"In the absence of light, darkness prevails. There are things that go bump in the night, Agent Myers. Make no mistake about that. And we are the ones who bump back."

A demon, raised from infancy after being conjured by and rescued from the Nazis, grows up to become a defender against the forces of darkness.

REVIEW
Based on the works of Mike Mignola, "Hellboy," written and directed by Guillermo Del Toro, is a better-than-average comic book adaptation that boasts a refreshing sense of humor amid all the customary action sequences and first-rate special effects. The story begins in 1944, near the end of World War II, with the Nazis attempting to open a portal between earth and a hell-like dimension where seven evil deities have been lying in wait for just such an opportunity to come in and take over the world. One creature from the other side makes it through before the Nazis' scheme is thwarted, a young "boy" who is adopted by an American expert in the paranormal and groomed to become a superhero who can do battle with all the supernatural creatures who apparently exist in an abundance undreamed of by the vast majority of the human race.

The makers of the film have wisely chosen to keep Hellboy life-sized and believable in both his physical and psychological dimensions. Despite his red skin, stone right hand and ability to leap from rooftop to rooftop with gravity-defying ease, Hellboy is really just an Average Joe-type, with a bit of an ego, a sardonic sense of humor, a strong sense of loyalty, and a really good heart. Heck, he even has problems in the romance department not much different from what all the rest of us go through at one time or another in our lives. The movie is overlong and the screenplay probably includes one or two monsters more than it needs to in order to get the job done, but Ron Perlman, even under all the heavy makeup, makes Hellboy a three-dimensional, sympathetic character, while John Hurt brings warmth and authority to the role of Professor Bruttenholm, the "father figure" who raises him.

Decent Superhero/action film, Hellboy is a flawed, but nonetheless thrilling ride. Starring Ron Perlman (Whom I don't like, Hellboy does deliver some decent action, but is never anything spectacular. I felt disappointed in this film, and the film had potential to really be a great superhero film, but it never really took off. I thought the film was decent, entertaining and fun, but I felt that this film could have been much better than it turned out to be. This film is disappointing, but it's also a pretty entertaining film. I'm just stating that the film could have been much better. For what it is, this is mindless entertainment and does deliver some entertaining moments. However I don't think it's the film that everyone claims it to be, and del Toro, though an excellent director could have done better. Luckily the sequel to this film was better, and the plot was much more elaborate. There is something missing to this film to really make it a stunning action film. All the necessary ingredients are here, but something doesn't quite fit. The visuals are terrific, and it's the films greatest strength. I just preferred the sequel and thought that this film was average and really I didn't see why the film has gotten so much praise. The film is average entertainment, and I was disappointed because I thought it was going to be phenomenal, unfortunately this is one of those films that I felt was overhyped a bit, and it lacked something to really make it great. Overall a decent action film, never great, but not bad either.