rasputin--in cahoots with occult-buff Hitler and his Nazi thugs--opens a transdimensional portal through which a baby demon emerges, capable of destroying the world with his powers. Instead, the aptly named Hellboy is raised by the benevolent Prof. Bloom, founder of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, whose allied forces enlist the adult Hellboy (Ron Perlman, perfectly cast) to battle evil at every turn. While nursing a melancholy love for the comely firestarter Liz (Selma Blair), Hellboy files his demonic horns ("to fit in," says Bloom) and wreaks havoc on the bad guys. The action is occasionally routine (the movie suffers when compared to the similar X-Men blockbusters), but del Toro and Perlman have honored Mike Mignola's original Dark Horse comics with a lavish and loyal interpretation, retaining the amusing and sympathetic quirks of character that made the comic-book Hellboy a pop-culture original. He's red as a lobster, puffs stogies like Groucho Marx, and fights the good fight with a kind but troubled heart. What's not to like? --Jeff Shannon

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Widescreen)

Hellboy II: The Golden Army Collector's Set [Blu-ray]

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Full Screen)

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Collector's Set)

Hellboy - Blood and Iron (Animated)

When Hellboy Liz Sherman and Abe Sapien are assigned to investigate the ghost-infested mansion of a publicity-hound billionaire they uncover a plot to resurrect a beautiful yet monstrous vampire from Professor Bruttenholm s past. But before they can stop her bloodbath Hellboy will have to battle harpies hellhounds a giant werewolf and even the ferocious goddess Hecate herself.How much crap does a guy have to take from a Hungarian Blood Countess before he and his surrogate father can avenge the souls of the damned? It s going to take more than just a horde of very pissed-off demons for our heroes to see the light in this animated adventure from Creative Producers GuillermoDel Toro (writer/director of the HELLBOY movie) and Mike Mignola (creator of HELLBOY comics) now loaded with all-new Bonus Features.Bonus Features:Widescreen Presentation (1.78:1) Enhanced for 16x9 TVsReversal of Fortune: Professor Broom's StoryTales From the Tomb: A Look Inside Blood & IronIron Shoes: The Animated Debut with Introduction by Mike MignolaThe Penanggalan: An E-Comic Exclusive with introduction by Mike MignolaAudio Commentary featuring Mike Mignola Tad Stones and Vic CookRuntime: 75 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ANIMATION/ADULT SWIM Rating: NR UPC: 013138207784 Manufacturer No: P2077

In some ways, Blood and Iron captures more of graphic novelist Mike Mignola's original vision than Guillermo del Toro's lackluster feature did in 2004. Hellboy, the demon brought into this world by the Nazis, but raised by "Professor Broom" to fight for good, was conceived as a drawing, not an actor buried under make-up and latex. The story, which incorporates elements from Mignola's "Wake the Devil" collection, sends Hellboy, Abe Sapien, Liz Sherman, and Prof. Broom to the haunted mansion of a vulgar millionaire. Hoping to cash in on the supernatural angle, he's filled the house with relics of "Blood Countess" Erzsebet Ondrusko (based on the 16th century Hungarian noblewoman Elizebeth Bathory), whom Prof. Broom defeated in 1939. It's really haunted, and the gang tackles harpies, ghosts, witches, werewolves, vampires, and the goddess Hecate. The key actors from the live action film repeat their roles as voices: Ron Perlman (Hellboy), Selma Blair (Liz), Doug Jones (Abe), and John Hurt (Broom). Perlman makes a suitably underplayed Hellboy, growling his annoyance at everything from a bad donut to a vicious blow from the iron-clad goddess. The limits of the animation would be less problematic if the direction were more dynamic. Tad Stones and Victor Cook don't get the needed power out of the action sequences, especially the prolonged battle between Hellboy and Hecate. It would be interesting to see what a talented director like Kazuhiro Furuhashi (Ruruoni Kenshin) or Hiroyuki Okiura (Jin-Roh) would do with this material. Blood and Iron will appeal to some "Hellboy" fans, but it lacks the dark panache of the original books. (Unrated, suitable for ages 14 and older: violence, grotesque imagery, potentially offensive religious imagery) --Charles Solomon

Hellboy: Sword of Storms (Animated)

When a professor of folklore opens an ancient scroll and becomes possessed by powerful spirits the authorities call on Hellboy for help. But Hellboy has battles of his own when he picks up a samurai sword that transports him to a netherworld of ghosts and monsters. Intrigue and action abound in this Hellboy animated feature entitled SWORD OF STORMS.System Requirements:Running Time: 77 MinutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ANIMATION/ADULT SWIM Rating: NR UPC: 013138207685 Manufacturer No: P2076

Hellboy (Director's Cut)

From visionary writer/director Guillermo del Toro (director of Blade II The Devil's Backbone) comes Hellboy a supernatural action adventure based on Mike Mignola's popular Dark Horse Comics series of the same name. Born in the flames of hell and brought to Earth as an infant to perpetrate evil Hellboy (Ron Perlman) was rescued from sinister forces by the benevolent Dr. Broom (John Hurt) who raised him to be a hero. In Dr. Broom's secret Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense Hellboy creates an unlikely family consisting of the telepathic "Mer-Man" Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) and Liz Sherman (Selma Blair) the woman he loves who can control fire. Hidden from the very society that they protect they stand as the key line of defense against an evil madman who seeks to reclaim Hellboy to the dark side and use his powers to destroy mankind.System Requirements:Running Time: 132 Min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: UNRATED UPC: 043396074095 Manufacturer No: 07409

In the ongoing deluge of comic-book adaptations, Hellboy ranks well above average. Having turned down an offer to helm Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in favor of bringing Hellboy's origin story to the big screen, the gifted Mexican director Guillermo del Toro compensates for the excesses of Blade II with a moodily effective, consistently entertaining action-packed fantasy, beginning in 1944 when the mad monk Rasputin--in cahoots with occult-buff Hitler and his Nazi thugs--opens a transdimensional portal through which a baby demon emerges, capable of destroying the world with his powers. Instead, the aptly named Hellboy is raised by the benevolent Prof. Bloom, founder of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, whose allied forces enlist the adult Hellboy (Ron Perlman, perfectly cast) to battle evil at every turn. While nursing a melancholy love for the comely firestarter Liz (Selma Blair), Hellboy files his demonic horns ("to fit in," says Bloom) and wreaks havoc on the bad guys. The action is occasionally routine (the movie suffers when compared to the similar X-Men blockbusters), but del Toro and Perlman have honored Mike Mignola's original Dark Horse comics with a lavish and loyal interpretation, retaining the amusing and sympathetic quirks of character that made the comic-book Hellboy a pop-culture original. He's red as a lobster, puffs stogies like Groucho Marx, and fights the good fight with a kind but troubled heart. What's not to like? --Jeff Shannon