Hellboy

Based on the comic by Mike Mignola, Hellboy follows David Harbour’s title character, an affable half-demon, as he sets out to stop an ancient sorceress (Milla Jovovich’s Blood Queen) from obliterating all life on Earth. Filmmaker Neil Marshall delivers a strong opening stretch that’s perpetuated by several solid action sequences and a series of personable performances, with, in terms of the latter, Harbour’s consistently (and impressively) engaging turn as the makeup-laden protagonist standing as an ongoing highlight within the proceedings (ie his work here is ultimately far more effective and ingratiating than the movie itself). It’s disappointing to discover, then, that Hellboy eventually progresses into a muddled, laborious midsection rife with underwhelming sequences (eg Hellboy visits a demon named Baba Yaga), and the picture, as a result, suffers from an increasingly palpable absence of momentum that grows more and more problematic as time slowly progresses. The predictably action-packed third act, which is heavy with over-the-top, special-effects-laden set-pieces, ultimately falls completely flat and ensures the whole thing ends on a seriously anticlimactic note, which is a shame, certainly, given the massive potential afforded by Harbour’s charming work as Mignola’s nigh iconic creation.

*1/2 out of ****