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Hellboy

Before the gruesome fairy tale Pan's Labyrinth terrified thousands of adults from across the globe, director Guillermo del Toro was focused on the Rasputin myth. After all, Rasputin was supposedly shot, stabbed, castrated, and poisoned before finally rolled up in a carpet and thrown in a river. Much like Elvis, people have reported seeing Rasputin as many as twenty years after his purported demise. For a fan of the weird and occasionally grotesque, Rasputin is a fascinating study. Although he is not the main character in Hellboy, the film uses his history to connect him with Nazis in a scheme to gain ultimate power. Although Rasputin was taken by the power that brought Hellboy to Earth, his Nazi lover Ilsa has conspired with long-time assassin Kroenen to bring him forth for a chance to reopen the portal.

The title character is played by Ron Perlman, and emerges on Earth as a demonic child with a fondness for Baby Ruth bars. One of the child’s hands is made of stone, and is covered with strange symbolic markings and carvings. Professor Trevor "Broom" Bruttenholm (John Hurt) takes the child under his wing, and is put in charge of the United States' Bureau of Paranormal Research. Sixty years later, Hellboy is older, but as mature as a human in his or her twenties. He takes care of cats as a hobby, loves pyro-telekenetic Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), is often grounded by his father (Broom) and fights the forces of evil on a regular basis along with Abe Sapien (an amphibious psychic voiced by David Hyde Pierce).

Though del Toro now has a reputation for gore, Hellboy isn’t as bloody as it could have been. The script actually allows for humor on a frequent basis, and oftentimes the wit is worth a chuckle. The special effects are what one could expect from a movie made in 2003 – not overboard on the CG, but just enough to make it seem realistic. The film is an interesting take on the fate of Rasputin, as well as a scientific journey convincing enough for any government conspiracy theorist.

Written by: Tracy Elledge

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