Movie Night 97:  Hellboy (2004)
     Director:  Guillermo Del Toro
     Cast:  Ron Perlman, John Hurt, Selma Blair, Doug Jones
     Plot:  In 1942, The Unided States sent a squad of specialists to an island off the coast of Scottland to stop a Nazi plot to unleash armageddon upon the world.  Upon stopping them, the specialists discovered a demon child with a large stone hand - and decided to name him Hellboy (Perlman).

In present day times, enter the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD).  This is the government organization that Hellboy works for, along with his fishy friend Abe Sapien (Jones), his father (Hurt), and his first caster love interest Liz (Blair). 

The evil that once released Hellboy is back to try to destroy humanity, and it's up to the team of the BPRD to try to save the world!  With various creatues to face - including the Seed of Destruction - Hellboy must keep himself a secret from the world outside while battling the monsters that try to attack it.  And ultimately, Hellboy must unravel his past to understand his destiny - will he be our savior, or unleash the Right Hand of Doom and destroy us all!

The first Hellboy movie is bogged down by a lot of exposition (having crammed 4-5 graphic novels worth of content into a 2+ hour movie), but that doesn't mean that it's not a fun and enjoyable ride.  The characters are a refreshing bunch that you don't typically see in movies these days, and it's interesting how easily you grow to like them and their plight.  Each has unique perspectives on the world that they try to save, and unique motivations for doing so.  The comics are a must-read for people who saw this movie and craved more - but you don't have to have read them to enjoy the movie. 

Watch this flick!