Hellboy is a superhero that I can't say I'm overly attached to, but I am still very fond of the 2004 film, as I think it was a great blend of practical effects, fun fantasy action and a very charismatic performance from Ron Perlman. I went with some friends to see the film, several of them being fans of the older films. With a third no longer happening, this reboot seemed like it would capture a similar feeling. The trailers did a good job of getting me hyped. Usually, I'm skeptical. However, I went in with fairly high expectations and found myself a bit disappointed. This is partially due to a stronger attachment than I realized to the style and performances of the previous films, but with some pretty glaring issues I was not expecting.
David Harbour of Stranger Things fame certainly fits well into the new, slightly more realistic looking make-up, and he certainly adds some energy into the performance. I believe this more bumbling interpretation is closer to the comics, but I found he often lacked the presence of Perlman. At first, I was unsure if this was a reboot or sequel, as the pace of the film immediately dumps a massive amount of exposition regarding Arthurian lore and the sealing away of an evil sorceress (Milla Jovovich). Hellboy, after being forced to kill a vampire bitten friend, is sent to England to stop giants and becomes involved in the struggle to prevent her return.
There are some pretty big issues with the movie, but most of them probably could have been fixed with one word. Pacing. It's been a long time since I felt almost entirely overwhelmed by the constant action and scene changes. The experience wasn't seamless though, as you still feel the two hour run time. In a similar way to Aquaman, we observed that this movie had too much plot going on, with so little time to actually developing it. This creates the feeling that there is much less plot than there is and you sort of become numb to the action. The introduction of other characters to support Hellboy could have been handled better, as the backstories of the antagonistic British agent and a young psychic are both clumsily handled.
The effects work and the soundtrack are also a bit uneven, as the blaring heavy metal music and the very over the top gore (which is pretty well done) left me questioning what I was supposed to take seriously or when. There were some jokes that got me to chuckle, but they didn't give them much time to land before the next action sequence.
I can't say it was all negative though, as the most frustrating part for me was that there were obvious pieces of a much better movie. Some of the creature design was pretty inspired, the costuming in particular for Hellboy himself stood out the most. If the action had been spaced out with more time to just breathe and let the characters interact more, the experience would have been much stronger. My favorite scene was when Hellboy encounters the villainous Baba Yaga, who is perfectly disgusting in an unsettling way in common with the other creatures he faces. He makes a deal with her in exchange for information, being in much more control but still resolving it in a slightly silly fashion. Had the whole movie been like that scene, it would have been closer to the Hellboy I wanted.
As I was planning to write this, I saw that the trailer for the next Star Wars film has been released. I actually don't care much about obviously jumping on the bandwagon of every other person who will jump to conclusions based on a single trailer. Then again, I'm doing it anyway since I have the time. Actually, more than trailer itself, it was a comment by one of my online friends that accompanied the post that made me want to write about it. She stated she isn't really that excited for Star Wars anymore but she was glad for new additions. At least among many of my friends, we're somewhat disillusioned with the franchise for several reasons.
I think it's the lack of unity of vision that makes it the most frustrating these days. The films are no longer the vision of one man collaborating with others, but seem much more tied to what the studios want to drive profits up. Perhaps that's just how it feels these days and it was always that way. I'm not sure, although the transparency between fans and creators has its downsides. One director wanted to be bold and change things. It was risky and it offended some people. Instead of rolling with that, we've heard rumors of backtracking. It is difficult with any beloved franchise and Star Wars may be the best example. People are invested in these characters and change is very hard to pull off without seeming disrespectful.
Much like that post, I don't have much enthusiasm for the films either. This is a combination of the obvious over saturation and just a change in taste over time. My love for this universe is far from dead though, as I've really been enjoying Rebels lately.
I do hope this new trailer can resolve some established plot points. Otherwise, why have them? I also don't want it to cater too much. Some creators, like recently with J.K. Rowling, tend to overcorrect when it is unnecessary. Also though, fans need to keep an open mind. There will be light sabers. There will be battles in space (Star Wars?). Lando is back. Nice. Palpatine is back? Maybe. I liked Snoke but I kind of wanted him to be his own thing. I guess that's the question I'm hoping gets answered. I like my maniacal villains and Palapatine/Snoke (same guy?) both fit that mold.
Oh and I am excited for the final season of Game of Thrones. We'll also probably be watching the Fruits Basket remake. There may be some videos, podcasts or blog post on these topics in coming weeks. I might even talk about that movie with Thanos. I think that's a big deal. Right?
Thanks for reading everyone. Stay magical.
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