HELLBOY review by Tangina Barrons…

A pet project of its helmer for many years, HELLBOY is based on a fan favourite graphic novel by Mike Mignola. It focuses on a red skinned demon who was originally summoned by the war weary Nazis to aid their campaign. In infancy, Hellboy is rescued and raised in secret by ‘the good guys’. Flash-forward and we witness an all out attempt to re-enlist the adult Hellboy back into the bad guys camp to spearhead a present day attack on all civilisation.

Whilst I appreciate I’m not HELLBOY’s target audience (I have breasts and am in a relationship), that didn’t stop me from relishing the recent mutant phenomena of the Olsen twins. I mean X-Men. And though HELLBOY looked promising on paper (thanks to the proven horror artistry of Spanish man-mountain Guillermo Del Toro) it sadly fails to deliver little more than a mild yawning fit.
True, Ron Perlman does look freakishly natural as the Nazi-summoned demon and yet he’s given painfully un-natural wisecracks, they remind you that it is only Ron Perlman in make-up.

The movie’s other slap-jobs are equally impressive such as Doug Jones’ fish-faced Abe Sapian (undermined by a diploma from the C-3PO School of Acting) and the awesome nazi assassin who manages to be deeply evil without the aid of lips or eye-lids. The young Hellboy for example is expertly rendered, as is the shimmery green underwater sequence that is reminiscent of Big G’s art-house roots. Fans of Cronos and The Devil’s Backbone will take delight in one of the films highlights in which our heroes resurrect a crusty old dead guy.

In fact it’s only when the practical effects are abandoned in favour of average looking CGI that the film sinks below acceptable. Selma Blair comes off looking like an ad for British Gas and, along with the rest of the cast, lacks the gravitas that the X-men seem to eXude. Surely we’re beyond plummy English Profs and panto villains by now. Granted, voicing otherwise silent graphic characters can prove tricky, maybe this is something Del Boy can rectify before 2006, and the slated release of HELLBOY 2.

Given that Del Toro has only one critical blot on his note book, in the shape of 1997’s Mimic, and that the risky Blade II was a resounding success, maybe he was overdue for a filmic fumble. HELLBOY, let’s hope is his one misstep this decade.


MILLIONS review by Fletch…

A modern day magical fairytale from the director of diversity: Danny Boyle. He who has brought us such iconic films as Trainspotting and 28 Days Later brings to the screen a film about two young brothers dealing with the death of their mother and the new found wealth of a large holdall of cash…

Set in a new housing development somewhere in the north of England, Damian and Anthony are two normal lads who are coming to terms with their new life, a new house and new adventures when one day Damian comes across a bag of cash and shares this with his brother. The two are unaware that the money has been dumped by the mob waiting to pick it up at a safer time.

The Cunningham boys begin their story as one wants to spend and the other wants to help the needy (as their father carries on completely oblivious). The backdrop to the main story has the UK going through the introduction of the Euro, so the clock is ticking for them being able to spend the money and foiling the rightful owner of the cash.

Quite a departure for Boyle, this very British film is more of a step back for the director as he( I am sure) wants to get involved with smaller intimate projects as well as the big budget backed studio films. The two young actors playing the Cunningham brother are very good and TV favourite James Nesbitt plays the busy bumbling father. A great ensemble sees familiar faces from TV and film used to great comic effect with the boys always at the centre of things.

But it is the story and underlying message about greed that rises to the top for me. Very topical and rightfully moralistic, this film should hit screens just at the right time.

As with any Danny Boyle film the look and feel is very stylistic and some great shots have not been compromised by a relatively small budget. A good use of soundtrack has some great pounding moments of action one minute, to very emotional touching scenes the next. This is definitely a crowd pleaser as you are drawn into their world right from the start and this story has many highs and many lows you can’t help getting involved.

I thought the film had a wonderful opening twenty minutes with some really inventive camera work and SFX that just sucker punches you from when the curtains go back and the final act was again very well done but it did tend to drag in the middle with very little to do, but when called upon it did kick into gear. Like so many films these days it is very hard to maintain the opening expectations but with that in mind it is so much better than most things made and financed in the UK!

High points would have to be the two main leads that are stars in the making, they gel this film together and make you care. Low point would have to be the second act that lacks the impact of the start and finish. One to watch though as it has a Christmas release this year, and with the right campaign it could be on everyone’s alternative wish list when the big guns have fired this festive season.

3/5