Greetings, fellow denizens of the geekosphere! It’s your resident tech and entertainment aficionado here, back again with a piping hot take on the latest cinematic foray into the infernal: Hellboy: The Crooked Man. Now, before we delve into the nitty-gritty, let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room – or rather, the hulking, red-skinned, cigar-chomping demon in the Appalachian wilderness.
Hellboy: Crooked Man
Yes, this is another attempt to reboot the Hellboy franchise, a franchise that, let’s be honest, has had a somewhat turbulent cinematic history. We’ve had the delightful gothic grandeur of Guillermo del Toro’s early 2000s adaptations, with Ron Perlman embodying the wisecracking, world-weary Hellboy to perfection. Then there was the 2019 reboot attempt with David Harbour, which, shall we say, didn’t quite set the box office ablaze.
Now, director Brian Taylor (of Crank fame) takes the helm, teaming up with Hellboy creator Mike Mignola himself to bring us a film that promises a return to the source material’s folk horror roots. But does it deliver? Well, buckle up, buttercup, because it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
This time around, Jack Kesy dons the horns and the (presumably metric ton of) red makeup to portray Big Red. While Kesy certainly has the physique for the role, his performance feels somewhat… muted. Where Perlman exuded gruff charisma and Harbour brought a tortured vulnerability, Kesy’s Hellboy seems to be channeling a kind of stoic weariness that, while perhaps fitting for the character’s predicament, doesn’t quite capture the same spark.
The supporting cast is a mixed bag. Adeline Rudolph as Agent Bobbie Jo Song injects some much-needed energy into the proceedings, her enthusiastic rookie agent providing a nice contrast to Hellboy’s cynicism. The villains, however, are a bit underwhelming. Martin Bassindale’s Crooked Man, despite the dapper top hat, lacks the menacing presence one might expect from a demonic entity who barters in souls.
One can’t help but feel that the film’s budgetary constraints have significantly impacted its overall quality. The CGI is, at times, distractingly poor, particularly in the case of a certain escaped spider creature that shall not be named (lest we summon it from the digital abyss). The cinematography also suffers, with a flat, almost washed-out look that does little to enhance the film’s atmosphere.
That said, the film does manage to capture a certain folk horror vibe, with eerie levitating witches and creepy Appalachian locales. However, these elements are often undercut by the film’s uneven pacing and somewhat clunky dialogue.
Fans of Mike Mignola’s comics will appreciate the film’s attempts to stay true to the source material, particularly in its adaptation of the “Crooked Man” storyline. The film delves into some of the darker, more folklore-inspired aspects of the Hellboy universe, exploring themes of witchcraft, demonic pacts, and the cost of forbidden knowledge.
However, the film’s budgetary limitations prevent it from fully realizing the visual richness and complexity of Mignola’s artwork. The Crooked Man himself, while visually faithful to his comic book counterpart, lacks the same grotesque grandeur on screen.
Hellboy: The Crooked Man is a bit of a mixed bag. While it has its moments, particularly in its embrace of folk horror and its attempts to stay true to the comics, it ultimately falls short due to budgetary constraints, uneven pacing, and a somewhat underwhelming performance from its lead.
