After 20 Years & 2 Reboots, This Comic Book Hero Remains a Hellish Mess (2024)

The following contains spoilers for Hellboy: The Crooked Man, streaming now on Prime Video.

Much like Hellboy's greatest fear of joining Hell's evil forces, it is ironic that his franchise's greatest fear is the long arm of development hell. After Guillermo del Toro's vision for a third film succumbed to a lonely death in limbo, Millennium Media took a big swing and a miss in 2019 with a David Habour-helmed reboot. This time around, it is all about managing expectations. With a smaller cast, a smaller budget, and a short story for the plot, Hellboy celebrates his 30th anniversary this year with a new film that looks more suited to the TV screen than the silver screen.

Arriving on video-on-demand in the US a few days after the character's canonical birthday, Hellboy: The Crooked Man celebrates one of the Big Red's lesser-known victories. While most of Hellboy's short stories are an appendix to his legendary adventures through Hell and Earth, they are simply the same thrill but on a smaller scale. Hellboy: The Crooked Man runs in the same veins, taking the reboot in baby steps. Director Brian Taylor of Crank and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance fame focuses on a young Hellboy who, for once, is not at the center of a spine-chilling caper. It is a story that brings Mike Mignola's pages to life like none other, but glaring faults in the technical aspects make it hard to beat the fan film allegations.

Hellboy: The Crooked Man Takes a Short Story to the Big Screen

A New Hellboy Era Begins

Hellboy: The Crooked Man follows the 2008 story of the same name to the tee, albeit with some artistic liberties that come with the cinematic territory. The opening scene has been completely rehauled and cushioned with a scrappy fisticuff between Hellboy and a monstrous spider. Unlike the original comic where he wanders the Appalachians, the protagonist in the film is merely lost. Left to lick his wounds after losing his sinister cargo, Hellboy travels deep into the woods with his fellow BPRD agent Bobby Jo Song until they come across signs of witchcraft. At this point, the story calms its pace and introduces Hellboy's soon-to-be allies and the eponymous villain in no hurry. The only reason the story manages to pull ahead is because of the arrival of Tom Ferrell, whose cruciality to the plot deputizes Hellboy in his own film.

For the most part, Hellboy: The Crooked Man's plot-driven nature helps to unearth the deep-rooted mystery and the pungent odor of unholy lore within the tale. The film calls upon the big guy's right hand of Doom only when there is some knuckledusting action afoot. Yet, for reasons unknown, Hellboy feels the pull to settle a personal vendetta between Tom and the Devil despite being an outsider. Perhaps the story does it to establish an emotional connection that gives Hellboy a stake in Tom's fate, or it is a way to remind audiences that he is still the protagonist of the film. Either way, Hellboy: The Crooked Man has the signature makings of a Hellboy tale through and through. From the sinners rising from the dead to attack a church to the crooked demon wiping the floor with the Big Red, there is a gristly feeling that sends both thrills and chills to the bone.

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Mike Mignola and the Cast and Crew of 'Hellboy: The Crooked Man' Discuss Adapting His Favorite Story

Mike Mignola and the Cast and Crew of 'Hellboy: The Crooked Man' Discuss Adapting His Favorite Story

The biggest issue of Hellboy: The Crooked Man is its storytelling. It starts with an intriguing subplot that is quickly abandoned and never mentioned again until the need arises in the final act to tie up all loose ends. The film tries to add its own spin to the climax by giving Bobby Jo a story arc, but it is so far removed from the main story that it makes the whole storyline with the spider redundant. Adapting any comic is a tough business, and adapting one that ends in a few odd pages means the pacing ultimately pays the price. There are also some odd breaks in the film's narrative due to its faithful page-by-page rendering. It may look nice in a comic but within the flow of a story, they are superfluous.

Hellboy: The Crooked Man Keeps the Inner Circle Small

New Cast Rolls With the Punches

Thankfully, with the release of Hellboy: The Crooked Man, it is safe to say there has never been a bad Hellboy actor. After Ron Perlman nailed the character's demeanor and David Harbour brought a smidgeon of gruffness to the role, actor Jack Kesy had a mountain to climb. Instead of going overboard, he remains faithful to the comics with a hand-rolled cigarette in his mouth and his trusty right arm by his side. Kesy not only looks the part, he sounds the part as well. His portrayal of Hellboy is of one who understands he is not fully human, but that does not mean he will let evil prey on the innocents. Hellboy is a man of few words and big swings, which the film uses to show his experience and youth. Kesy effortlessly gives him a lonely aura despite being a great team player who does all the heavy lifting, both in the plot and in fights.

Meanwhile, Tom Ferrell's character plays a pivotal role in giving the film its essence. Through him, Hellboy and, by proxy, the audience learns of the many things haunting the Appalachians. From the vilest witches like Effie Kolb to the ones lost and broken in spirit like Cora Fisher, the world of Hellboy: The Crooked Man is very much a battle between good and evil. Tom's connection to The Crooked Man, the primary antagonist of the tale, is at the heart of the suspenseful plot. It is almost like they are the two sides of the same coin, with the only caveat being The Crooked Man is evil beyond measure. Jefferson White as Tom Ferrell does a fair job of giving the character some personality, but his acting still feels amateurish, especially beside Joseph Marcell, who once played TV’s favorite butler. Marcell is a force of nature as the blind reverend Nathaniel Watts whose faith tests him over the course of the story.

"I am the heebie-jeebies," - Hellboy.

An original character made for the movie, Bobbie Jo Song gives Hellboy's machoness a feminine balance and becomes more than just a sidekick as the story progresses. She may be clueless and scared at times, but it only proves the character's inexperience. The agency she demonstrates in times of need shows good character writing on the part of the writers. Adeline Rudolph is one of the better actors in the cast, whose fresh face imbues energy into a sordid tale. Although the story does not reveal much about the character's backstory, Rudolph gives a melancholic feel to her bookish character — an urgency to go deep into the archaic despite its dangers. Kesy and Rudolph have good onscreen chemistry. However, the film's forced romance angle is worse than the pacing.

Hellboy: The Crooked Man Disappoints in Its Horror

It Had the Potential but Failed to Realize It

Hellboy stories have always explored the esoteric, focusing on Eldritch horror. Shock value was never on Mignola's agenda, and it seems Hellboy: The Crooked Man follows a similar path. For the first time, a Hellboy film has the makings of a typical horror movie — a demonic entity haunts a group trapped inside a chapel in the woods. The unique setting of the arid wilderness and the fog-covered topography would have made any other movie a dry affair. Luckily, the Big Red is here to smash and burn evil to the ground.

Scary is not the word to describe Hellboy: The Crooked Man, but it is certainly creepy. From Cora Fisher wearing her human skin like breaking into a unitard to the dead with their rotting flesh waking up, the imageries in the film give it a distinct atmosphere. The CGI works well in small doses, with the practical effects blending masterfully with the surroundings, including the prosthetics and costume Kesy wears for the entirety of the film. As soon as the scenes shift to creature effects, the CGI becomes worse than questionable. Not to mention the constraints in cinematography, which is plain to see in the frames to no fault of the creatives behind the camera.

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The Crooked Man, once known as Jeremiah Witkins when he was still a mortal, is truly one of the vilest villains Hellboy has gone up against. His actions and those of his coven of witches give Hellboy: The Crooked Man its fill of supernatural hauntings. Played with flair by Martin Bassindale, the Devil of the Appalachians is the boogeyman whose very presence sends alarm bells ringing. The Crooked Man's trickery knows no bounds, making the third act all the more unpredictable. He is a horror movie villain through and through, and the rattling sound he makes before raining down his wrath leaves the audience unsettled.

Hellboy: The Crooked Man’s Accuracy Is a Double-Edged Sword

The Comic Book Adaptation Comes With Its Hits and Misses

After 20 Years & 2 Reboots, This Comic Book Hero Remains a Hellish Mess (4)

Comic book movies have always deviated from the source material or taken inspiration from multiple runs. Hellboy: The Crooked Man happens to be a misstep in this era of superhero fatigue, as it leaves no pages unturned of the comic story in question. The film gives nothing a miss, which brings a different kind of trouble: how to pad the runtime. These additional scenes drag on, sometimes overstaying their welcome.

However, there is one place where the film deviates from the comic. The original story took inspiration from Manly Wade Wellman's character, John the Balladeer, who roamed the Appalachians fighting the supernatural. Admittedly, a roaming Hellboy coming upon Tom Ferrell's affairs felt nothing special. Instead, the film abandons such a lackluster start and opens with a bang as it understands the immensity of first impressions.

"I just like to have some excessively high-caliber ammo on hand. Just in case." - Hellboy.

Hellboy: The Crooked Man lacks a star-studded cast and does nothing new or engrossing with its horror. For all intents and purposes, it is an indie movie. While it partly keeps its promise of visceral horror, where the movie truly shines in its page-to-film translation of the story's key moments for all Hellboy fans to enjoy. Sadly, the film may not be as memorable as its predecessors, but the franchise's tonal shift to adapting the big guy's minor adventures gives hope that this is the start of a long road ahead.

Hellboy: The Crooked Man is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.

After 20 Years & 2 Reboots, This Comic Book Hero Remains a Hellish Mess (5)

5

10

Hellboy: The Crooked Man

Action

Horror

Fantasy

Hellboy ventures into the Appalachian Mountains alongside a novice BPRD agent to confront a demonic entity known as the Crooked Man. As they uncover dark secrets and face supernatural horrors, they must prevent an ancient evil from rising and wreaking havoc on the world.

Director
Brian Taylor

Release Date
September 19, 2024

Cast
Jack Kesy , Jefferson White , Martin Bassindale , Adeline Rudolph , Leah McNamara , Hannah Morgetson , Joseph Marcell , Nathan Cooper

Writers
Christopher Golden , Mike Mignola

Main Genre
Action

Pros

  • Faithful to the source material.
  • Though not a star-studded cast, the performances are strong.
  • Plenty of creepy (if not terrifying) action.

Cons

  • The horror aspect feels watered down.
  • A narrative mess that affects the storytelling.
  • The pacing defeats the purpose of adapting a short story.
After 20 Years & 2 Reboots, This Comic Book Hero Remains a Hellish Mess (2024)
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