🔥 Hellboy (2004) 🔥

“The Right Hand of Doom meets the Right Director of Monsters.”


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Let’s start by showing y’all the trailers, shall we? 🎥

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Non-Spoiler Plot Overview

Directed by Guillermo del Toro, Hellboy introduces audiences to one of comics’ strangest, most lovable antiheroes. The story begins in World War II, when the Nazis, aided by the infamous Grigori Rasputin, open a portal to the underworld. Instead of unleashing an unstoppable demon army, what comes through is a red-skinned infant with shaved horns and a giant stone hand. The Allies take him in, with Professor Trevor “Broom” Bruttenholm (John Hurt) raising the creature as his son.

Decades later, Hellboy (Ron Perlman) works with the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD), battling all manner of monsters and occult threats. But his past—and Rasputin—comes calling, testing whether Hellboy will embrace his demonic destiny or choose humanity.


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Character Rundown

Hellboy (Ron Perlman) – This is the definitive Hellboy. Perlman nails the sarcastic, cigar-chomping, cat-loving demon with surprising heart. He’s grumpy, funny, and fully believable under the prosthetics.

Professor Trevor Broom (John Hurt) – The father figure, mentor, and moral compass for Hellboy. Hurt gives Broom warmth and gravitas, making his death hit hard.

Liz Sherman (Selma Blair) – Hellboy’s love interest, a pyrokinetic who struggles to control her destructive powers. She’s reserved and conflicted, but her chemistry with Hellboy feels genuine.

Abe Sapien (Doug Jones, voiced by David Hyde Pierce) – The amphibious psychic who’s all brains and grace, contrasting Hellboy’s brawn. Doug Jones’ physicality makes Abe instantly iconic.

Grigori Rasputin (Karel Roden) – Less “historical mystic” and more “demonic puppet master,” Rasputin is the main antagonist who seeks to use Hellboy as the key to summon an apocalyptic squid god.

Karl Ruprecht Kroenen (Ladislav Beran) – The creepy Nazi assassin with clockwork modifications. Gas mask, trench coat, hidden blades — he’s one of the most terrifying henchmen in comic-book movie history.



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Pacing / Episode Flow

The film balances comic-book action with del Toro’s gothic flair. The opening WWII prologue sets a perfect tone, while the modern-day BPRD sequences mix monster-of-the-week energy with ongoing arcs about Hellboy’s identity. Sometimes the exposition gets heavy, but the pacing never drags for long thanks to Perlman’s charisma and the film’s strong creature work.


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Pros ✅

Ron Perlman is Hellboy — pitch-perfect casting.

Guillermo del Toro’s creature designs are gorgeously grotesque.

Karl Kroenen steals the show as one of the creepiest henchmen ever put to film.

The balance of action, humor, and gothic style is spot on.

The father-son dynamic between Hellboy and Broom adds real emotional weight.



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Cons ❌

Some of the CGI (especially the giant squid at the end) hasn’t aged well.

The romance between Liz and Hellboy, while sweet, sometimes feels undercooked.

Rasputin himself is overshadowed by his henchman Kroenen — the real MVP villain.



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Final Thoughts

Hellboy (2004) is proof that comic-book adaptations don’t have to be conventional to work. It’s weird, stylish, and brimming with personality, thanks to del Toro’s monster-making imagination and Perlman’s pitch-perfect performance. It may feel a little dated effects-wise, but it still holds up as one of the most unique superhero films of its time.


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Rating

8/10


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Spoiler Warning ⚠️

From here, the Right Hand of Doom brings the spoilers.


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Spoilers

The Nazis, with Rasputin’s help, open a portal to the underworld, but Rasputin is sucked inside. Out crawls baby Hellboy, adopted by Professor Broom and raised as his own.

Decades later, Hellboy works for the BPRD. Rasputin is resurrected, aided by Kroenen, and plots to bring forth an ancient Lovecraftian squid-god. Along the way, Kroenen infiltrates the BPRD and brutally kills Broom, leaving Hellboy devastated.

Hellboy’s relationship with Liz simmers in the background, with her pyrokinetic powers both a blessing and curse. Abe aids the team with his psychic gifts, but it’s ultimately Hellboy who must face his destiny.

In the climax, Rasputin forces Hellboy to begin unlocking the apocalypse with his stone hand. But Hellboy resists, embracing his humanity instead of his demonic purpose. He kills Rasputin, who explodes in Lovecraftian fashion, birthing a tentacled monster from his chest. Hellboy defeats the creature, saves Liz, and finally confesses his love to her. The film closes with the demon-boy choosing love and humanity over destiny.