Atomic Fangirl

Because sometimes I don’t get to a screening, or a film just isn’t screened for press. Herewith, my take on the Hellboy reboot!

It is, however, a whole lot of messy, stupid fun if you can get past the screenplay that crams so much into it that nothing makes sense. This film has moments that hint at the incredible film it could have been, but never reached. Hell, it has a hard enough time grabbing stuff from the lowest shelf, let alone a high bar. That’s a pity, as this film deals with questions like who decides what’s monstrous, the outsider, and the family you choose, yet it buries those ideas deep in the ground, and dishes up a lack of emotional payoff instead.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved the monsters this film trots out. I enjoyed the effects; even the silliest CGI works in this universe. And seeing Ian McShane, Mila Jovovich, Daniel Dae Kim and David Harbour is always a good time. But re-watch American Gods, Resident Evil, Hawaii 5-O and Stranger Things before deciding to plunk down your hard-earned here. Because the behind-the-scenes drama bleeds into the Hellboy, destroying everything in its path.

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