Couple more movie reviews

Thanks to my sister-in-law offering to baby-sit I now have the opportunity to get out to the cinema fairly regularly. Tuesday night my Other Half and I went to see Hellboy. Now, while I’m aware of the comic book the movie’s based on I’ve never actually sat down to read it and so I went into the film with virtually no expectations. I can honestly say it’s a good movie- I want to say that it’s great, but something’s missing. What it is I can’t quite say but it doesn’t quite make it into 5 star territory- 4 stars definitely but it just falls short. Which is a real shame because it’s a fabulous idea- during World War 2 Nazis summon a demon but are foiled and the demon is raised by the US, working for an ultra secret branch of the FBI fighting supernatural threats (and any film/book about evil Nazis and the supernatural already has me interested).

Ron Perlman is superbly cast as Hellboy and I can’t fault him at all. There’s also a nice vein of humour running through the film and the supporting actors all do their jobs well. To cap all that Hellboy even packs an oversized (big big-bore) revolver called the Samaritan. A big red guy with filed down horns, a stone hand and a gigantic gun- surely a recipe for success? But even the Chthonic chaos gods can’t quite lift the film into the realms of greatness and I left the film feeling a little let down. That’s not to say that it’s not an enjoyable romp, because it is and I will go see to see the sequel when it’s released, but I was expecting more from director Guillermo del Toro. Let’s hope it’s all sorted come 2006 when Hellboy 2 hits the big screen.

Another film I watched recently is the Korean action flick Volcano High- wowzers! This film is awesome. Based around a high school it features all sorts of amazing fight sequences between it’s super-chi-powered students and teachers and out-Matrixes The Matrix. There are some great fight scenes in this movie and some great special effects. This is one for any fan of fight films- don’t be put off by its Korean roots. If you like over-the-top action mixed in with a little goofiness then this is the film for you. I was mighty impressed by this one, it’s a delight to watch.