Hellboy - Blood and Iron (Animated)

Hellboy - Blood and Iron (Animated)
by Karen Inwood Somers, Tad Stones, Victor Cook

Hellboy - Blood and Iron (Animated)
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DVD Cover Information

Actor: Doug Jones, John Hurt, Peri Gilpin, Ron Perlman, Selma Blair
Director: Karen Inwood Somers, Tad Stones, Victor Cook
Brand: STARZ HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Writer: Tad Stones
Producer: Guillermo del Toro
Producer: Jeffray C. Eagle
Writer: Kevin Hopps
Writer: Mike Mignola
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Animated, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 75 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-06-12
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay

Movie Reviews of Hellboy - Blood and Iron (Animated)

Movie Review: Bloody iron
Summary: 4 Stars

According to legend, Elizabeth B?thory tortured and killed hundreds of girls, so she could bathe in their blood and be young forever.

That medieval version of an urban myth serves as the root of "Hellboy: Blood and Iron," the second animated spinoff of Guillermo del Toro's hit movies. This particular movie is loosely based on one of Mike Mignola's original stories, but also gets crammed with plenty of gore, bleak humor, harpies and a very nasty undead vampire.

Back in 1939, Professor Broom led an expedition into the castle of Erzsebet Ondrushko, a horrendous vampire who was abducting young girls so she could bathe in their blood. By trickery and luck, Broom managed to kill her.

Cut to present day: the BPRD is asked to investigate a haunted mansion, and Professor Broom insists that Liz, Hellboy, Abe and himself go on the mission. Though the hype-happy owner is only interested in using the investigation to make money, the place is really haunted -- bluish ghosts drift around, statues weep, and a witches' magic circle is on the floor.

It soon becomes obvious that a pair of harpy-witches are trying to resurrect Erzsebet, with the help of the lamia-goddess Hecate. And with Abe captured by the hags, Liz and Broom are in a race against time to stop the vampire's resurrection -- and even if they succeed, there's still the malignant Hecate, whom Hellboy must somehow stop.
There's also a little extra movie tacked on: "Iron Shoes," a simple tale about Hellboy encountering a nasty little hobgoblin who tries to kill people with... well, you can guess. It lasts no longer than a couple minutes, but it's a nice little direct-from-Mignola moment.

Despite being entitled "Hellboy: Blood and Iron," this animated movie is really much more about Professor Broom, the kindly old "father" and mentor of the titular character. Not only does it have his first mission (flashed back backwards, in Christopher Nolan style), but he takes the biggest and most striking part of the entire movie.

As for the movie, it picks bits and pieces from Mignola's second graphic novel, and weaves them together with an original story. There are some striking subplots, such as the fate of a young priest whose faith crumbles under pressure, as well as some sweet moments between Hellboy and his aged "father." Not to mention solid dialogue ("You grew up so fast. Before I knew it, you were too big to spank." "Not to mention the tail got in the way."

The entire thing is drenched in shadows, dark forests, vampiric monsters, and big vats of blood in shadowy, half-ruined places, and has some lovely action-packed fights for Abe and Hellboy -- including Hellboy duking it out with "Iron Maiden" Hecate. This is no kids' movie -- the whole story is drenched with blood, some brief nudity and a charming scene where the hags try to vivisect poor Abe.

Professor Broom is really the star here, and though he's old and fragile physically he shows that his ability to fight evil hasn't vanished. Ron Perlman's Hellboy is perfect (rough, kindly, sarcastic) and Doug Jones gives a nice intellectual slant to the action-fishman Abe. The only voice actor that's really a problem is Cree Summer as Hecate -- she sounds more like a whiny aunt than an ancient evil goddess.

"Hellboy: Blood and Iron" is a solid Hellboy spinoff movie, and serves as a window into the past of the underused Professor. Definitely a good buy... but not a cartoon for kids.

Summary of Hellboy - Blood and Iron (Animated)

When Hellboy Liz Sherman and Abe Sapien are assigned to investigate the ghost-infested mansion of a publicity-hound billionaire they uncover a plot to resurrect a beautiful yet monstrous vampire from Professor Bruttenholm s past. But before they can stop her bloodbath Hellboy will have to battle harpies hellhounds a giant werewolf and even the ferocious goddess Hecate herself.How much crap does a guy have to take from a Hungarian Blood Countess before he and his surrogate father can avenge the souls of the damned? It s going to take more than just a horde of very pissed-off demons for our heroes to see the light in this animated adventure from Creative Producers GuillermoDel Toro (writer/director of the HELLBOY movie) and Mike Mignola (creator of HELLBOY comics) now loaded with all-new Bonus Features.Bonus Features:Widescreen Presentation (1.78:1) Enhanced for 16x9 TVsReversal of Fortune: Professor Broom's StoryTales From the Tomb: A Look Inside Blood & IronIron Shoes: The Animated Debut with Introduction by Mike MignolaThe Penanggalan: An E-Comic Exclusive with introduction by Mike MignolaAudio Commentary featuring Mike Mignola Tad Stones and Vic CookRuntime: 75 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre:?ANIMATION/ADULT SWIM Rating:?NR UPC:?013138207784 Manufacturer No:?P2077
In some ways, Blood and Iron captures more of graphic novelist Mike Mignola's original vision than Guillermo del Toro's lackluster feature did in 2004. Hellboy, the demon brought into this world by the Nazis, but raised by "Professor Broom" to fight for good, was conceived as a drawing, not an actor buried under make-up and latex. The story, which incorporates elements from Mignola's "Wake the Devil" collection, sends Hellboy, Abe Sapien, Liz Sherman, and Prof. Broom to the haunted mansion of a vulgar millionaire. Hoping to cash in on the supernatural angle, he's filled the house with relics of "Blood Countess" Erzsebet Ondrusko (based on the 16th century Hungarian noblewoman Elizebeth Bathory), whom Prof. Broom defeated in 1939. It's really haunted, and the gang tackles harpies, ghosts, witches, werewolves, vampires, and the goddess Hecate. The key actors from the live action film repeat their roles as voices: Ron Perlman (Hellboy), Selma Blair (Liz), Doug Jones (Abe), and John Hurt (Broom). Perlman makes a suitably underplayed Hellboy, growling his annoyance at everything from a bad donut to a vicious blow from the iron-clad goddess. The limits of the animation would be less problematic if the direction were more dynamic. Tad Stones and Victor Cook don't get the needed power out of the action sequences, especially the prolonged battle between Hellboy and Hecate. It would be interesting to see what a talented director like Kazuhiro Furuhashi (Ruruoni Kenshin) or Hiroyuki Okiura (Jin-Roh) would do with this material. Blood and Iron will appeal to some "Hellboy" fans, but it lacks the dark panache of the original books. (Unrated, suitable for ages 14 and older: violence, grotesque imagery, potentially offensive religious imagery) --Charles Solomon

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