"Hellboy" (2004) Review (Spoilers)
Sep. 17th, 2021 01:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
matt_zimmerAlso reviews for the latest episodes of Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Titans, and the series finale of Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Hellboy
Very favorable impression. I like the moral of choice at the end very much (it's my mantra for fictional characters). Unfortunately because of the premise, I know it's not sustainable for the future. But it was the right ending for this movie, and if I were in charge it would also be the ending for the last movie (which may never happen).
I was very much impressed with the bonding moment between Hellboy and Manning over lighting the cigar, because I did not remotely expect it between them when it happened. It's amazing, Hellboy's been on Earth for 60 years, and Manning is the first person kind enough to bother teaching him the proper way to light a cigar. And Manning's a grade A buttmunch. Tells us how everybody else treats Hellboy.
I like that right before Rasputin kills Broom and shows him the grim future, Broom calls Hellboy his son anyways. Which says a lot of good things about Broom.
I love how jealous Hellboy gets of Liz and Meyer. His stuff with the kid was a scream.
I would be remiss to point out that this movie is perhaps the greatest triumph of casting in Hollywood history. It's not just a triumph because Perlman was the right guy for the role. It's because Guillermo Del Toro believed that so fully, he actually fought for him. The studios wanted a big name for the big-budget effects tentpole, not the second lead of an obscure 80's TV soap that wore lion make-up the entire time. But Del Toro refused to budge, and Hollywood actually made a big-budget effects movie in which Ron Perlman actually got top billing. I like that very much. I think he's perfect for the role, but even if there WAS someone out there better than him (it's possible, name actors tend to actually be good) I love him because Del Toro decided it was him, and that's the end of it. And if you ask me, that's how all movies should be cast. Names should be irrelevant in every single casting for a movie like this. If you ask me, if you need a big star to gets seats for your picture, what you REALLY need is a better picture. Del Toro believes he has that and I think he's right.
So I really enjoyed that. It was a lot of fun. ****.
Star Trek: Lower Decks "The Spy Humongous"
Armus! Oh my God! I don't know if the show has been reading my wishlist, but I always wanted to get an update on Armus. What annoyed me most about the character (besides giving Tasha Yar a meaningless death) was how utterly pathetic he and his motives are when you cut right down to them. Out of an entire Universe to prank and troll with that specific orb, Armus was the best and most creative choice the show could have made. And that's why the show has value.
Seeing more of the Pakleds up close has made me decide that as far as Big Bad go, they are unworthy of this show, and Starfleet. But that's the entire point. If Captains Picard and Riker weren't always zooming off at the end of any given mission each week, somebody might have been able to stop these cretins before they got to where they are now. I like how underwhelming the Pakleds are because them being the Big Bads is a searing indictment of Picard and Riker.
One of the things that Gene Roddenberry would be annoyed to hear, because he always claimed differently, is that a lot of the crises on the original series and even the earlier part of Next Gen had no basis in science. Star Trek was considered by genre buffs to be pretty hardcore science fiction, and this episode using an example of fairytale characters coming alive from a magical book is precisely the kind of fantasy nonsense Star Trek used to debase itself with when it couldn't come up with a better high-concept that week. Now, it's true that specific thing wasn't done on the first two Trek series. But it's in the spirit of a LOT of the nonsense Roddenberry did back then and foolishly bragged was based on real science. Not even close.
The Red Shirts (a VERY unfortunately named group) were an interesting concept because by the end, only the leader of them believes in that nonsense anymore, and it gains him less than nothing. Everybody else looked at what Boimler did and later said and realized maybe actually working hard in Starfleet is the right way to get noticed.
Since Armus has come back, my dream return for the 24th Century and this show are the parasite Conspiracy aliens from Season One of Next Gen. It was kind of an awful episode (as well as the goriest thing Star Trek had ever done up to that point) but the cliffhanger especially annoyed me because it was teased but never gotten back to. Ever. This is the specific show I think it would be great to have those insects finally respond to the homing signal. And while we're on great concepts that were set-up and never paid off, here's hoping Prodigy brings back the Vaadwaur from Voyager at some point.
I think the best thing about these modern Star Trek cartoons is that they can play around with and explore things the live-action stuff might be reluctant to (like the Pakleds). Armus at the end shows that is a REAL selling point for Star Trek animation. ****.
Titans "Home"
Not horrible. But the show is serialized. It's part of a larger whole that IS horrible. I'm not giving a passable episode TOO much credit.
I found it very interesting that Jason got the best advice from the naked woman.
I also found it interesting that Crane sincerely seemed to regret to have to kill the man with the yogurt cup. He probably regretted it more than killing his mother. Interesting choice to give the character.
Gar said something that's true, but he doesn't seem to understand that it shouldn't be true. He says he's a murderer too and everyone forgave him because he's family. You know what? Maybe Gar SHOULDN'T have been forgiven. Most superhero shows don't walk around with every single character a murderer. Gar belongs in prison, as do Starfire and Dick (and probably Conner). The show and the characters giving and getting free passes for killing sprees is not admirable and a reason Jason deserves one too. It's a moral failing of the show, and the deeply troubled writers who write it every week.
So far, I like Tim Drake. He's one of the only things on the show I currently like. But this show being this show means I don't expect I'll wind up liking him for long.
Didn't understand the point of the ceiling leaking and then falling down. Seemed kind of random.
The whole question of whether Jason can be forgiven and come home shows a deep sociopathy and borderline sinister mindset for the writers of the show. These weekly antics suggest the writers have no personal qualms with the characters' murderous behavior, and feel like it might be okay to do it themselves if they thought they could get away with it. I have previously opined elsewhere there are probably bodies buried under Torchwood's Russell T Davies' floorboards. Similar revelations come out for Akiva Goldsmith and Geoff Johns, I wouldn't be shocked there either. The entire show strikes me as a cry for help from some deeply disturbed individuals. Honestly, this facet of the show is partly why I can't ever fully enjoy Stargirl or what Johns is trying to do as a tribute to his late sister. His work on this show suggests Johns is a dangerously troubled person. Not the kind of person I am ever willing to extend sympathy towards. If Titans doesn't wind up destroying a few Hollywood careers, Hollywood is utterly broken.
Did I mention the episode itself wasn't terrible? It riled me up anyways because of that, so I'll grade it like it was. **.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine "The Last Day"
Good ending. Because it's not one. The Halloween Heist continues every year. With everybody. Hitchcock winning felt SO wrong to me, and consolation is that the Heists never end, and there is a reunion every year. I accept that outcome, even if Hitchcock winning was otherwise obscene.
Jake's last scene with Holt gave me a lump in my throat. Holt's jokes weren't actually funny, but it was the first time he really tried making them, so they were cool.
I knew the coma had to be fake-out. Last episode or not, I wouldn't have accepted it and loathed it unreservedly. Since the show doesn't suck, Occam's Razor means it's part of the Heist. I think the specific way Amy scammed Jake using Teddy was particularly cruel and in a very unnecessary way. When Jake asks to be put back into the coma, that's the right reaction to this mess.
I hate the character of Gina, but I like her return here suggesting she'd return for the Heist every year. That felt right.
In hindsight it's ridiculous to ever believe Rosa could have really fallen for Pimento, but it was still good seeing him again. Rosa may love Nancy Meyers movies, but she wouldn't be caught dead in one.
Kool-Aid Man is not actually hard for Terry. I liked the interview being a part of the Heist. Especially after the heartfelt apology and recommendation from Holt.
To be blunt, I understand why the show ended. Aside from it lasting nine years, and having a talented cast that mostly held together through all of them, the political climate is no longer right for the show. I have noted how important it is for television to demonstrate good and fair police officers, and the show hasn't been shying away from that controversy TOO much. Still, it's no longer the right premise for a light-hearted comedy. If this had been the third season, it probably should have ended this year too. I am amazed Law & Order keeps going and remains relevant. That's a bigger ask for an Andy Samberg comedy. It's also not a fair ask. So I think it's better if we leave things here.
What I will say about the show in hindsight is that we probably won't be seeing another comedy with a police precinct premise for the foreseeable future. They were rare even when this show came along, but at this point I think they will be extinct, at least until major reforms happen to the police unions across the country. I don't see those reforms happening anytime soon, so I think we won't be seeing any cop TV comedy ever again. I'm glad the series went out funny, and was even able to acknowledge the struggles of good and bad police officers. But I think Brooklyn Nine-Nine is the last of this specific kind of TV comedy. It's probably for the best, but the truth is, the show was great and I will have nothing but fond memories. And you can't even enjoy The Naked Gun decades later because of O.J.. I think Brooklyn Nine-Nine is going to be the one and only cop comedy series I look back on fondly. It was great, and the finale was pretty great too. I'll grade it accordingly. *****.
Hellboy
Very favorable impression. I like the moral of choice at the end very much (it's my mantra for fictional characters). Unfortunately because of the premise, I know it's not sustainable for the future. But it was the right ending for this movie, and if I were in charge it would also be the ending for the last movie (which may never happen).
I was very much impressed with the bonding moment between Hellboy and Manning over lighting the cigar, because I did not remotely expect it between them when it happened. It's amazing, Hellboy's been on Earth for 60 years, and Manning is the first person kind enough to bother teaching him the proper way to light a cigar. And Manning's a grade A buttmunch. Tells us how everybody else treats Hellboy.
I like that right before Rasputin kills Broom and shows him the grim future, Broom calls Hellboy his son anyways. Which says a lot of good things about Broom.
I love how jealous Hellboy gets of Liz and Meyer. His stuff with the kid was a scream.
I would be remiss to point out that this movie is perhaps the greatest triumph of casting in Hollywood history. It's not just a triumph because Perlman was the right guy for the role. It's because Guillermo Del Toro believed that so fully, he actually fought for him. The studios wanted a big name for the big-budget effects tentpole, not the second lead of an obscure 80's TV soap that wore lion make-up the entire time. But Del Toro refused to budge, and Hollywood actually made a big-budget effects movie in which Ron Perlman actually got top billing. I like that very much. I think he's perfect for the role, but even if there WAS someone out there better than him (it's possible, name actors tend to actually be good) I love him because Del Toro decided it was him, and that's the end of it. And if you ask me, that's how all movies should be cast. Names should be irrelevant in every single casting for a movie like this. If you ask me, if you need a big star to gets seats for your picture, what you REALLY need is a better picture. Del Toro believes he has that and I think he's right.
So I really enjoyed that. It was a lot of fun. ****.
Star Trek: Lower Decks "The Spy Humongous"
Armus! Oh my God! I don't know if the show has been reading my wishlist, but I always wanted to get an update on Armus. What annoyed me most about the character (besides giving Tasha Yar a meaningless death) was how utterly pathetic he and his motives are when you cut right down to them. Out of an entire Universe to prank and troll with that specific orb, Armus was the best and most creative choice the show could have made. And that's why the show has value.
Seeing more of the Pakleds up close has made me decide that as far as Big Bad go, they are unworthy of this show, and Starfleet. But that's the entire point. If Captains Picard and Riker weren't always zooming off at the end of any given mission each week, somebody might have been able to stop these cretins before they got to where they are now. I like how underwhelming the Pakleds are because them being the Big Bads is a searing indictment of Picard and Riker.
One of the things that Gene Roddenberry would be annoyed to hear, because he always claimed differently, is that a lot of the crises on the original series and even the earlier part of Next Gen had no basis in science. Star Trek was considered by genre buffs to be pretty hardcore science fiction, and this episode using an example of fairytale characters coming alive from a magical book is precisely the kind of fantasy nonsense Star Trek used to debase itself with when it couldn't come up with a better high-concept that week. Now, it's true that specific thing wasn't done on the first two Trek series. But it's in the spirit of a LOT of the nonsense Roddenberry did back then and foolishly bragged was based on real science. Not even close.
The Red Shirts (a VERY unfortunately named group) were an interesting concept because by the end, only the leader of them believes in that nonsense anymore, and it gains him less than nothing. Everybody else looked at what Boimler did and later said and realized maybe actually working hard in Starfleet is the right way to get noticed.
Since Armus has come back, my dream return for the 24th Century and this show are the parasite Conspiracy aliens from Season One of Next Gen. It was kind of an awful episode (as well as the goriest thing Star Trek had ever done up to that point) but the cliffhanger especially annoyed me because it was teased but never gotten back to. Ever. This is the specific show I think it would be great to have those insects finally respond to the homing signal. And while we're on great concepts that were set-up and never paid off, here's hoping Prodigy brings back the Vaadwaur from Voyager at some point.
I think the best thing about these modern Star Trek cartoons is that they can play around with and explore things the live-action stuff might be reluctant to (like the Pakleds). Armus at the end shows that is a REAL selling point for Star Trek animation. ****.
Titans "Home"
Not horrible. But the show is serialized. It's part of a larger whole that IS horrible. I'm not giving a passable episode TOO much credit.
I found it very interesting that Jason got the best advice from the naked woman.
I also found it interesting that Crane sincerely seemed to regret to have to kill the man with the yogurt cup. He probably regretted it more than killing his mother. Interesting choice to give the character.
Gar said something that's true, but he doesn't seem to understand that it shouldn't be true. He says he's a murderer too and everyone forgave him because he's family. You know what? Maybe Gar SHOULDN'T have been forgiven. Most superhero shows don't walk around with every single character a murderer. Gar belongs in prison, as do Starfire and Dick (and probably Conner). The show and the characters giving and getting free passes for killing sprees is not admirable and a reason Jason deserves one too. It's a moral failing of the show, and the deeply troubled writers who write it every week.
So far, I like Tim Drake. He's one of the only things on the show I currently like. But this show being this show means I don't expect I'll wind up liking him for long.
Didn't understand the point of the ceiling leaking and then falling down. Seemed kind of random.
The whole question of whether Jason can be forgiven and come home shows a deep sociopathy and borderline sinister mindset for the writers of the show. These weekly antics suggest the writers have no personal qualms with the characters' murderous behavior, and feel like it might be okay to do it themselves if they thought they could get away with it. I have previously opined elsewhere there are probably bodies buried under Torchwood's Russell T Davies' floorboards. Similar revelations come out for Akiva Goldsmith and Geoff Johns, I wouldn't be shocked there either. The entire show strikes me as a cry for help from some deeply disturbed individuals. Honestly, this facet of the show is partly why I can't ever fully enjoy Stargirl or what Johns is trying to do as a tribute to his late sister. His work on this show suggests Johns is a dangerously troubled person. Not the kind of person I am ever willing to extend sympathy towards. If Titans doesn't wind up destroying a few Hollywood careers, Hollywood is utterly broken.
Did I mention the episode itself wasn't terrible? It riled me up anyways because of that, so I'll grade it like it was. **.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine "The Last Day"
Good ending. Because it's not one. The Halloween Heist continues every year. With everybody. Hitchcock winning felt SO wrong to me, and consolation is that the Heists never end, and there is a reunion every year. I accept that outcome, even if Hitchcock winning was otherwise obscene.
Jake's last scene with Holt gave me a lump in my throat. Holt's jokes weren't actually funny, but it was the first time he really tried making them, so they were cool.
I knew the coma had to be fake-out. Last episode or not, I wouldn't have accepted it and loathed it unreservedly. Since the show doesn't suck, Occam's Razor means it's part of the Heist. I think the specific way Amy scammed Jake using Teddy was particularly cruel and in a very unnecessary way. When Jake asks to be put back into the coma, that's the right reaction to this mess.
I hate the character of Gina, but I like her return here suggesting she'd return for the Heist every year. That felt right.
In hindsight it's ridiculous to ever believe Rosa could have really fallen for Pimento, but it was still good seeing him again. Rosa may love Nancy Meyers movies, but she wouldn't be caught dead in one.
Kool-Aid Man is not actually hard for Terry. I liked the interview being a part of the Heist. Especially after the heartfelt apology and recommendation from Holt.
To be blunt, I understand why the show ended. Aside from it lasting nine years, and having a talented cast that mostly held together through all of them, the political climate is no longer right for the show. I have noted how important it is for television to demonstrate good and fair police officers, and the show hasn't been shying away from that controversy TOO much. Still, it's no longer the right premise for a light-hearted comedy. If this had been the third season, it probably should have ended this year too. I am amazed Law & Order keeps going and remains relevant. That's a bigger ask for an Andy Samberg comedy. It's also not a fair ask. So I think it's better if we leave things here.
What I will say about the show in hindsight is that we probably won't be seeing another comedy with a police precinct premise for the foreseeable future. They were rare even when this show came along, but at this point I think they will be extinct, at least until major reforms happen to the police unions across the country. I don't see those reforms happening anytime soon, so I think we won't be seeing any cop TV comedy ever again. I'm glad the series went out funny, and was even able to acknowledge the struggles of good and bad police officers. But I think Brooklyn Nine-Nine is the last of this specific kind of TV comedy. It's probably for the best, but the truth is, the show was great and I will have nothing but fond memories. And you can't even enjoy The Naked Gun decades later because of O.J.. I think Brooklyn Nine-Nine is going to be the one and only cop comedy series I look back on fondly. It was great, and the finale was pretty great too. I'll grade it accordingly. *****.
