I read a lot of comic books in my day, though ‘my day’ was pretty much about 20 years ago. Since that time, I’ve picked up the occasional comic or two and have found them to quite different. Some say they are more adult, but I don’t like the connotation that implies. I prefer to say they have matured. Those few comics I’ve read are usually familiar ones, Superman or Spider-Man. Recently I had a friend give me a set of Batman comics for a story called, “Hush.” It was quite good and has revived in me a need to read more. Indeed, most comics aren’t really for children anymore and some have gotten so good as to be considered quality literature. There was one comic hero rolling around for the past few years that I had heard of, but never seen. Hellboy was his name, and I had been told time and time again that his was a comic not to be missed. The character was a demon that fought for the side of good against all things paranormal. He was described to me as having bright red skin, a hand that seemed to be made from solid rock and two stumps on his forehead where his horns used to be.

I was made to understand that he would grind them down so he was able to… fit in.

Though I would often look for the comics, I guess I never looked hard enough because to this day they have eluded me. So I was quite intrigued last year when I heard that Guillermo del Toro, the director behind “Blade II” and the highly stylistic “Cronos”, was going to helm a big budget theatrical film based on the character. I started checking out the Internet for pictures of Hellboy, which I found easily. I immediately wondered who he would choose to play the role. A character like this could not be played by just anyone.

When it was announced that Ron Perlman, the man behind the Beast in “TV’s Beauty and the Beast” was going to be Hellboy, there was a collective jump for joy from fans of the comic series. Though I was not yet a fan, I too was ecstatic. Perlman was perfect. He had the physique and already had the somewhat unique features that would make the job a little easier for the makeup department.

Then as weeks went by, more and more news came out about the production, and every tidbit was a gem. One day we would hear that the comic books hero’s creator Mike Mignola was on board, working side by side with del Toro to make sure the movie would be true to the vision of the comic. Then we learned that master special effects artist Rick Baker was going to design the makeup for “Hellboy.” Everything pointed to a movie that couldn’t lose, even though the character was only familiar to a few scattered comic book fans.

Soon the film became a juggernaut of sorts, with all manner of marketing making sure that the opening weekend would be a big one. All the trailers and all the clips made “Hellboy” look like it was the second coming, and that it was guaranteed to blow movie goers out of their seats. Would it deliver, I wondered? Could this movie actually be that good? Well...uhhh… yes. As a matter of act it was.

Once the film opened, it played to huge crowds and seemed to please both fans and non-fans alike. Sure there were detractors nit-picking little details, there always will be, but the movie was actually good enough to withstand the onslaught. “Hellboy” was fun (as well as funny), scary and quite an adventure. I personally thought Ron Perlman delivered one of the most human performances of his career, in spite of the fact that his character was decidedly inhuman. The storyline, which perfectly mixed the supernatural, Nazi Germany and the mad monk Rasputin, was inspired. “Hellboy” wasn’t just a good movie, it was a great movie.

Of course, I couldn’t wait for it to come out on DVD. Somehow I just knew that it would be a DVD collector’s dream. Those involved with the making of the film, were wise and thought way ahead in terms of what they would have on the DVD, so they were prepared. And it shows. The DVD release of “Hellboy” has two discs, with literally hours of bonus materials. To start us off, there is a very short yet heartfelt introduction to the film by del Toro. Then he is joined by Mignola on a commentary that delves very deep into the characters of “Hellboy” and goes into great detail about what it took to bring it to the screen. The two obviously hit it off and their collaboration on the commentary mirrors their collaboration onscreen. It’s easily one of the better commentaries I’ve heard in a while. But then we have another commentary that goes in a completely different direction in terms of tone. Actors Perlman, Selma Blair, Jeffrey Tambor and Rupert Evans chime in on this one and it’s a free-for-all of jokes and asides. It is equally as good as the previous commentary, just a whole lot funnier.

Then there is a feature that completely appealed to the comic lover in me. Mignola created several ‘animated’ comics that you can either look at by themselves or by branching off from the movie. Most are just one page bits with scrolling text, but they really help appreciate how well the movie imitates the comic. You also have the option to watch the entire movie while comparing it to the storyboards. Then there are some behind the scenes footage that you can check out the same way as the comics. Finally, at least on disc 1, there are some Gerald McBoing Boing shorts you can watch. I’d tell you what these are, but you really, really need to find out for yourself.

The second disc is introduced by actress Selma Blair, and here’s where you can spend the rest of your weekend. The documentary feature, “Hellboy: The Seeds of Creation”, is one of those rare features that is actually longer than the film. It is an extensive ‘making of…’ documentary that is broken up into 24 parts. But put them all together and the running time is about 2 ½ hours. I honestly don’t believe they left anything on the cutting room floor on this one. The only way you could possibly see more footage would be to pick up all the scraps of edited film that were left behind. Everything from the origin of the comic itself to the prosthetic effects is covered in this feature.

Considering all the information that you get from the documentary, it’s hard to believe there is even more on the disc. You’ll also find a few deleted scenes, character bios written by del Toro, motion board-a-matics, and multi angle storyboard comparisons. There us also a really cool section where you can check out the maquettes of several of the characters.

I was glad to see “Hellboy” live up to all the expectations the marketing was selling, and am now equally blown away by Sony / Columbia Tristar’s DVD release. I understand there is going to be a later release of a Director’s Cut, which is one of those odd things the studios have been doing lately. But if you can’t wait for that one, this edition includes a $5.00 off coupon for the next one should you decide you have to get it, too. By the way, I’m going to finally run out this weekend with the express purpose of picking up some of Hellboy’s original graphic novels so I can finally give them a read.

Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
Starring: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Jeffrey Tambor, Karel Roden, Rupert Evans, John Hurt
Extras: Commentary by Director Guillermo del Toro and Co-Executive Producer Mike Mignola, Commentary by Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Rupert Evans, and Jeffrey Tambor, Theatrical trailer(s), TV spot(s), All-New DVD Comics: Eight Branching DVD Comics by Mike Mignola, "Hellboy: The Seeds of Creation": a 2 ½ hour Documentary on the Making of the Film, "Right Hand of Doom: Set Visits": Behind-The-Scenes Branching Feature, "From the Den" Hellboy Recommends... Gerald McBoing Boing Animated Shorts, Feature-Length Storyboard Track, Video Introduction by Selma Blair, Four Computer-Generated Animated Scene Breakdowns, Five Board-a-Matics: Side-By-Side Comparison of Scenes with the Animated Storyboards, Animatics, Three Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary by Guillermo del Toro, Character Bios Written by the Director, Maquette 3-D Character Sculptures Video Gallery, Poster Explorations, DVD-ROM: Director's Notebook, Printable Original Screenplay, Script Supervisor's Book
Specifications: Widescreen (1.85:1), Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Sony / Columbia Tristar
Release Date: 7/27/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Sci Fi Action and Frightening Images)
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We'll give Hellboy an A+.