Screenplay:
Matt WayneComposer:
Christopher DrakeCast:
Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Peri Gilpin, Gwendoline Yeo, Paul Nakauchi, Doug Jones, Dee Bradley Baker, James Sie, Kim Mai GuestVOD (2)
Plots(1)
In this first animated feature from Director Tad Stones, and Creative Producers Mike Mignola (creator of HELLBOY comics) and Guillermo del Toro, a folklore professor becomes unwittingly possessed by the ancient Japanese demons of Thunder and Lightning. But when The Bureau of Paranormal Research & Defense dispatches a team of agents to investigate, a cursed samurai sword sends Hellboy (Ron Perlman) to a supernatural dimension of ghosts, monsters and feudal mayhem. Now while pyrokinetic Liz Sherman (Selma Blair) and fishboy Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) battle one very pissed-off dragon, a lost and cranky Hellboy must find his way home. Even if he can survive the perilous journey, how much crap does a guy have to put up with from the two most vengeful and ferocious spirits of Japanese legend? (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (2)
I think it's great that even for two animated films (and one short film), they managed to rope in actors from the live-action version and they lent their voices to their characters. On the other hand, due to a different animation style than the classic Mignola artwork, this film comes across as quite ordinary. The film lacks the proper mysterious atmosphere and becomes quite average. Yes, there are mysteries, and there are elements that are typical for Hellboy - legends and stories from various mythologies - but suddenly it feels strange when one isn't familiar with Hellboy's universe.
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Wait a minute, tell me - why is everyone so annoyed by Hellboy's legs? Yeah, I know - you probably don't know the original comic and first encountered "Rudoch" in Del Toro's blockbuster. There’s no need to sneer. As a big Hellboy fan, I have to say that this cartoon was a hell of a success. It's got (apart from the cigars and some blood) everything I know from the books and pages. The simpler animation suits Hellboy perfectly, the music is also appealing, but the biggest win is still the story, which has the old Mignola oozing out of it in all directions. Magical passages like the heads (they are even in one of the comics, which was a pleasure), spiders, the water monster or the final battle against demons and their minions, definitely have the right atmosphere. A plus is, of course, the dubbing of the characters and then the whole charmingly colorful environment - Japan suits Hellboy. I give it five honest stars and I am very, very happy.
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