For those who are not aware, this film is, in fact, a reboot and is not connected to the original instalments from 2004 & 2008.

After a super quick (and rushed) narration about an evil Sorceress who was stopped by King Arthur & Merlin, the film jumps to the present day where Hellboy (a creature discovered during a German experiment) roams the world stopping the villains of a supernatural and evil nature.

As a reboot, I was concerned about this film, in particular the leading role of Hellboy. This time, actor David Harbour (best known for the TV series Stranger Things) suits up for the leading role.
To my surprise, it is his performance here that is the highlight of the entire film. I will also speak highly of his costume design and the work of the makeup department. The lead actor also manages to sneak in a couple of minor gags which are well delivered.

But! Apart from the above for me, this movie has multiple issues which are ultimately disappointing to talk about.

As a plot, the film is a massive mess. The movie, at times, can feel extremely rushed with scenes leaping from one to the next. It’s incredible how quickly Hellboy can travel around Earth, exploring caves and entering supernatural worlds, all done at a speedy pace. The film’s script also feels mismatched and sometimes a scene is given odd narration which only makes me think this film had either some production issues or budget restraints. Nevertheless, I found the plot silly and our leading villain over the top ridiculous, giving predictable villain dialogue.

By the 1hr 34min mark, I officially said out loud, “Nope- I’m done this with movie” and lost hope. To clarify, I still watched the whole film, but I simply called it an epic fail before the ending even came.

Hellboy managed to entertain fans with a couple of exciting action sequences, but the film’s choice of music during these moments felt way off the mark, and I found it off-putting and distracting.

Overall, even though actor David Habour plays a great Hellboy, this is still a weak and disappointing reboot. With a poor plot, the pacing is rushed along with messy edits. I didn’t mind the original two instalments, but Hellboy 2019 didn’t excite me nor did it deliver any joy on my scale.

2.4/10

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Review Written by Peter Walkden