Hellboy

Name: Hellboy
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror
Released: April 2, 2004
Duration: 122 min
Rating: 72
Cast: Doug Jones, Ron Perlman, Selma Blair

2004

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 37 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 739 Ratings

See All

7.6

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

7.6	Your Score
7.6	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 739 Ratings

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Play Sound

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

Hellboy

Now Playing: Hellboy

Movie Details & Credits

Columbia Pictures | Release Date: April 2, 2004 | PG-13

Starring: Doug Jones, Ron Perlman, Selma Blair

Summary: A supernatural action-adventure based on Mike Mignola's acclaimed Dark Horse Comic series of the same name. [Sony]

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 122 min

See All Details and Credits

Watch Now

Stream On

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Richard Harrington

Del Toro moves his story along with unrelenting energy and wit while introducing the opposing parties with admirable efficiency. Read full review

David Edelstein

Guillermo del Toro is in a class with Peter Jackson as a fan-boy who gets it--a brilliant filmmaker who has a kind of metabolic connection to horror and sci-fi that helps him transform secondhand genre material into something deep and nourishing. Del Toro reaches into himself and finds the Wagnerian grandeur in schlock. Read full review

John Patterson

One of the sturdier superhero movies of the last couple of years, with monsters and effects and diabolical baddies to spare, a heart as big as a house and a love story that actually gets its hooks in you. Read full review

Rene Rodriguez

There are other filmmakers who might have been drawn to a comic book as enchantingly ridiculous as Hellboy. But there are none who would have turned in a sleek $60 million picture as daringly silly, playful and imaginative as this one. Read full review

Joe Leydon

Has more than enough across-the-board appeal to attract mainstream auds unfamiliar with source material. Read full review

Marc Savlov

While the film ably thrusts longtime fans of Mignola’s highly stylized artwork and newcomers alike into the world of that ol' debbil Hellboy, the film suffers from both scattershot character development and a serious case of H.P. Lovecraft overdose. Read full review

Dallas Observer Robert Wilonsky

Hellboy is as much a wreck as "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" or "The Punisher," coming and going in two weeks, and as much a bore as "The Hulk." Read full review

SEE ALL 37 REVIEWS

Write a Review

User Reviews

juliankennedy23

Aug 20, 2014

Hellboy: 10 out of 10: Hellboy is one of the three best comic book adaptations of the last ten years. Now considering the recent spate of mediocre comic book adaptations this is a bit like winning a beauty contest at a fat farm. Hellboy is simply head and shoulders above those.

It is onHellboy: 10 out of 10: Hellboy is one of the three best comic book adaptations of the last ten years. Now considering the recent spate of mediocre comic book adaptations this is a bit like winning a beauty contest at a fat farm. Hellboy is simply head and shoulders above those.

It is on par with the recent Spiderman movies (Hellboy sports a better hero and better CGI effects while Spiderman takes the nod in the love interest and villains categories) better than the X-men films and simply puts other comic book adaptations to shame (League of Extraordinary Gentleman should be particularly embarrassed)

Hellboy starts with a rip-off of one of the last scenes in Raiders of the Lost Ark and introduces such horrible clichéd villains as Nazi babe and Rasputin. Yet the scene works. Director Guillermo del Toro nails a comic book style to the direction that keeps the action and humor going during the most implausible circumstances. Another kudos is in order for the special effects, both make-up (which is spot on) and CGI. Now I seem to hate most CGI effects.

Many a big-budget Hollywood film has come out recently with horrible special effects that stick out despite 50 million plus budgets. Hellboy's effects are simply seamless where one forgets that entire characters and locations are digitally generated. The acting is also seamless with lead Ron Perlman giving a scene stealing cigar chomping performance that rivals Daniel Day Lewis's turn in Gangs of New York and Jeffrey Tambor turning a stock cliché (obstructionist bureaucrat who wants to shut everything down) into a humanistic sympathetic character. (This is also an example of very smart writing that makes even the clichéd characters into three-dimensional figures.)

While all is not perfect (In addition to Nazi Chick and Rasputin we also have a Clock/Sand Nazi and a Space Cthulhu as an improbable villains) Hellboy is better than an action movie should be, much better than a comic book adaptation ought to be, and immeasurable better than a movie called Hellboy deserves to be.… Expand

9 of 11 users found this helpful92

alejandro970

Mar 18, 2018

The early experience of Guillermo del Toro into the superhero universe mixes wisely, resourseful, the character created by Mike Mignola and the mytology of H. P. Lovecraft; all that includes witty doses of humor and action.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

eva3si0n

May 1, 2023

Hellboy is a great superhero movie from Guillermo del Torro. For the beginning of the 2000s, given that the Marvel film universe has not yet appeared very well. And the plot for the superhero film is not bad, and the cast is normal. Ron Pelmar got used to the role of Halboy. The only thingHellboy is a great superhero movie from Guillermo del Torro. For the beginning of the 2000s, given that the Marvel film universe has not yet appeared very well. And the plot for the superhero film is not bad, and the cast is normal. Ron Pelmar got used to the role of Halboy. The only thing that disappoints these special effects. They look faded even at the beginning of the 2000s. In the film, an abundance of "cranberries," looks so bad, which is good. The classic ending for superhero movies is no surprise. In general, Hellboy can be recommended for viewing, a vivid example of the fact that there were good films of this genre before the Marvel film universe.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

homer4president

Mar 28, 2015

Hellboy is an amazing thrill ride. Not only was it great to pick Ron Perlman, it was great to make this movie. The plot was fun, the effects and music were great, and the fish guy was awesome. My only tiff is sometimes the effects were cheesy. But if you can deal with that youll love this movie.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

amheretojudge

Jun 20, 2019

Almost as if it is Del Toro's origin tale, genuinely moving and freakishly stylish.

Hellboy Del Toro is having a fanboy moment. For two straight hours. The writer and director, Guillermo Del Toro makes sure he passes on his love with a hope that someone will be moved equally by these richAlmost as if it is Del Toro's origin tale, genuinely moving and freakishly stylish.

Hellboy

Del Toro is having a fanboy moment. For two straight hours. The writer and director, Guillermo Del Toro makes sure he passes on his love with a hope that someone will be moved equally by these rich characters just as he did. What is it when someone else tries to make an origin story of an infamous action figure or a comic book hero, it collapses. But when Del Toro does it. It is simply spectacular. It is probably the arrangement of the figure that he puts in front of us. His passion is irreplaceable. And with the mythological knowledge that he has, he might as well be crafting a sin in front of you and you wouldn't know the difference.

His film, looking at the formulaic structure of it, has a tendency to be a B grade average action film any day. But with command over the editing, visual, production, sound and his own department, he changes the course of the feature. It is incredibly difficult to say something about a film that is so textbook originated. The authenticity is its identity, there is very little room to devour ideas as a viewer. He doesn't let go off that nature versus nurture theme. If he could get a word in every scene of the film, he makes sure he gets the voice heard.

He is quite persistent like that. Isn't afraid of repetition, if anything, he carves it out as an emotional response, claims it as a part of being a human. The film isn't a feat of great performance. Don't get me wrong, the cast has done an excellent work. But the film is of such a stature that it can only be seen with all the ingredients, in its entirety, in its true sense, it is a collaboration of number of artists working on Hellboy, he who is the key to unlock Del Toro's tantrum on those comic books.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Tss5078

Feb 2, 2015

Much like the Punisher, Hellboy was created for the older comic book fans. The character was designed to be an anti-hero, less refined than Batman or Superman, someone who would hate being labeled a superhero. While the comics weren't as popular as others, the film gave life to the franchiseMuch like the Punisher, Hellboy was created for the older comic book fans. The character was designed to be an anti-hero, less refined than Batman or Superman, someone who would hate being labeled a superhero. While the comics weren't as popular as others, the film gave life to the franchise and created a cult following. The story is meant to introduce us to the character of Hellboy, a cat loving, cigar smoking, red guy, with a bad attitude, who secretly works for the government protecting The United States from paranormal threats. Everyone knows by now that I hate superheroes, so the idea of the anti-hero really appealed to me. I could have easily become one of the cult followers and fallen for Hellboy, the way all the comic-con kids did, if it wasn't for the uncertain direction of the film. Guillermo Del Toro struggled back and fourth with whether or not this film should be geared for kids or adults, and went the PG-13 route. It worked in terms of getting a larger audience, but it also took away from the original intent of the character. Throughout the film we keep hearing about how tough and dangerous Hellboy is, but he's really wasn't that much of a bad ass. If Hellboy is so unlike any hero, why is he working for government instead of breaking the law, and why is it that he doesn't utter a single curse word? The character was far too toned down for my liking, but the flip-side to that was how nasty and creepy some of the bad guys were. Broom is one of the best comic villains I've ever seen and given his Nazi background, he most certainly was not intended for kids. Overall, I enjoyed parts of the film, I loved Ron Perlman, and as with any film by Guillermo Del Toro, the special effects were amazing. However, the lack of direction makes the film somewhat unfulfilling and anti-climatic. Hopefully that will all change when I get up to Hellboy II.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

IamMensa

May 28, 2012

I tagged along with two friends who wanted to see this. I apologized for laughing. Then they too started laughing. Then we walked out. The ticket guy asked how the movie was and i farted.

0 of 17 users found this helpful017

SEE ALL 58 REVIEWS

94	#94 Best Movie of 2004
32	#32 Most Discussed Movie of 2004
24	#24 Most Shared Movie of 2004