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Hellboy: The Crooked Man
Icon Film Distribution
Certificate 15
Hellboy is one of the coolest comic book characters around and his cinematic adventures have, well let’s be honest, varied in quality. From the blazing triumph of Guillermo del Toro’s wonderful, steampunk drenched interpretation in 2004 to the Neil Marshall misfire in 2019 with a few cartoons along the way, I had high hopes for Hellboy: The Crooked Man as it comes from the pen of his creator, Mike Mignola.
In the 1950s, Hellboy is enlisted to aid rookie paranormal researcher, Bobbie Jo Song, in the transportation of a deadly creature. However, their mission soon goes awry when an accident leaves them stranded in the forests of rural Appalachia where a small community resides, haunted by demonic forces. With all clues pointing towards witchcraft as the culprit, Hellboy and his allies must hunt down the source of this evil – the ‘Crooked Man’ who has been sent to Earth to collect souls for the devil.
Smaller in scale than the other Hellboy movies, this entry is actually one of the most enjoyable as it's character led rather than moving from set-piece to set-piece. Brian Taylor directs with confidence, he really brings Hellboy perfectly to life allowing Jack Kesy bring the big red guy perfectly to life whilst Adeline Rudolph as rookie paranormal researcher Bobbie Jo Song is allowed to develop her character without become just a predictable side kick.
The script is smart, zesty and dark which builds up the history of Hellboy as well as expanding on his character. The camera hardly keeps still as we’re treated to superb visuals and though everything happens in a contained, small area the movie has a large-scale feel. Effects wise there is a lot of CGI here which can distract you from time to time but you soon get used to their presence.
If you’re new to Hellboy then this is a perfect entry point, if you’re a fan of the comic book then this is definitely for you. A superb return to form.
Icon Film Distribution presents Hellboy: The Crooked Man in UK Cinemas from 27 September.
