Why The HELLBOY Reboot Was So Bad | Cynical Reviews 

It somehow kills me _more_ knowing that amazing Make A Wish Thing is what inspired Del Toro's almost-third-movie. Because I mean, a 62 year old man spending _hours_ in a makeup chair becoming a demon to meet a Make A Wish kid is something that _should_ cause a movie to be made.

"Cats, cigars and candy bars" has such a nice ring to it. Adult-oriented but not edgy.

It's so fucked up that a man's good-hearted effort to make a dying child smile through tragedy... Would end up leading to THIS cinematic tragedy.

The original opening also shows how Hellboy is accepted as a baby boy even though he was summoned by Nazis. He was a literal demon and was still seen as a sentient being by one person showing kindness towards him.

using Twitter to find him makes sense since its a hellhole

I would rather have seen Del Toro's third installment.

Hell boy's design is awesome in the originals, it conveys the fact that he clearly isn't human biologically, but he still acts and does human things, it also matches perfectly with his personality of being tough, but also somewhat casual. All without going full-on uncanny valley. The reboot, on the other hand, makes him look like a raging alcoholic who crawled into a red wine factory and came out covered in said alcohol and with two giant corks stuck in his head.

Imagine an underworld demon granting the wish of a six year-old boy. That’s part of why Ron Perlman is a legend.

Mignola's Hellboy in the comic: Quiet, thoughtful, beleaguered by his past and his destiny, painfully aware of his temper and tries to curb it. A good, interesting character you can sympathise with Perlman's Hellboy: basically a teenager in a massive, powerful body but with all the insecurities that make him act out against the restrictions the BPRD place upon him and his friends. Conflicted between who he is and what he is, from what he knows. Uses humour to cover his sadness and confusion. Impulsive but quick thinking with it and shows the same encyclopedic knowledge of Fae creatures as his comic counterpart. A good, interesting character you can sympathise with. 2019 Hellboy: um......big, red, dumb, strong but has the finesse of a thrown brick. Half the time he doesn't want to do anything but get drunk, apparently. Doesn't seem to have any knowledge of ANY creatures in this world, his place in amongst them, or anything at all! Can't sympathise with him, can't really care about him, can't really call him Hellboy!

I remember loving the originals when I was a little girl so much because Ron Pearlman made the the character so endearing and sympathetic without feeling campy or awkward. There was also the perfect balance of exposition enough to keep 8 year old me entertained

At first I was so angry about Abe not being in it I hadn't realized how bad it was

Del Toro, despite being known as a horror director, tends to add a lot of levity to his films to not make them traumatizing or edgy. His films at their very best acknowledge the beauty of the grotesque without getting edgy or violent. Hellboy did this very well. The character in the original two films had the mentality of a teenager and only acted tough as a means of masking his real feelings. He could also be snarky but with redeemable traits too, like his love for kittens.

So Mike Magnolia broke up with Del Toro because the script he made didn't fit with his vision. So he pushed forward a reboot that didn't fit with his, Del Toro or even the director's vision instead. Great job, Mike.

Small mistake- not all monsters are allergic to metal, just fairies. And since pig boy is a changling fairy, it hurt him. The iron box trick would only work against a small percentage of monsters

As a beginner reader of the comics, and having watched the first movie recently while the second one a long time ago, what I love about Hellboy is that he's "lame cool". Like, his backstory is geniunely cool, and so are his powers and design, but whenever he chooses to quip or try to sound badass, it comes out as lame or goofy, and I fucking *adore* that. It makes him sound more human and loveable. He also doesn't curse much for being... you know..., which is refreshing. 2019 Hellboy, on the other hand, is basically the opposite. No hate to Harbor or anything, it was the script's fault tbh

Not to mention most of the exposition in Hellboy 1 & 2 was done by John Hurt. That man could read me my grocery list and I would feel like I was about to climb Mount Doom. RIP.

Something the reboot does poorly is making the villains interesting. Seriously, that nazi sand-bag guy was fucking terrifying.

The last time I was this early, Ron Perlman was still a big red demon starring in an incredible film series helmed by a visionary genius.

So many problems with this movie are due to the fact that they picked pieces from the comics without completely adapting them to be cohesive or comprehensive. A small example is the flashback scene with Gruagach impersonating baby Alice, he escapes by the chimney because in the comics, the family lives in a very rustic home in the countryside. So they changed the setting but kept the chimney escape, regardless that it didn't make sense anymore. Also, the BPRD isn't trying to hide Hellboy in the comics because he's well known by the general public, enough so that he's been granted honorary human status by the UN but you'd have no way of knowing this if you hadn't read the comics, which is another fail considering the larger audience who might watch this movie are more likely to be familiar with Hellboy only through the Del Toro movies... Hellboy is also much more mild mannered in the comics and there's very little expletives and gore in them... Anyway, I don't want to make an exhaustive list. This is already long enough and I'm not saying anything new...

I loved the fact that Pearlman’s Hellboy loved cats! Not that I am a big cat lover; I just thought it was an interesting detail!

the way this version of hellboy looks compared to Perlman's version is like when the bad guy in "The Mask" wears the mask versus when Jim Carry wore it.

Bro del toro is one of the only people who won't sell his soul and keeps getting screwed over in big movies

Neil got interviewed by Critical Drinker, he confirmed the rumors the studios was in control on the film. He even said he didn't see the script until after he signed on and couldn't change anything due to the studio.

"How big can it be?" still gets me chuckling all these years later and I think that's all that needs to be said about how good that films writing is

I LOVE the original two Hellboy films. Also, how Hellboy manages to get his enormous right hand through his coat sleeve is beyond me.

I feel bad because I get the sense the actors were really trying their best but the failures were coming from above

A second reboot of the film series, titled Hellboy: The Crooked Man, completed filming in May 2023.

As soon as Ron and Del Toro left, it was doomed for failure. Del Toro had the vision and Ron gave hellboy life people liked.

the thing is, while the comics are dark, they completely misinterpreted it. Hellboy as a comic is essentially like a noir. its generally not intended to be overtly comedic 99% of the time

The Agent Ruiz death made me so furious. It was based on a throw-away bit in the BPRD comics where they mention that, when Hellboy ran away from the organization, he spent a few years in Mexico hunting down vampires with a trio of Luchador brothers, all of whom succumbed to vampirism themselves. That's a whole gosh darn movie right there, and they wrote it off with the piece of garbage that was the 'opening' scene here.

Critical Drinker recently did an interview with the director of the Hellboy reboot. The director said he wasn’t in charge with the movie. He was told he was and would be able to make a horror Hellboy but they switched up and then a producer kept stepping in and messing with shit in post

The original makes the professor and the general to be overall good guys since they collectively agree to not kill him because he's just a kid, sure the general doesn't like hellboy in the future but it can simply explained as a disgruntled uncle and rowdy nephew dynamic

His arm looks extremely foamy at times. I never got the vibe that Perlman's arm was made of anything but stone, yet it too was made of foam.

Pearlman's Hellboy had yellow eyes, but his pupils were round, and when you looked into his face you could see a soft, caring soul. Harbor's Hellboy's eyes are demonic, and cat-like; he was designed to look ugly on purpose and the lack of a human aspect to the character hurt this aspect rather than help it

Basically, because Hellboy is a stoic gunslinging paranormal detective. And this movie had him pegged as an angry child.

As far as Hellboy not doing anything to hide is identity and nobody really noticing him (except for the cop who shot him), that was actually one of the few comic accurate parts of the movie. In one of the early Hellboy and the BPRD comics, after a successful mission, the American government publicly grants him human status. Bad movie all around, but that part they kinda got right.

I was severely depressed when Del Torro didn't make his third Hellboy movie

I honestly did not know that they rebooted Hellboy. And I still wish that I didn't know

My girlfriend noticed when Hellboy gets knocked on the ground from one of the giants, his armored hand is somehow on his left hand for the rest of the scene lol then instantly swaps back.

I was first year in uni when this hit the cinemas and I remember being extremely hyped to go see it since I loved the first two as a kid. Then one of my classmates who already watched it on the premiere told me not to see it for anything because it's so awful I'm just better off pretending it ain't exist and just preserve the memories I have of the origials the way they are. I haven't watched it since, but saw a few scenes and even from those tiny snippets I could instantly feel something's just really off.

Pearlman version: Ackward, but charming. Reboot version: Always looks like he's sitting in a chair about to fall asleep, even when standing.

"Then all the monsters get sucked back into the sewer. I mean, underworld." That. Stupid. Scene.

29:50 "... the British army never used M-16's". In fact the British SAS has used M16 variants for decades, though the variant shown may not be an accurate portrayal of the exact model variants used.

34:12 Is nobody gonna talk about the business guy just calmly walking across the street while a fucking demon is coming up from a massive whole in the ground right next to him?

I really hated how most of the people defending this movie took the "BuT ItS FaIThFuL To ThE CoMiC!!!" stance. No it wasn't, just because it took like 10 storylines and made all of them a disservice! Hellboy swearing like an edgy teen and the gratuitous gore doesn't even come CLOSE to the comic!! And don't get me started on the Lobser Johnson cameo... that fucking sucked.

I keep seeing the argument "They're making it to be more like the comics." when the tone of this film is nothing like the comics. EDIT: I can't reply to all of you, but I said TONE. Show me in the comics where they were filled with gore and profanity? The comics are methodical; atmospheric. They're a slow burn punctuated by Hellboy's cynicism and sense of humor.

There was a Hellboy reboot? I legit had zero clue...

The portrayal of Hellboy just felt like an immature teenager that was crying about dumb shit. Where as Ron Perlman's version was a more laid back character just kind of going through the motions of his job. Felt more fun that way. Like "this is what we do, lets get to work."

I really wish Del Toro would have been given the chance to make a third Hellboy....oh well, I'm satisfied with the first two. This new one is non-existent to me.

Hellboy (2019) is easily one of the worst films I saw in 2019 with an uninspired and generic storyline, boring and uninteresting characters, some terrible CGI effects, an awful villain and a humor that don't land at all. The only two positive things I can give this movie was David Harbor as Hellboy even though he wasn't nearly as great as Ron Perlman was from the two previous Guillermo Del Toro's Hellboy films and the Baba Yaga scene. Otherwise this film is a complete misfire. The fact that we got this pointless and bad Reboot instead of Guillermo Del Toro's Hellboy 3 with Ron Perlman is really depressing.

I feel the story should have been done in more than one movie because it was many interesting story (in the comics at least) but they didn't take the time to develop them completely

Part of me wonders if Ed Skrein really backed out because he took one look at he production and said "Fuck this noise! I'm out!"

Finally somebody actually said it!!! When I heard the "british" accent it just took me straight out of the film. If only there was a country filled with people with that accent....

Damn I didn’t realize they were close to making a third with toro and pearl man but it fell through. That would have been sick! I love the first two.😭

I hope there's a universe where del Toro would make a Hellboy stop motion animation movie with Ron Perlman.

I think the issue with new movies is that the director's think they're so smart bro look at good movies and just follow the steps

Noone going to mention that hellboy looks like he got smacked with a frying Pan a few to many times? Like who the hell thought it looked cool

I hated how almost everyone spoke with the over dramatic & intense line delivery like they're in an epic anime villains monologue.....

I wanted to like this movie so badly I actually rented it to give it a shot. The exposition repeats and unlikeable characters were the killers for me. Plus, the world and aesthetic wasn’t FUN, like the original movies and comics. It was captivating and interesting there, unlike the reboot and how boring they managed to make fae creatures feel.

the severed leg on the screen as you say "disjointed" at 3:08 had me DECEASED

I wish we got a third Guillermo Del Toro one, since there was the threat the Angel of Death gives to Liz about her suffering more than any and the danger of Hellboy destroying the world if he was saved from the magic spear. Everything Del Toro does is done with so much care and detail. The featurette about the Troll Market in "the Golden Army"was so great, just shows all his ideas! I love it.

Del Toro added the whole "hide monsters from society" aspect. In the comics, magic and demons are commonplace and The BPRD isn't really a secret. But I do agree that the movie doesn't do a good job establishing that.

The 2004 Hellboy is one of my favorite movies, one that my family and I quote often. Ron Pearlman was perfect, but I figured I would give the reboot a try. Oh. My. God. It was awful. They were trying too hard to be edgy, there was a lot of gore, and the dialog sucked.

Cats, candy bars, and the like make him relatable. Its hard to relate or support an alcoholic unless there is a good redemption arc.

Why the hell does the pig boy creature in the flashback remind me of Scrappy Doo from that live action Scooby Doo movie?

It was just all over the place. Wise cracking and one liners one second, then one dude getting skinned alive and bisected the next. At least the Perlman Hellboy had a consistent tone

liked this review. would be cool to see you read the comics (i havnt done so myself) and see how it stacks ups

6:53 bro i never knew one frame of an image and one word could fill me with so much nostalgia

I legit laughed when the Nazi dude talked and sounded like he's from Chicago and american as possible

When I was young I had a crush on Hellboy because of how the actor portrayed him, this one is just..not even close to as good as Pearlman's.

I remember listening to Ron Pearlman talk at a comic con how he was excited to start in on hellboy 3 before things went to shit

Out of everything that pissed me off about this movie, the "EXCALIBUR! This is no mortal weapon" made me laugh the hardest. A good example of something similar done right, was castlevania with Trevor vs Dracula, when Trevor struck Dracula using the morning star whip, and Dracula begrudgingly scoffing under his breath "the morning, Star" which showcased the importance of the weapon. It was always shown and never addressed as much, only when it actually harms the main threat, its given recognition. I could rant all day about this movie and the mistakes that could be fixed, but I don't wanna give it anymore attention than it deserves

I was already worried when I saw articles saying "Hellboy's reboot will stay close to the comic with uncesored gore and blood" in a comic book series which had like 3 issues where gore and blood were heavily featured

I was pissed at this movie so much. Hellboy was done dirty and we won’t see another for a long time

Thank you for such an incredibly good and accurate review. Especially with any reboot, we have to be tough and have to compare the original film(s) to something that if it doesn't blow your mind or create nostalgia, why bother??

I’m holding out hope a horror director will correctly reboot this series. HB was always slow burn detective story with Lovecraftian overtones. It fits in with the King universe than either adaptation. Still plenty of material to work with and I hope Mignola signs off next time. “Wolves of Saint August” still gives me chills.

Older hellboy was actually hotter lmao And his tail had actual movement not a rubber worm bs thing

He was way too whiny. I prefer the Del Toro ones, to be honest.

To be fair, some members of the British military did sporadically use the M16A2 rifle throughout the 90s, although it was never standard issue. Some SAS scud hunters used it during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. However, no UKSF unit was using the M16 during the time the flashback took place, those guys have MTP uniforms.

I've been avoiding this movie but your video is the only exposure to it and it hospitalized me into reading the comics and watching the real movies again. Hellboy is my favorite comic and the Perlman films are some of my favorite movies, thank you for subjecting yourself to this torture so that it is minimized for us

The scene where Hellboy's boss shows him about the difference in lighting a cigar with zippo and a match was, honestly, my favorite part of all three movies so far.

I honestly knew it was going to be garbage because of one word “reshoots”

I really don't understand how all of these people didn't say ANYTHING about the script for this movie. Even if you don't know anything about Hellboy......AT ALL......you can still tell that this movie has one of the worst plots ever conceived. Hollyweird has like 1 or 2 real actors who wont put up with this kind of shit....well maybe 1.

Anyone else reminded of Chris Farley when the "line in the sand" line was made?

Del Toro is the Jim Henson of fantasy movies. His work will withstand the tests of time. Any attempts to reboot his work will be pale in comparison.

Ron said no and del toro said no. Studio: it’s fine we’ll reboot the movies because the fans love reboots o_O

18:00 - The reason why the movie assumes your attention span is so low is due to shoddy writing and cutting corners in pre-production, and then making redundancies to cover for mistakes and possibly save them from having to do re-shoots. Basically, the script isn't finalised by the time they begin filming, and everything is rushed to high hell. As a result, they'll film multiple different options for the delivery of certain key exposition to give themselves the opportunity to "rescue the movie in the editing room." They're basically passing the buck for building the story to the editors rather than having a cohesive idea of what they're doing ahead of time. A script in flux, storyboards which are "all up here in my head" and a rushed production leave little tell-tale fingerprints like this. Another movie with the same issue is "Bright," the Will Smith netflix movie which can be summed up as: "Good idea, bad execution."

Really enjoyed some of the designs in the newest film and how they were not afraid of gore. I think its biggest issue was the writing. As a fan of the graphic novel, it not only didn't capture the feel/atmosphere of the comic but its almost like it tried to squeeze in things from three to four completely separate story arcs from the books into one story. In doing this major key parts are left out of each leaving the story as a whole feeling shallow and rushed.

“Show don’t tell” thank you completely summing up everything wrong with movies for the last 20 years with 3 words. Psychedelic sentence

ftr, hellboy was never really considered a "secret" in the comics. he (and the BPRD itself) was generally not well known to the public and he was mostly given out-of-the-way cases to deal with where rumours wouldn't spread far, but he wasn't "classified" or anything (at least not since he was a child and actually joined as an agent). Most of that changed after the plague of frogs though and most of the world was generally aware of the paranatural and the BPRD. The storyline with the vampires and getting drunk in mexico seems to be an adaptation of a few of his travels in mexico from his early days as an agent when he was basically a rebellious teenager looking for freedom in his life. He'd made a mistake, got depressed, drunk, ended up staring in a few mexican wrestling films as "el diablo" in a drunken stupor on the promise of more booze. An agent who was a fan of mexican wrestling films identified him in a recent tape he got and brought it to bruttenholm's* attention, and he sent hellboy's closest friend in the agency to pick him up iirc. I haven't seen the movie yet so i don't know the context in which they adapted but from the looks of it i'd say it's a pretty disappointing insult to the powerful character development that arc provided. *just thought i'd mention my auto-correct thought his name should be "buttonhole" and i lost it.

That guy we just meant is actually a devastating story in the comics, it’s apart of the comic book compilation of his backstory

I come for the cogent film commentary but I stay for the groovy "Hep Cats" track.

David Arbour could've pulled off Hellboy, but they shouldn't have overdone his face with a mask. Not only does it make him slightly less expressive, unlike Ron Pearlman's makeup, but it also disadvantages whenever he speaks, because the mask is so thick.

Can we just have Ron Perlman finish his trilogy of Hellboy and pretend the reboot never happened. Just like whats happening with Ghostbusters.

Hey Cynical. You're reviews are great. Could you one day finally do Cats and explain why it failed.

To be fair, if I was walking the streets of London and saw a big red devil man, I'd think "fair enough" and keep walking.

Reboot Hellboy looks like he is lost and sounds drunk on every scene

The old Hellboys were so rich in details that I find something new every time watching it. The new one, watching once is too much to handle.

17:53 is that demond pig speaking with a Birmingham accent?! that is hilarious! lolllllll also, 32:34 is that Big Mo?! lolllllll

I usually have a rule that tends to serve me well with trailers. If they try and stick some corny or cliche one liner into the trailer as a focal point it's probably going to suck. For this movie the trailer has all this stuff going on then suddenly a break down and Hellboy going. "I hope I'm not late to the party" I heard and it was like yea this is gonna bomb. Warcraft had the same sorta thing. That line. "Whatever you're going to do, do it now!" Immediately went oookay this is gonna suck. Idk why it always seems to prove true but it's something I've noticed that seems to work for me. I've often wondered if it was just me that clocked these sort of one liners and thought they were bad or if other people hear them and think whoa epic.