Product Description

Hellboy (Directors Cut) PSP UMD Movie MODEL- 11280 VENDOR- UMD MOVIES FEATURES- "Hellboy (Directors Cut)" PSP UMD Movie Watch movies on your PSP handheld with DVD picture quality in widescreen. This full length movie fits on a single UMD disc. As dark forces gather to hasten the Apocalypse, Hellboy fights fire with fire in this mind-blasting supernatural action-adventure from the visionary director of Blade 2. Based on the celebrated Dark Horse comic book. * Starring: Ron Perlman, John Hurt, Selma Blair, Rupert Evans, Karel Roden, Jeffrey Tambor. -- SPECIFICATIONs ----------------------------------- MPAA Rating : PG13 Genre : Comic-Book Superhero Film, Monster Film Theatrical Date : 2004 Run Time : 132 Minutes Distributor/Studio: Sony Pictures

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20440 in DVD
• Brand: UMD MOVIES (VARIOUS VENDORS)
• Released on: 2005-04-19
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Director's Cut, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Original language: English, Russian
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 2.00 pounds
• Running time: 132 minutes

Amazon.com
In the ongoing deluge of comic-book adaptations, Hellboy ranks well above average. Having turned down an offer to helm Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in favor of bringing Hellboy's origin story to the big screen, the gifted Mexican director Guillermo del Toro compensates for the excesses of Blade II with a moodily effective, consistently entertaining action-packed fantasy, beginning in 1944 when the mad monk Rasputin--in cahoots with occult-buff Hitler and his Nazi thugs--opens a transdimensional portal through which a baby demon emerges, capable of destroying the world with his powers. Instead, the aptly named Hellboy is raised by the benevolent Prof. Bloom, founder of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, whose allied forces enlist the adult Hellboy (Ron Perlman, perfectly cast) to battle evil at every turn. While nursing a melancholy love for the comely firestarter Liz (Selma Blair), Hellboy files his demonic horns ("to fit in," says Bloom) and wreaks havoc on the bad guys. The action is occasionally routine (the movie suffers when compared to the similar X-Men blockbusters), but del Toro and Perlman have honored Mike Mignola's original Dark Horse comics with a lavish and loyal interpretation, retaining the amusing and sympathetic quirks of character that made the comic-book Hellboy a pop-culture original. He's red as a lobster, puffs stogies like Groucho Marx, and fights the good fight with a kind but troubled heart. What's not to like? --Jeff Shannon

From The New Yorker
Ron Perlman is a man born for prosthetics. With his large features and solid but nimble body, he convincingly portrays otherworldly creatures. Here, in the Mexican director Guillermo del Toro's cuckoo comic-book feature, he's a super-sized red demon from hell. The complicated and ultimately senseless plot begins with Hellboy's origins (he was "born" during a Second World War Nazi occult ceremony presided over by Rasputin), then quickly focusses on the modern-day Hellboy and his adventures in fighting some doomsday monsters and the freaks that control them. It's not particularly groundbreaking stuff. Where the film really succeeds is in its dank, almost introspective atmosphere-a del Toro specialty-and in the immensely appealing bravado Perlman brings to his role. When the movie's story line concentrates on the character of Hellboy and his relationships with those important to him (the man who raised him, the girl he loves), the film becomes a unique romp, with an exciting yet vulnerable superhero at the center who just happens to be the spawn of Satan. -Bruce Diones
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

Surprisingly bad
Supernatural thriller in which Ron Perlman plays the 'Hellboy' of the title, a demon who comes to Earth through a portal from hell as a baby and grows up to be a defender of mankind against the forces of darkness. This premise had potential but ultimately nothing much was done with the idea and although Hellboy himself is a fairly interesting character he just isn't given an awful lot to do in this film. Hellboy is supposed to be fighting to prevent the end of the world but there is absolutely no sense of impending Armageddon in this film. On top of this the villains are weak, the climax to the film is a yawn and Hellboy's love interest in this film has abilities that we are given no explanation about. A surprisingly bad film. I expected more.

What Makes a Good Movie?
Comic book fans have high I.Q.'s. It's true, so sue me. But Hollywood insists that comic books are for stupid people. Sure. It makes sense. I mean--look at 'em! They're comic books, for cripes sake! So, along comes a guy who isn't from around here and doesn't know about the "comic books are dumb" rule. Guillermo del Toro makes a comic book movie as if comic books mattered. It ain't perfect, but it's a lot closer to a real comic book experience than any of the other "big time" movies that started out as comics. My friend, if you want to understand the soul of the comic book, you should watch Hellboy. Then you will understand. Maybe.

Actually, the movie is a teensy bit hard to follow.

There are script problems in the movie, that became story problems, that became editing problems. They don't really get resolved, but one of the many, many cool "extra features" in the DVD set is one featuring the Master himself, explaining that he's not making a logical proof in a math class, he's making a movie. If it's a little hard to follow sometimes-- tough.

I'm a fan of this film (and the sequel) and so I forgive it's failings. The good parts outweigh the bad--and if you watch the extras included in this edition, you'll see just how the "mistakes" were made. Lack of time (film can't be too long--theaters gotta be able to fit it into the schedule, you see). So things had to be cut (or never shot). That hurt--because the stuff that was cut was living tissue. The original theatrical release lacked a couple of scenes that helped to make things clearer--but they only helped to make it less confusing. It's still confusing, but, hey, it's not a logic test, right?

Okay. Then there is the blood. Or lack of it. No blood or gore, this is a PG-17 picture. So, here's a film about people being eaten alive by monsters and--no blood. Yeah, it's a little goofy. It also directly causes some major weirdness because Rasputin is supposed to be BLIND but they cut that part out. Seriously. Listen to del Toro's commentary.

But the plot is still a puzzle, even with some restored scenes in this "director's cut," and you just have to scratch your head to and ask "Why are they doing that? Why are they going there? How do they know?" etc., etc.

But I have a theory. It's confusing because they couldn't include the usual exculpatory scenes ("Oh yeah! That's why they went back to the old mill! ...and dumped the money in the pond!!") because the movie would have been too long. See? So they had to "rush" it along and just hope the audience would follow the story.

There is just one problem with this theory of mine. One of the longest scenes is the "big fight" between Hellboy and the monster. This is a huge special-effects event and it's just what del Toro does best--but it's confusing because it interrupts the flow of the story. The huge fight is so long and so spectacular that by the time it ends you forgot what was going on, and, if you had actually begun to grasp the plot, you'll have lost it by the time the last massive chunk of concrete comes crashing down and the "big fight" ends.

Seriously, when I'm watching this movie I actually hit the "next scene" button at the moment that the "big fight" is about to begin. The whole movie is easier to follow that way and the "big fight" proves nothing. Oh-- and by the way-- cutting the big fight shortens the movie so that, hey, wait a minute---that means that, if the "big fight" hadn't been shot at all, they could have made a movie that was 100% logical, and it would have been the right length!

But so what? This is Guillermo del Toro film. Cut the big fight to make the story more logical? Guillermo would have to commit ritual suicide on Hollywood Boulevard. No-- a word spelled the same in English and in Spanish.

No. Never cut the fight for the sake of logic! Viva del Toro! Viva Hellboy! Viva the gratuitous lengthy and expensive-looking fight scene with a cast of thousands! VIVA!

Hellboy Movie Review
Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy implements countless impressive ideas, including seamless computer graphics fused with animatronics and puppeteers, ingenious character designs and fascinating monstrosities. But for all of its undeniable visual flair, the film weakens due to sore-thumb dialogue and a regimen of predictable plot devices; as well as too many unlikely conveniences and the ever-popular need for heroes and villains to strike a lengthy poster-perfect pose before and after every action sequence.

During World War II, Rasputin (Karl Roden) aids the Nazis in opening up a portal to another world, which is abruptly shut when U.S. forces grenade the operation. Although Rasputin is destroyed, a tiny red creature is left behind on Earth to be raised by Professor Broom (John Hurt). Dubbed Hellboy, the demon soon grows into a powerful crime-fighter intent on keeping extra terrestrial baddies at bay.

Hellboy (Ron Perlman) is not alone, and is joined by Abe Sapien (Doug Jones), an amphibious creature that possesses incredible knowledge. Elizabeth Sherman (Selma Blair) also has super powers, although her pyrokinetic firestarter abilities are much harder to control. Together the group works for the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD), constantly and covertly cleaning up the messes left by alien life forms and resurrected enemies from the past.

The action sequences are all fast-paced, expertly choreographed, and arrive just in time to speed up the story when things get too convoluted or unexplainable. Seamlessly blending computer animated models of Hellboy, Sammael, Abe Sapien and many others with practical effects, the film achieves a startlingly realistic look. Like James Cameron's Aliens, the various monsters have a rubbery, tangible appearance, slaver real slime and appear to be actors in costumes more often than not. And this is a good thing, because it peerlessly prevents visual annoyances like those found in most major fantasy films in which Spider-men effortlessly swing from concrete jungle rooftops and hulking green men float through vast canyons.

A stepping stone to del Toro's next visual masterpiece (Pan's Labyrinth), Hellboy utilizes many unquestionably unique character designs and concepts. From Kroenen's hideously scarred visage (and his skill with bladed weapons, though not as cool as V from V For Vendetta), to Sammael's lumbering cartilaginous figure, to Abe Sapien's twitching webbed hands, the oddities speak wonders for both the makeup crew and original comic book creator Mike Mignola. Along with these bizarre concepts are idiosyncrasies and affecting personalities bestowed on every human and monster, which allows for more personable and relatable qualities from such inhuman concoctions as a giant crimson-skinned demon. The charisma of Hellboy (ample amounts of credit goes to Ron Perlman) and his wide array of emotions make the human liaison to the audience John Meyers (Rupert Evans) nearly obsolete. The set designs are also fascinating and numerous, from snowy graveyards to steaming sewers to a booby-trapped underground labyrinth.

Hellboy deserves credit for its innovative approach to visuals in a comic book adaptation, but loses points for noticeably trite dialogue from many of the supporting characters. The plot is also disappointing with its convoluted legend and prophecy jargon and otherworldly nonsense which simply doesn't do justice to the awesome characters battling across the screen. The fun somehow eludes the ruddy Hellboy, despite all of the action, comedy, violence, destruction, mayhem, romance and special effects.

- Mike Massie