Just over two decades ago , the firstHellboymovie remove theatre from directorGuillermo del Toro , and it was clearly a rage project for him . Hellboylooks just as respectable in 2024 as it did in 2004 , despite its comparatively modest $ 60 million budget . But that film , its 2008 sequel , Hellboy II : The Golden Army , and the 2019Hellboyreboot all look like chef-d’oeuvre compared to the recently releasedHellboy : The Crooked Man .
Before we get into why the new movie is so awful , I want to say that I ’m a big buff of the Hellboy character . I ’ve been understand Mike Mignola ’s Hellboy funnies since their launching in 1994 , and I ’ve see every movie , include the Hellboy animated films that were lineal - to - picture . And I can say without reservation thatHellboy : The Crooked Manfails on every level to capture the appeal of the title character . If you ever see this movie , it wo n’t be a mystery as to why it skip theatre of operations . A wide passing would have only overstate its failure .
But in the event that this Video on need button does go to a streaming service in the future , I find like it ’s my duty to warn other Hellboy fans aside from it . I watchedHellboy : The Crooked Manso you did n’t have to … and that ’s 99 minutes of my life that I ’ll never get back . But everyone who has ever bonk a Hellboy story should jazz why this adaptation deserves to be bury indefinitely .
It looks worse than YouTube fan films
How much does $ 20 million steal in 2024 ? Because the first matter you ’ll notice aboutThe Crooked Manis how brassy it looks . It ’s one thing to make a movie with one - third the budget of the originalHellboy , but there have been telly pilot episodes that had low budget than this film and still had higher production values and more cinematic flare . Where did all of the money in this movie go ? It sure as shooting was n’t the unconvincing makeup for Jack Kesy ’s Hellboy , the boring Belgium countryside that remain firm in for the Appalachian pile , or some truly inexpert CGI and peculiar effects .
Director Brian Taylor has solve on some dire comic book adaptations before , includingJonah Hexas a writer and as the co - music director ofGhost Rider : Spirit of Vengeance . Both of those films were unspoiled than this one , which features shockingly big editing , quotidian camera shot , and a musical score that only calls care to itself when it maintain restate the same savorless note over and over again . I ’ve seen YouTube fan films that have looked serious than this film that were made for a fraction of the price .
The story fails to entertain
Typically , a bad funny book picture ca n’t be blamed on the men and women who create the character . But in this case , Hellboy Divine Mike Mignola co - write the script with his frequent henchman , Christopher Golden , as well as film director Brian Taylor . That ’s why it ’s so surprising that this movie is ostensibly incapable of even capturing Hellboy ’s personality .
The Crooked Manis based on one of Mignola ’s fib from the Hellboy comics , but its tempo is an absolute slog to get through . Shortcuts to get the story moving in the comics are far less convincing in live - action , especially since Hellboy and Bobbie Jo Song are fundamentally along for the drive after getting cast from a caravan without any serious injury . The script also does a inadequate job of position up the stakes for the main characters , even though one of the core terzetto has his soul on the line .
Ron Perlman is missed
secure casting can elevate almost any film . Unfortunately , you wo n’t incur any good casting in this movie . Almost anyone would have had a hard time follow Ron Perlman ’s Hellboy from the first two moving-picture show and the animated features . He just embodies the character in a fashion that has n’t been tally since . David Harbour ( Stranger Thingsseason 5 ) looked the part in 2019 ’s Hellboy reboot , but he had more of a whiny take on the main character that did n’t vibrate as well .
Jack Kesy has no memorable qualities whatsoever as Hellboy . It does n’t help oneself that the makeup used on Kesy is far less impressive than his two predecessor . Yet he ’s meant to carry this film , and Kesy just ca n’t do it . His take on Hellboy is muffled and does n’t capture his working - class - hero vibe or the otherworldly prospect of the fictional character .
The cast comes up well short of the mark
The kind thing that can be said about Kesy is that at least his Hellboy is not as ill miscast as the film ’s secondary lead , Tom Ferrell . As played by Jefferson White , Tom is supposed to be a former resident of the Appalachian sight who is haunt by a nigh deal with this film ’s devil , the Crooked Man ( Martin Bassindal ) . However , White never seems to be able to capture the right emotional tone for his character , and he seems largely disinterested during his initial scenes in the movie .
Adeline Rudolph ’s Bobbie Jo Song is a lineament who was created for this film as Hellboy ’s partner in the B.P.R.D. ( Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense ) , but her inclusion is spoil for a few reasons . First , it was extremely difficult to buy that this Japanese - American char was in that view scarce 15 years after World War II . The moving-picture show only thinly bear on on racialism when Bobbie Jo meets a local family in the Alfred Hawthorne , and then it never come up again .
But the most egregious aspect of Bobbie Joe ’s character is the entailment that Hellboy is secretly in love with her . There ’s absolutely no chemistry between Kesy and Rudolph to underpin that turn . And while Rudolph ’s carrying out is n’t as lifeless as her two male co - stars , she ’s not great in the movie either .
Even the film’s unintentional comedy isn’t that funny
A risky movie can still be fun to watch , especially if you ’re mocking it with friends . Unfortunately , Hellboy : The Crooked Manis one of those risky picture that ’s survive to be backbreaking to get much humor from . There ’s a lot of shoddy special effect and inexplicably foggy gibe that might animate some gag . Tom Ferrell ’s frequent use of his charming ivory may also animate some laughter .
Yet for the most part , this picture ’s joyless tone kills any gumption of humor or merriment that it might have had . It ’s such a chore to check that even theMystery Science Theater 3000or RiffTrax authorship team would be severely - press to make it entertaining .
IfHellboy : The Crooked Manis the best Hellboy movie that can be made in 2024 , then this franchise necessitate a foresightful rest . That ’s a better melodic theme than go a capital concept and a fantastic independent character into the ground with substandard execution .
Hellboy : The Crooked Manis now available on VOD viaAmazon Prime Videoand other digital outlets . But there are much better things that you’re able to spend your money on .
