Hellboy 2019 is the very definition of a sloppy script with terrible special effects brought to life with terrible execution. This movie has one of the most convoluted stories I've ever seen, so much so that the best way to describe it would be thus: Five episodes of a TV show crammed together in the format of a two hour long film, with episodes one and three missing.
There were times when I wondered whether this was a sequel to a movie that I had not seen. That would explain how the film expects you to know all the characters, and constantly references to past events. Maybe if you were a hardcore fan of the comics you might understand. But that narrows down the target audience significantly, because I doubt that many people read Hellboy comics. If you were a casual movie goer who simply wished to watch a fun summer blockbuster, then you would understand this film as much as a person who has not seen any marvel movies understand Avengers Endgame.
The characters jump from one location to another every five minutes. At times it feels like a stage show. New scene, new location, new characters for a certain amount of time and then it jumps to the next scene. The two side characters are introduced halfway through the film, and are so insignificant at first that you don't realize they're integral to the plot until much later.
The villain's backstory is explained in the first five minutes by a terrible expedition dump. It's never a good sign when your story starts with a narrator who explains the plot. The story tries to have elements of King Arthur and the Dark Ages, ancient monsters and giants, and the modern day world. It would have been preferable if it took place in the ancient medieval days, because the modern setting really takes away from the atmosphere and mood.
You feel no emotional attachment to any character in the entire film, because there is nothing relatable or likable about them. Hellboy is mostly indifferent to everything that happens. He doesn't seem to care about the plot, which begs the question: Why should we? Hellboy's father is a huge jerk for most of the story as well and for absolutely no reason whatsoever. Even the villan is generic and forgetable.
The film jumps from one subplot to another, never giving the watcher time to process anything that's happening. Initially, I thought that it was going to be about a McGuffin subplot, but it completely skips over that and moves on to another McGuffin subplot. See what I mean by the story being needlessly complicated?
At least the practical effects are good, but they don't blend well with the CGI at all. The action is pretty entertaining, if you can understand what's going on. And the movie is pretty unique in terms of story. And by unique I mean it's structured in the most bizarre way possible. Watch this movie if you want a headache when it's over.
There were times when I wondered whether this was a sequel to a movie that I had not seen. That would explain how the film expects you to know all the characters, and constantly references to past events. Maybe if you were a hardcore fan of the comics you might understand. But that narrows down the target audience significantly, because I doubt that many people read Hellboy comics. If you were a casual movie goer who simply wished to watch a fun summer blockbuster, then you would understand this film as much as a person who has not seen any marvel movies understand Avengers Endgame.
The characters jump from one location to another every five minutes. At times it feels like a stage show. New scene, new location, new characters for a certain amount of time and then it jumps to the next scene. The two side characters are introduced halfway through the film, and are so insignificant at first that you don't realize they're integral to the plot until much later.
The villain's backstory is explained in the first five minutes by a terrible expedition dump. It's never a good sign when your story starts with a narrator who explains the plot. The story tries to have elements of King Arthur and the Dark Ages, ancient monsters and giants, and the modern day world. It would have been preferable if it took place in the ancient medieval days, because the modern setting really takes away from the atmosphere and mood.
You feel no emotional attachment to any character in the entire film, because there is nothing relatable or likable about them. Hellboy is mostly indifferent to everything that happens. He doesn't seem to care about the plot, which begs the question: Why should we? Hellboy's father is a huge jerk for most of the story as well and for absolutely no reason whatsoever. Even the villan is generic and forgetable.
The film jumps from one subplot to another, never giving the watcher time to process anything that's happening. Initially, I thought that it was going to be about a McGuffin subplot, but it completely skips over that and moves on to another McGuffin subplot. See what I mean by the story being needlessly complicated?
At least the practical effects are good, but they don't blend well with the CGI at all. The action is pretty entertaining, if you can understand what's going on. And the movie is pretty unique in terms of story. And by unique I mean it's structured in the most bizarre way possible. Watch this movie if you want a headache when it's over.