Hellboy

A demon (Ron Perlman), raised by a secret US agency, battles a resurrected sorcerer (Karel Roden) and tries to win his true love (Selma Blair).

Hellboy is a great example of a comic book adaptation hindered by the limitations of it’s own source material.

Ron Perlman is great in the title role, and is the highlight of the movie. His interactions with the other characters are what give Hellboy its flavor. Unfortunately this also leads into the movie’s biggest flaw—the villain in Hellboy is a great disappointment.

Compared to all the other colorful characters, Karel Roden’s Rasputin is utterly forgettable. While his henchman Kroenen is much more visually striking, the adherence to the source material regulates him to a background role. This is a real shame since the heroes are all so wonderfully characterized.

That said, Hellboy still has a lot going for it. The sets and effects are all amazing, and the performances from the supporting cast (with the exception of Roden, who’s problems may actually stem from the script) are all top-notch.