It would have been so easy to play Hellboy as caricature, but [Ron] Perlman provides the character heart, soul, and the richness of life.
Comment
04/07/04
Hellboy (2004)
81
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:190
Fresh:153
Rotten:37
Average Rating:6.8/10
Consensus: Hellboy is pretty derivative, but there's enough wit and humor here to keep it entertaining.
Runtime: 2 hrs 12 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Synopsis: Based on the comic book series by Mike Mignola, Guillermo del Toro's gleefully eccentric film follows the supernatural adventures of Hellboy (Ron Perlman), a cigar-chomping, horn-filing demonic... [More]
Starring: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Rupert Evans, John Hurt
Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Reviews for Hellboy
This movie isn't original enough, exciting enough, or humorous enough to sustain interest, let alone spawn the expected sequel or two.
04/07/04
...wickedly funny and action packed...
04/07/04
OK, the CGI stuff is getting better. But it still looks like CGI stuff.
04/06/04
To his credit, del Toro does not flinch from the ridiculous. But he is equally sensitive to Hellboy's pulp poetry.
04/06/04
[Del Toro] captures some of the visual color, tone, and, yes, beauty of the comic book, but he sometimes makes you feel like you are reading it over someone else's shoulder and that person takes too long to finish a page.
04/06/04
As good a comic book flick as I've seen in years.
04/06/04
What you’d get after playing video games like Doom 3-D for twenty hours solid before declaring 'well, why the *%&! shouldn’t there be a movie like this?'
04/06/04
The ingredients may be ordinary, but the presentation -- the tone, the flavor, the texture -- is sublime.
04/05/04
...un heureux mélange de bande dessinée inventive et de monstres 'lovecraftiens'...
04/05/04
Combining CG with matte paintings, models and animatronics, writer/director Guillermo del Toro fosters the fun and ingenuity that fuel this often-confusing horror fantasy.
04/05/04
Energetic and entertaining, Hellboy falters in its second half, but manages to engross, thanks mostly to a sharply humourous script and terrific performances.
04/05/04
Succeeds as a supernatural special-effects free-for-all, a no-holds-barred monster throwdown and even a love story.
04/05/04
Writer/director Guillermo del Toro puts too much effort on image and not enough on background.
04/05/04
Thanks to the singular vision of director Guillermo del Toro and Mike Mignola’s gloriously dark source material, Hellboy is a wicked trip into the fantastic.
04/05/04
Perlman, a fine actor, breathes life into Hellboy, despite all the layers of makeup he wears in the film.
04/04/04
Deadpan humor combines with inventive action and real character development
04/04/04
[Hellboy's] actions are believable, his issues are sympathetic, and his humor is genuinely funny.
04/04/04
I never thought I'd root for a character with rice cakes on his forehead and I'm certainly not going to start now.
04/04/04
The world created in Hellboy seems to reveal something clever at every turn...I hope that there's a sequel.
04/04/04
Latest News for Hellboy
April 22, 2009:
Ron Perlman Talks Hellboy III, Bubba Nosferatu 
We know Guillermo del Toro is wrapped up in "The Hobbit" for the next few years, but could a third "Hellboy" come together without his direct participation? Not if Ron Perlman... More...
April 21, 2009:
Five Favorite Films with Ron Perlman
While he's become best known for portraying a red, horned antihero in Guillermo del Toro's popular comic book adaptations Hellboy and Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Ron Perlman... More...
November 14, 2008:
Five Favorite Films with Guillermo del Toro
RT caught up with Hellboy II director Guillermo del Toro at the DVD/Blu-ray Launch Event for Hellboy II: The Golden Army, where the celebrated fantasy auteur shared his favorite... More...
November 12, 2008:
Five Favorite Films with Hellboy's Mike Mignola
RT speaks with Hellboy comics creator Mike Mignola to learn his Five Favorite Films of all time, which appropriately span the cinematic landscape where art meets horror. More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds