BY DAVID SERVER | Hey folks -- David 'Typhon24' Server here. Almost 3 years ago, back when I was but a wee sprout in high school in Boston, for my first 'featured' article here on CountingDown.com I reviewed a script -- Guillermo del Toro's 'Hellboy'. Now, here I stand three long years later, a near fully grown college film student in Los Angeles. Between point A and point B, I have gone on many Hell-adventures, tracking the progress of this film. I've interviewed the cast and director repeatedly. I've been to offices and studios to watch test footage, trailers, and creature effects. I've even flown to Prague to watch them shoot. All to see this movie evolve from its fetal script stage to what I saw committed to celluloid this past weekend. I tell you this for two very specific reasons. One, I'm kind of a sentimental guy, so I find that pretty cool. But more importantly, I mention all this because I want to preface this review with the admission that I am very close to this project. I have the good fortune of saying that my coverage of this movie has provided me with both a great deal of knowledge as a film student, as well as many dear friends. I believe that the review which follows is my completely objective opinion, and is not greatly influenced by my respect and personal relationship with the craftsmen behind the work -- that this is what I would have written had I not been involved with the movie at all since that first script review. But nevertheless, I felt it better to state it bluntly at the beginning before moving on to my thoughts, which you may still want to hear. And now I've done that. So here we go.

Hellboy is a kick-ass time at the movies. If you are a part of this movie's target audience, and I think at this point you know who you are, you're pretty much sure to have a damn great time -- you don't even need to keep reading, this movie was custom tailored to your love of movie monsters and comic book mayhem, and you should be getting ready to head out to the theater. However, if you are not one of those folks, if you're one of those people who 'doesn't get it and doesn't want to get it' and you go into this movie cynically and not willing to invest in this world and the characters of this universe because of how extremely strange this movie is (and make no mistake, they don't get much stranger than this one), then you're setting yourself up for disappointment, and shooting yourself in the foot. Right off the bat, it's safe to say that unlike in most recent comic book films (the 'X-Men' movies being a good example), no one will take you by the hand and gently walk you through the odd universe of Hellboy. Once this movie starts, you are smack-dab in the middle of comic creator Mike Mignola's brain, and the ride has already started, so your seatbelt better be fastened. For those of you who may not be familiar with this material, but are willing to enter this strange new world with wide eyes and a willingness to learn, you're in for a real special treat. 'Hellboy' places you in a rich, detailed universe, teeming with demons, monsters, magic talismans, psychic fishmen, brooding pyrokinetics... basically, everything paranormal and the kitchen sink. "Da woiks," as the Red Guy might say himself. And what's waiting for you first and foremost once you're inside this universe is a great cast of characters -- so let's start with the performances.

Ron Perlman's Hellboy, the demon summoned to Earth to destroy it only to become its last line of defense, is an absolute home run. While tweaked from his personality in the comics (HB has no shortage of wisecracks in the film, somewhat unlike his terser comic-counterpart), Ron plays the role with such energy and enthusiastic gusto that you can't help but be won over. As the hardened demon with a heart of gold, Hellboy is a contradiction in the best way -- he's got all the wit and grit of a hardboiled detective, but also the heart and innocence of a stubborn child. Plus, he can play a love scene more honestly and tenderly under all those prosthetics than many popular Hollywood actors can in none at all. He's gritty, he's funny, he's angry, and above all, he's sweet. Perlman's Hellboy is (appropriately) a smashing success.

Selma Blair plays Hellboy's love interest, Liz Sherman -- she can create and control fire, but ever since a childhood accident, she tries her hardest not to. Blair plays the reclusive role well, with a quiet strength -- you certainly feel for her, and more importantly, you believe her chemistry with a six and a half foot tall red demon, which is no small feat. The part feels smaller than you might expect for a female lead, but she carries it very admirably and memorably. I look forward to seeing her character a little more 'pro-fireworks' in HB2. Not surprisingly, John Hurt is excellent as Professor Trevor Broom, Hellboy's loving surrogate 'father'. Hurt adds a much needed dose of subtlety to the film, conveying very much emotionally with an elegant performance that is both understated yet powerful.

Also noteworthy is Abe Sapien, psychic fishman and Hellboy's monster hunting partner. The amphibious Abe is a beautiful creation, one of the film's strongest points - a dazzling combination of actors, make-up, and special effects. Most credit for this role, in addition to the effects teams, goes to two people in equal measure. First, Abe's physical performance by Doug Jones. Jones, an actor with former mime experience, gives Abe's body a beautiful combination of quick jumps and smooth grace, fitting for a fish-man. Second, actor David Hyde Pierce, who provides the voice of the character, supplies the perfect melodic tones to accompany Jones' physical movements. Abe is visually stunning, and I would have liked to have seen a lot more of -- as a character, he isn't as fleshed out as the rest, but there's certainly room for that in a sequel.

Kroenen, the mute clockwork knife-wielding gas-mask-and-leather-clad Nazi zombie assassin (you get all that?), is note-perfect. Mixing the visual distinction of Darth Vader and the bad-ass irresistibility of Darth Maul, Kroenen is the villain Star Wars wishes it had. He's a stand-out success, and one can only hope we haven't seen the last of him. Pleasantly, secondary 'normal' human characters, such as new recruit Agent Myers (Rupert Evans), Agent Clay (Corey Johnson), Bureau head Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor) and the Nazi villainess Ilsa Haupstein (Biddy Hodson) are all memorable personalities, even amidst a sea of monsters and creatures. Karel Roden's Rasputin (the film's main villain, who summons Hellboy and then returns to make him complete his destiny) is allowed some awesome comic-book speeches, and is set-up beautifully in the film's mesmerizing opening sequence. But despite his prominence in the storyline, his actual screen-time after the intro is fairly limited. Consequently, this causes him to fall just short of the menace he should exude as Hellboy's second, more sinister 'father'.

The level of technical craftsmanship in this film is nothing short of staggering. The special effects, make-up, and sets that combine to create the monsters of the film and the world they inhabit are all intricate and beautifully rendered. It's hard to believe that a film with this much detail can be made for just $60 million dollars when movies that seem to cost three times this much don't look nearly as good. The make-up is probably the greatest success -- Hellboy and Abe Sapien both look fantastic and real, as does Kroenen's mutilated and scarred 'body' outside of his leather casing (which still gives me shivers). The demonic Sammael, HB's main monster opponent during the many epic fights that they engage in during the movie, is a wonderful creation. He's a fun beastie and a worthy opponent for Big Red -- and ya gotta love that tongue! The CG in the film is largely spot-on, and is often integrated creatively, although admittedly there are a handful of shots which still look cartoony, and some of the wire-work could use some extra polishing. The set design (ranging from the gothic church at the film's opening, to the sleek steel BPRD headquarters, to Rasputin's intricate clockwork catacombs during the film's climax) is top notch across the board. On a side note, the Odgru Jahad, the seven Lovecraftian 'dragons' that appear in a few shots at the beginning and end of the film, are a cinematic masterpiece. The tentacled monstrosities gliding in the deep cold of space provide some of the most awesome creature-feature spectacle I have ever seen on film. The movie's final monster battle is exciting, and is definitely a well executed nod to the monster movies of Ray Harryhausen, but feels a little short in comparison to the epic tussles Hellboy has had with Sammael during most of the film. However, that's really more of a compliment to the Sammael scenes than a criticism of the climax. Overall, the visuals which help bring the world of Hellboy to life show a level of dedication to the craft that is truly entrancing.

The writing, by director del Toro, is fun and entertaining, with a lot of well-realized character beats and humor (you'll find yourself chuckling and even guffawing frequently) amidst the monster-mashing. It blends action, humor, and horror very successfully, at once reminiscent of 'Indiana Jones', 'Ghostbusters', and a little 'Men in Black' thrown in for good measure. What makes the film truly unique, however, is its emotional sincerity -- for a movie about a monster-hunting demon from hell, the story wears its heart on its sleeve, an element often lacking in most recent entries in the comic-book genre. It's nice to be able to think back on the film and really appreciate those warm character moments in addition to the chills, action and fun. Every so often, things are spelled out a little blatantly in the dialogue, but it's a worthy sacrifice to see a comic book movie with so much heart. It's a great story and a surprisingly sweet tale. The film also has a rousing score from composer Marco Beltrami. It's fun and sometimes quirky, and above all it's B-I-G -- it hits the emotional marks without any shame, which makes everything that much more fun. Hellboy's main title theme, the Liz/Hellboy love theme, and Professor Broom's theme are the main triumphs in his score.

Hellboy has been a labor of love from Guillermo del Toro, who spent 6 years of his life fighting to get this movie made 'right', and it comes through in the film's intricate re-creation and supplementation of Mike Mignola's comic book character and his surrounding universe. It mixes and integrates lots of elements together, from films, comic books, and literature, some of them pretty darned unexpected and strange, but the final product is a rousing success. In the beginning of the movie, Professor Broom comments that "unique" is a commonly used word around the BPRD, and that's exactly what this film is -- unique, in the best way possible. However, it doesn't coddle you -- it's shamelessly weird from frame one, and doesn't pull its giant stone punches. I really want to encourage those cynics out there, who think this movie looks 'silly' or 'too out there' for their taste, to give it a shot, cause it deserves it. When you get to the theater, if you invest in these monsters as characters, you're going to be very pleasantly surprised by how much humanity you're going to get in return. And on top of all that -- it's just so much damn fun!!! And for those of you who were already excited to begin with, have no fear; Hellboy is here, and he's everything you hoped he'd be.