In Milton’s PARADISE LOST, the devil says it’s “better to reign in hell, then serve in heaven.” Will or won’t Hellboy usher in the apocalypse, is the question that the series asks. However, with a poor box office, and a creative setback for the franchise, the devil may not have a choice where to reside.
I am a huge fan of the HELLBOY story world. The mythology, Lovecraftian horror, occult, and dark fantasy. Guillermo del Toro’s first two HELLBOY’s are some of my favorite movies where he seamlessly marries beauty with the macabre.
The blue collar and relatable take from Ron Perlman on the titular character, introduced us to an obscure and offbeat hero, that with Guillermo’s directing, became just as elevated as any Marvel or DC icon. A half demon, half man (known as a "cambion") who is destined to bring about the apocalypse, but who loves candy, cats, and wants to do good, is an interesting, flawed character with cool superpowers, and abilities.
I was lucky enough to attend the world premiere of THE GOLDEN ARMY, where I met a man in the lobby of the Westwood theater who introduced himself to me as “Danny.” I remember keeping myself cool and composed but thinking, “you’re not Danny, you’re Danny freaking Elfman!”
In those films, and in GDT’s SHAPE OF WATER, the Mexican auteur also introduces us to his takes on the Creature from the Black Lagoon prototype (Abe Sapian), who seems to be inspired by Aztec god Tlaloc, aka the Mayan god Chaac. Environmental themes, gorgeous mise-en-scene, and love and care poured into each and every detail of those movies make them beloved to me, and many other fans.
When the parties involved couldn’t agree on Guillermo’s proposed trilogy finale, the studio decided to reboot it with a take that hewed closer to its comic book roots. With Neil Marshall (THE DESCENT) helming, and David Harbour staring in this eponymous adaptation of Mike Mignola’s comic, it seemed like the right approach to take.
Milla Jovovich as Nimue, The Blood Queen, and Ian McShane as Professor Broom round out the cast, but giving a faithful adaptation isn't enough to elevate the material. You also have to give us a good movie.
I don’t like to give negative reviews, and the production was a troubled one, already covered in the trades, but I will say there are some inventive moments in the Baba Yaga scene. The house on chicken feet provides a kinetic set, similar to INCEPTION or Miyazaki’s HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE. Although, showing dead children is of questionable taste, I’ll admit, I thought it was funny that Baba Yaga pronounces they are just “human children,” so nothing to see here, folks! Apparently the producers felt it was a strong scene as well, leading to two additional short scenes with her, added in reshoots, in an attempt to capitalize on what worked.
HELLBOY, THE RISE OF THE BLOOD QUEEN suffers from too many cooks in the kitchen, and the “Batman and Robin” syndrome - where there are too many characters just thrown in there we don’t care about, and way too much exposition.
Inventive creature design and gory kills, earn it’s R rating, and much as been said about the F-bombs, which feel a bit forced, and an attempt to differentiate from the prior films, as well as appeal to a DEADPOOL demo.
In SAVE THE CAT, Blake Snyder warns us of what he calls, “Double Mumbo Jumbo.” He proposes an audience can only buy one piece of magic per movie. You cannot have aliens, vampires, and the undead. This film has Arthurian lore, Mayan mythology, Demonology, Russian folktales, and a secret society. Maybe that’s a bit too much, and the film suffers an identity crisis as a result.
The rock and roll score is not on par with Elfman’s, VFX from a strained budget (of $50M) strain credulity even further, and with an edit so choppy, you can feel the many clashing egos and agendas behind the scenes, vying for creative control, to the detriment of the picture as a hole.
When you go from GDT’s films to this, it is a let down for audiences. The only way to revive the character, in my view, is to come to an agreement on cost and creative with Guillermo, and end his trilogy. Since that is unlikely to happen, this live action, dark fantasy franchise currently seems to be as dead as the monsters Hellboy slays.
For me, this outing with Red, is a D.
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