The verdict on the latest attempt at bringing Hellboy into live-action, Hellboy: The Crooked Man, is in. And while it may not have resulted in the worst effort so far, fans of the character and the comic are likely to be disappointed nonetheless, as Hellboy: The Crooked Man has achieved a rating of just 29% on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.
This puts it in the penultimate position in the franchise, with 2019’s Hellboy starring David Harbour infamously standing at just 17% on the Tomatometer. Both The Crooked Man and the 2019 outing fall well below the movies made by Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, whose first movie stands at a “certified fresh” 81%, while the sequel, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, fares even better at 86%.
The criticisms leveled at Hellboy: The Crooked Man begin with Leslie Felperin of The Guardian, who gives the movie just 2/5 and slams the script and the cast. Though they did find something to enjoy in Adeline Rudolph as rookie B.P.R.D. agent Bobbie Jo Song.
“No amount of budget could make up for the sputtering mess of a script, or the dead-on-the-inside expressions of the cast — apart from Rudolph who is consistently watchable.”
The condemnation continues courtesy of Brian Orndorf of Blu-ray.com, who struggled to get through the reboot despite its fleeting 90-miniute runtime.
“Little excitement and a dreary story that makes the 90-minute-long run time difficult to endure, with Mignola himself unable to breathe life into his own creation.”
Casey Chong of Casey’s Movie Mania felt some respect towards The Crooked Man for its commitment to the comics, but ultimately found the experience “dull.”
“The second Hellboy reboot stays faithful to the comics but not enough to overcome the dull execution of the movie.”
Finally, Dan Jolin of Empire gave Hellboy: The Crooked Man just 2/5 and concluded that, while a valiant effort, the latest reboot of Big Red feels disappointingly low budget.
“Valiant though this low-budget attempt to reclaim Hellboy may be, it sadly lacks the storytelling and stylistic savvy to rise above its all-too-obvious budgetary limitations.”
There Has Been Praise for Jack Kesy in the Title Role
However, much like the titular character himself, there is good alongside the bad. Dave Golder of Radio Times found a lot to like in lead actor Jack Kesy’s performance as the comic book icon.
“A couple of CG monster battles feel unnecessary, but Kesy’s refreshingly laconic take on Hellboy is a welcome departure from previous screen incarnations.”
And Victoria Luxford of City AM found Hellboy: The Crooked Man to be a refreshing cinematic experience away from all the “Hollywood bloat.”
“A chance to see a comic book movie without the Hollywood bloat… the creepy vibe and bone dry humour make it a lot of fun.”
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Hellboy Creator Was ‘Unhappy’ With Guillermo del Toro’s Sequel
Hellboy creator Mike Mignola did not like his lack of creative influence on Guillermo del Toro’s 2008 film The Golden Army.
Directed by Brian Taylor (Crank, Gamer), from a screenplay by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden, Hellboy: The Crooked Man stars Jack Kesy (The Strain, The Killer) as the titular Hellboy alongside Adeline Rudolph (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Resident Evil), Jefferson White (Yellowstone), Leah McNamara (The Gentlemen), Joseph Marcell (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), Hannah Margetson (Min kamp), and Martin Bassindale (Masters of the Air). You can check out the official synopsis below.
“In the 1950s, Hellboy and a rookie BPRD agent, stranded in rural Appalachia, discover a small community haunted by witches, led by a local devil with a troubling connection to Hellboy’s past: The Crooked Man.”
Hellboy: The Crooked Man is scheduled to be released in theaters in the United Kingdom on September 27. Surprisingly, the movie will skip theaters in the United States and instead head straight to video on demand (VOD), with streaming platforms now listing Hellboy: The Crooked Man for release October 07, 2024 9:00 PM PDT.