Fans watch the Hellboy films because they love Hellboy. It's not the dark, mythical lore or gritty action that makes the Hellboy films so beloved. It's Hellboy the character and the internal struggles he faces as he navigates the line between man and monster.
Credit: IMDb
Imagine a world where menacing monsters and freaks of nature go bump in the night. Imagine a history where religion and fantasy are merely two sides of the same coin. Imagine a story where the very being destined to destroy the world is also its greatest protector. Welcome to the world of Gullermo Del Toro's Hellboy films, where the heart of humanity lies in its monsters.
Hellboy (2004)
In 2004, director Guillermo Del Toro gave longtime comic fans and regular moviegoers alike a supernatural action-adventure like no other. Hellboy (2004) starred Ron Pearlman as the titular demonic hero fighting against occultic societies, terrifying monsters, and ancient prophecies based on the long-running Hellboy comic series. The films, much like the comics, are rooted in the occult motif and drama, meaning supernatural or mystical beliefs. In Hellboy's case, the world leans heavily into biblical elements to define its demons, monsters, and magic while implementing a gothic aesthetic.
In 1944, the Allies raid a Nazi research site in the midst of them opening a portal to Hell. Despite closing the portal, a baby demon manages to slip through. Adopted and raised by an Allied scientist, the baby grows up to become Hellboy, the world's greatest paranormal investigator for the Bureau of Paranormal Research & Defense, a secret organization that protects humanity from monsters. Protecting humanity from monsters and demons, Hellboy is confronted by a villainous supernatural society hellbent on swaying Hellboy to their villainous cause and bringing about a prophecized apocalypse.
Hellboy is a unique and beloved character --the appeal of the comics and movies is the character himself: the internal struggles he faces, his sense of humor, his vulnerability, and his humanity, which sharply contrasts with his scary apperance, the monster within him, and the fact that the prophecy says he will bring about the end of days.
A Man & a Monster
The movie's main hook is that Hellboy is born a demon, destined to lead an army one day and bring about the end of the world. Yet here he is, raised like a human, fighting against his own kind for a world that fears and despises him. Del Toro's writing and directing, combined with Pearlman's masterful performance, gives us one of the most significant characters in the entire supernatural genre by portraying him as nothing more than an average joe, despite his origin and satanic outward appearance. He drinks beer, smokes cigars, and eats candy, just like the rest of us.
Del Toro brilliantly establishes just what kind of human Hellboy is when he is first introduced to the audience. Agent John Myers ventures into Hellboy's room to find the hulking devil smoking a cigar while lifting weights, commenting on how he hates how the in-universe comics always get his eyes wrong. From there, Myers' eyes are glued to Hellboy's horns, which he files down to look more human. Once Hellboy notices this, he merely asks, "Whatcha staring at, John?" in the most sarcastic and smart-aleck tone possible, intimidating the agent into looking away. Scenes like these are what make both the film and the character of Hellboy so unique: the idea of a demon acting like a hard-boiled human and trying to look like one.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Hellboy (2004) achieved a devoted cult following and made a hefty profit through DVD sales, though studios were hesitant to greenlight a sequel. But then, in 2008, Big Red finally returned in Hellboy II: The Golden Army. After Hellboy's (2004) events, in The Golden Army, our demonic hero must stop an evil elf prince from acquiring access to the Golden Army -- comprised of ancient autonomous robots -- who plans a war against humanity. While this is going on, Hellboy struggles between his demonic origins and desire to be human when he learns that his human girlfriend, Liz, is pregnant with his child. While Hellboy (2004) provided an outstanding balance between action, horror, and character development, The Golden Army took all of this a step further, tackling everything on a larger scale. Most sequels fail ever to outshine the original film, but The Golden Army is the rare exception that exceeds its predecessor.
The Vision
Through Del Toro's single, unified vision, this sequel manages to feel like a real step up and find the line between breaking new ground and providing audiences with more of what they want. Hellboy continues to struggle with his destiny while protecting humanity, with Del Toro aiming to blend sword & sorcery elements into the film's occultic world. The romance between Hellboy and the human pyrokinetic, Liz Sherman, is a major highlight as Del Toro continues to explore just how human Hellboy is at heart and the struggles that come with it.
The best example of this is when Hellboy and Abe Sapien, a fish-man gifted with genius intellect, sit around the fireplace and drink beer in arguably the greatest male-bonding moment ever written. The two reflect on their respective love lives and what's setting them back as Barry Manilow's "Can't Smile Without You" begins to play. Both begin to sing along like a couple of deunk and lovesick fratboys, acting no differently than any other down on his luck guy in love.
So What's The Point?
While the second film was also heavily beloved by fans and critics, it once again only made an actual profit in home video sales, a marketing strategy that has sadly halted the development of a third and final film in the series. Regardless, Del Toro's two Hellboy films remain steadfast in the hearts of fans many years later as they continue to hold out hope for that final installment in Hellboy's journey. Del Toro brought us two of the greatest films in the genre of comic book adaptations thanks to his vision and passion for the material. Instead of merely pumping out a typical blockbuster, Del Toro sought to make real art, with something new that could be analyzed and dissected with every new watch through. That is the very reason that this site exists: To celebrate their impact and discover brand new meanings, themes, and ideas hidden behind the many layers of both films.
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