I’ve 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 be 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 told 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.

This Director’s Cut of the film adds in about 13 minutes of extra footage. Most of what was added did little more than to help with the overall flow of the film. There wasn’t a lot of new information, but some of the transitions between scenes were smoother and made it a less jarring film-viewing experience.

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 original 2-disc DVD release of “Hellboy” had two discs, with literally hours of bonus materials. How the studio could have possibly come up with more is beyond me, but they did it. Almost everything that was included on the original set is here with a few changes (for example, where some of them are located), and a ton of additions (so many as to warrant a 3rd disc…)

I’m not going to talk about them all, or go any particular order, so you’ll have to look at the back of the box to get specifics. The original commentary by de Toro and Mike Mignola is replaced by an all-new solo del Toro commentary. There is also an additional commentary by composer Marco Beltramo. The commentary by actors Perlman, Selma Blair, Jeffrey Tambor and Rupert Evans, which was mostly a free-for-all of jokes and asides, is back. But this time you get to see the video portion of their commentary. It’s an extremely entertaining commentary, made even better by being able to see them in action.

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. This has been enhanced by some additional text. 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.

There is still an introducion 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 in this set. 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. Added to this is a 23-minute look at a question and answer panel that took place at the San Diego ComicCom back in 2002. Panelists include del Toro, Perlman and Mignola. Pretty much everything you ever wanted to know about how to make a film is included in this package.

Speaking of the packaging, this is the first time I’ve seen it done this way for a single movie. Instead of using a foldout case, Sony / Columbia Tristar opted to go with the box set look with 3 separate super slim cases held in a slipcover. It looks very impressive.

I think if I were to have any problem with this new release, it is the whole issue of double-dipping. That’s when a studio puts out a film on DVD, then re-releases it again a few months later in an expanded edition. I don’t have a big problem if the original release has very little too offer, that way people who don’t really want the extras can pay a little less to own the movie. Or of the later edition has the same features plus a few more, that’s not as much of a problem. In that case you can at least sell or trade in your first purchase. But when each release has a features the other one doesn’t, that’s kind of unfair to the DVD collector. You have to keep them both in order to have all the features available. That’s what was done with “Hellboy”.

In spite of that issue, I was glad to see the movie “Hellboy” live up to all the expectations the marketing was selling, and am now equally blown away by both of Sony / Columbia Tristar’s DVD releases. I love them both, I just wish I didn’t have to own them both…

Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
Starring: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Jeffrey Tambor, Karel Roden, Rupert Evans, John Hurt
Extras:
Disc 1 - All-New Commentary by Director Guillermo del Toro (Exclusive to the Director’s Cut DVD) , Video Introduction by Guillermo del Toro, Commentary by Composer Macro Beltrani, DVD Comics: Eight Branching DVD Comics by Mike Mignola with All-New Expanded Text, "Right Hand of Doom: Set Visits": Behind-The-Scenes Branching Feature, Storyboard Track with All-New Images, DVD-ROM: Director's Notebook, Printable Original Screenplay, Script Supervisor's Book
Disc 2 - Video Introduction by Selma Blair, "Hellboy: The Seeds of Creation": a 2 ½ hour Documentary on the Making of the Film, Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary by Guillermo del Toro, Character Bios Written by the Director, Motion Board-A-Matics, Multi-Angle Storyboard Comparisons, Maquette 3-D Character Sculptures Video Gallery, Theatrical trailer(s), TV spot(s), Poster Explorations, Filmographies
Disc 3 - Video Introduction by Ron Perlman, Cast Video Commentary by Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Rupert Evans, and Jeffrey Tambor, Production Workshops, Make-up and Lighting Tests, Q&A Archive - ComicCon 2002, A Quick Guide to Understanding Comics with Scott McCloud, Director’s Notebook, Photo Galleries, Mike Mignola’s Pre-Production Art, Conceptual Art Galleries, Comic Book Artists Pin-Ups
Specifications: Widescreen (1.85:1), Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Sony / Columbia Tristar
Release Date: 10/19/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Sci Fi Action and Frightening Images)
Website

We'll give Hellboy: Director's Cut an A.