In 2019, the cult-classic Hellboy was given the reboot treatment with Neil Marshall as the director. It was a darker, grittier R-rated version that was Neil Marshall's first attempt as a giant blockbuster. Unfortunately, audiences and critics alike ended up giving Hellboy a large bashing, resulting in one of the worst ratings for a comic book movie.
Granted, audiences were quick to dismiss the movie since it was a reboot and Ron Perlman was not returning. Biased hatred is almost always inevitable with reboots of famous properties. While the bias did blind many from seeing the qualities, there are many flaws with the 2019 version.
Succeeded: Comic Book Accuracy
With Mike Mignola, the creator of Hellboy himself involved with the film, it's no surprise that the reboot was closer to its source material. However, it's more than just dialogue or stories straight out of the comics, there were scenes done to be recreated comic panels from Mignola's works a la Zack Snyder's Watchmen.
While comic book accuracy does not automatically make a good movie, it is something that fans of the source material can enjoy. Even its hard R-rating with the vast amounts of blood, gore, and visceral action come closer to Mignola's work than the PG-13 Del Toro films.
Failed: Comedy Was Mixed
Hellboy as a whole is pretty ridiculous so much like the comics and the Guillermo Del Toro movies, the reboot has fun with itself. There is a lot of humor interjected with all the action and horror elements. The results are a mixed bag with some jokes being genuinely funny.
However, for every joke that works, there is usually another that barely gives out a smile. This is a shame since Neil Marshall used comedy quite effectively in his cult-classic Dog Soldiers.
Succeeded: Special Effects Galore
Guillermo Del Toro's Hellboy movies are praised for their effects. Well, much like those: Neil Marshall puts emphasis on the practical side of monsters; only using CGI for sequences that obviously need it. Hellboy himself looks great, some have argued he looks even better than Ron Perlman's version.
For practical effects, Baba Yaga provides some of the best while the pig-like monster Gruagach was achieved through CGI. So the 2019 film keeps a healthy balance of the two forms of special effects that the original movies had.
Failed: The Pace Is Way Too Fast
This is not The Lord Of The Rings or Interstellar, people weren't going into Hellboy expecting a three-hour slow-burning epic. Hellboy is meant to just be a fun monster mash with the titular character killing monsters left and right.
However, Neil Marshall's Hellboy takes the opposite extreme by moving at the highest speed at all times. The reboot almost never allows the audience to catch their breath and assess what is happening. This is something that Del Toro's films did much better, giving the right amount of development and exposition and tons of monster action.
Succeeded: The Action Scenes Are Still Fun
From the fight against the giants, the opening with the vampire, to the battle against Nimue and her army of monsters: the action scenes are not lazily done. Neil Marshall still sprinkles his reboot with his stylish camera movements that use shaky-cam effectively along with some clever angles.
Marshall even gets to hark back to Dog Soldiers with a man transforming into a were-jaguar. The R-rating helps in making Hellboy's kills, as well as the monsters' kills, have much more impact. Neil Marshall was not used to this style of filmmaking, but his potential to evolve with multiple movies was strong.
Failed: Too Much Lore At Once
Not only does the reboot move too fast but during it all, it tries to throw massive amounts of Hellboy lore in there. There's the story of Nimue The Blood Queen, Hellboy's origin story is told again, Baba Yaga is introduced, Hellboy's new companions, and Gruagach's rivalry with Hellboy.
Hellboy has great lore but the reboot needed at least twenty more minutes to flesh this all out. Instead, things like Lobster Johnson make criminally small appearances. Sure, fans of the comic enjoyed him but the general audience was likely confused about who or what Lobster Johnson is.
Succeeded: Gothic Horror
Fitting with his style, the original Hellboy movies delved more into dark fantasy. The first one focused more on Eldritch horrors while Hellboy: The Golden Army dealt with elves and trolls. Neil Marshall and Mignola bring Hellboy back to his comic roots with demons and the undead.
The gothic horror is also just a nice change-up from the other two films thus keeping it from seeming redundant. The European setting led to a more classic monster feel, similar to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or Bram Stoker's Dracula.
Failed: Milla Jovovich Was Used Poorly
Poor Milla: between Monster Hunter and Hellboy, filmmakers just can't seem to use her correctly. Milla Jovovich can and has given good performances in the past so the blame is not on her. The execution of Nimue The Blood Queen as a whole just never felt right from start to finish.
The makings of a great villain are somewhere in the reboot. However once again, due to the inexperienced director: Milla Jovovich just seems like she was doing what she can with a poorly written character.
Succeeded: David Harbour Deserves More Credit
David Harbour has stated that he believes that Del Toro fans did not give the reboot a chance. To a degree, he's not wrong since fans were quick to denounce the reboot before even a first glimpse was shown. Even when the reboot released, they were unfair to David Harbour.
Sure, there is no denying that Ron Perlman is iconic but David Harbour did his job. The one-liners, the ferocity, the physicality, the laid-back demeanor, and the humor: Harbour nailed it all. Never once does Harbour feel like he's imitating Perlman but instead, he made it his own while still keeping what fans love about the character.
Failed: Rehashed Character Arc
When a reboot is made, it's impossible to not retread the past in some way. In the Hellboy reboot's case, it reuses a character arc from the first Del Toro movie. It's not just similar but almost identical to the point of feeling uncanny.
Hellboy is tempted to become a villain to fulfill a prophecy. It makes him grow out his horns; he is about to destroy the world when an uplifting speech from a supporting cast member stops him. Defying the prophecy, Hellboy kills the villain and rips off his own horns. The tiny differences do not save the scene from seeming unoriginal and lacking impact.