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| Scene from Hellboy |
Welcome to the sporadic column Trailing Off in which I take a look at a trailer from the past week and analyze its potential. This will be done using an obnoxious amount of analyzing and personal thoughts on the cast and crew as well as expectations. I will attempt to highlight films ranging from new blockbusters to lesser known indies and give them their due. Partially to spread awareness, I do believe that there is an art to the sell and will do my best to highlight why these trailers matter or don't with approval (trove) or disapproval (trash). So please stop by, recommend some trailers, and I will see you next time.
Trailer in Discussion
Directed By: Neil Marshall
Written By: Andrew Cosby (Screenplay), Mike Mignola (Created By)
Starring: Milla Jovovich, Ian McShane, David Harbour
- Preamble -
The history of Hellboy on the big screen has been a bit of a curious one. The original was successful enough, but it couldn't be considered enough of a runaway hit to compare to the films of Marvel and D.C. that dominated the box office. The sequel was sadly buried underneath the wrecking ball that was The Dark Knight. This was so much the case that the original director and writer, Guillermo del Toro, wouldn't be able to get a third film off the ground. He tried to get financing, but it never came to fruition. Even with adamant fan support, the film was never able to convince studios to bring back Ron Perlman for the film. With the most loved incarnation of the character unable to return, why even try to make a sequel again?
It's the animosity that surrounds the film, especially for those who think that David Harbour is a far cry from Perlman. How could anything compare to a director who was visually challenging, making some of the greatest monster designs of the 21st century in films like Pan's Labyrinth and most recently in The Shape of Water? There's a lot to wonder about here. Despite insistence that everyone be supportive of this new Hellboy, most haven't taken del Toro and company's words of optimism and have chosen to remain skeptical. There are few directors who even come close to capturing the mentality let alone aesthetic of del Toro's original work, and the first few images from the film didn't leave much room for doubt.
Hellboy in 2019 comes 15 years after the original, and one has to wonder what it will take to make amends for loyal fans who feel that this new version isn't good enough. Considering that it is technically true even under the best circumstances, the idea of something replacing two beloved films is difficult to take. What does Harbour have to bring to the role that makes Hellboy more than a big, ugly brute who quips and goes on adventures? There's a lot to wonder about here. In the age where every character seems to be rebooted every five years, it's strange that it took this long for another Hellboy to appear. Now the question arises if it was all worth it.
It's the animosity that surrounds the film, especially for those who think that David Harbour is a far cry from Perlman. How could anything compare to a director who was visually challenging, making some of the greatest monster designs of the 21st century in films like Pan's Labyrinth and most recently in The Shape of Water? There's a lot to wonder about here. Despite insistence that everyone be supportive of this new Hellboy, most haven't taken del Toro and company's words of optimism and have chosen to remain skeptical. There are few directors who even come close to capturing the mentality let alone aesthetic of del Toro's original work, and the first few images from the film didn't leave much room for doubt.
Hellboy in 2019 comes 15 years after the original, and one has to wonder what it will take to make amends for loyal fans who feel that this new version isn't good enough. Considering that it is technically true even under the best circumstances, the idea of something replacing two beloved films is difficult to take. What does Harbour have to bring to the role that makes Hellboy more than a big, ugly brute who quips and goes on adventures? There's a lot to wonder about here. In the age where every character seems to be rebooted every five years, it's strange that it took this long for another Hellboy to appear. Now the question arises if it was all worth it.
- Dissection -
There's definitely a lot of bold decisions made in the trailer, though a lot of the mentality remains in tact. Hellboy as a character has always been dark and wisecracking. He is the same here, though it's strange to see him in a world that looks very little like the type del Toro would create. There's something more generic about the landscape for the character, finding very little interesting in the building designs. The supporting cast is fine and promising, though this feels like it's attempting to turn the character into a B-Movie icon, working more towards what can pass for a monster movie in 2018 than anything half as ambitious. None of the brief fights with monsters is particularly exciting. It simply exists as a basic understanding of the character, but without the heart to create a version that would appease del Toro fans.
This isn't the worst thing in the world. Given the cost of original models, the studio probably had to drop del Toro because of his inability to compromise. The choice to rely more on CGI is maybe where Neil Marshall convinced the studio to go. With that said, there's a sense of compromise in the trailer that makes it feel more like a generic action movie than a big tent pole. It's similar fate that The Girl in the Spider's Web faced after David Fincher's 2011 remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo failed to spawn a franchise. It may end up being disappointing. Even the choice to put some Billy Idol on the soundtrack seems a bit baffling.
As a whole, this isn't all that incompetent. It's good enough to show a side of Hellboy that's consistent with the comics. It doesn't rise above that and maybe in an alternate dimension would've been an interesting debut for the character. Instead, this is the second go-around and thus there's a lot of weight on this film being good. It can't just be generic. It needs to have some appeal to stand out against its competition. Where del Toro had created the ultimate bad boy against Marvel and D.C. films, this one just feels like it's following in the footsteps of what the formula has become. It's not a bad thing, but it's made it difficult to think that this would be one of the best superhero films of 2019.
- One Sentence Sell -
Everyone's favorite demonic superhero has returned with a lot of bad attitude and a somewhat generic set of foes.
- Trove or Trash -
TRASH
As much as this is a competent trailer that captures everything necessary to sell Hellboy, it's not particularly memorable or encouraging for those wanting an awesome new iteration of the character. It's good, but doesn't stand out in what is sure to be a crowded 2019.
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