Hellboy

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Hellboy

PG-13

2004

2h 5m

Fantasy

Sci-Fi

Action

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

81%

Tomatometer

204 Reviews

66%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

At the end of World War II, the Nazis attempt to open a portal to a paranormal dimension in order to defeat the Allies, but are only able to summon a baby demon who is rescued by Allied forces and dubbed "Hellboy" (Ron Perlman). Sixty years later, Hellboy serves as an agent in the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, where he, aided by Abe Sapien (Doug Jones), a merman with psychic powers, and Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), a woman with pyrokinesis, protects America against dark forces.

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Critics Consensus

With wit, humor and Guillermo del Toro's fantastic visuals, the entertaining Hellboy transcends the derivative nature of the genre.

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Namrata Joshi

Outlook

01/07/2019

2/4

The film may not be thrill-a-minute entertainment like Superman, Spiderman or Batman. But this is precisely what makes it tick.

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Bruce Diones

The New Yorker

04/14/2013

When the movie's story line concentrates on the character of Hellboy and his relationships with those important to him, the film becomes a unique romp, with an exciting yet vulnerable superhero at the center who just happens to be the spawn of Satan.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

12/24/2010

3/5

Director Guillermo Del Toro captures some of the visual color, tone, and 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.

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Joshua Polanski

Boston Hassle

07/09/2024

It just might be the best looking superhero movie ever made.

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Emilie Black

JoBlo's Movie Network

11/02/2023

9/10

The film itself is fantastic and so easy to fangirl all over; with an amazing cast and so much talent involved, it could not possibly fail, and it didn’t disappoint.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

09/06/2023

3.5/4

The experience rewards with palpable craft embedded into each facet, from character development to special effects. It’s treated like a majestic opus by a master filmmaker

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Ian S

@RT48225084 1d

Visually good but the story line didn't grab me. The acting was pretty good especially Pelrman and Tambor. Not one of del Toro's top tier movies, Had entertainment value but got a bit repetitive.

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Timothy B

@Timothy_Brown Mar 13

More cheesy than I remembered, but still fun.

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Enrique R

@EnriqueRamosLovesMovies Jan 27

Hellboy, this movie is fantastic and visually beautiful. Ron Perlman does a great job as Hellboy, and the action scenes are so good. I really see Guillermo Del Toro’s vision and passion in this film. The CGI is pretty 2000s, and the story of Hellboy and his origin. It’s just so appealing. But, overall, I give Hellboy a 9.8/10 or a 4/5 stars.

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Michael A

@Tomato547 Jan 20

If I had to choose between 5 best superhero movies this one would be in it. Ron Perlman delivers a great performance nailing the character PERFECTLY. 2 was pretty damn good also

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Paul S

@RT91988760 Jan 17

This movie is amazing! I will admit there were some parts of the story that felt out-of-place in the movie, but this was otherwise an incredible action-packed thrill ride. The visuals were great, the story was intense and goofy at the same time, and Ron Perlman nailed it as Hellboy. I definitely recommend it for superhero, fantasy, horror, and action fans!

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TheMovieSearch R

@TheMovieSearch Jan 17

The original Hellboy sits firmly in the middle for me. It’s not a bad movie, but it never becomes truly engaging or memorable. There’s clear creativity in the world-building and an obvious love for the source material, yet the execution feels uneven. The tone shifts too often between dark fantasy and cartoonish humor, which undercuts any emotional weight the story tries to build. The screenplay introduces interesting mythology but never fully explores it, leaving the plot feeling flat and underdeveloped. Ron Perlman brings personality to Hellboy, but the performance leans too exaggerated, making the character feel more goofy than grounded. Overall, it’s watchable and arguably the best of the franchise, but it’s not something I’d revisit or strongly recommend.

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Guillermo del Toro

Director

Ron Perlman

Hellboy

John Hurt

Professor Bruttenholm

Selma Blair

Liz Sherman

Rupert Evans

John Myers

Karel Roden

Grigori Rasputin

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Synopsis

At the end of World War II, the Nazis attempt to open a portal to a paranormal dimension in order to defeat the Allies, but are only able to summon a baby demon who is rescued by Allied forces and dubbed "Hellboy" (Ron Perlman). Sixty years later, Hellboy serves as an agent in the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, where he, aided by Abe Sapien (Doug Jones), a merman with psychic powers, and Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), a woman with pyrokinesis, protects America against dark forces.

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Producer: Lawrence Gordon, Lloyd Levin, Mike Richardson
Distributor: Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Revolution Studios
Production Co: Revolution Studios, Lawrence Gordon Productions, Dark Horse Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Sci-Fi Action Violence|Frightening Scenes)
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Action, Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 30, 2004, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $59.0M
Runtime: 2h 5m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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