If youve been following press reports on the making of HELLBOY, you know that it took director Guillermo Del Toro quite a few years to bring his vision of Mike Mignolas graphic novels to the screen. For one thing, most studios were dubious about Del Toros choice of Ron Perlman as his leading man. The good news is that the film proves Del Toro right and the wait well worth it. Perlman and Hellboy are made for each other, while Del Toro marries the full-tilt-boogie action of his BLADE 2 with the soulful sensibilities of THE DEVILS BACKBONE, resulting in a thrill ride that is emotionally resonant and satisfying.

The prologue, set in 1944 Scotland, introduces us to most of the major players. Professor Bruttenholm (Kevin Trainor in the prologue, John Hurt thereafter), called "Broom" by everyone has accompanied a group of U.S. troops to confront a band of Nazi occultists. Led by an immortal Grigori Rasputin (Karel Rodin), they seek to open the gateway to a dimension that will unleash the Seven Gods of Chaos onto the Earth. Broom manages to stop this from happening, but something comes through a little red imp, promptly adopted by the professor.

60 years later, Broom is an old man, but due to the vagaries of the demon aging process, Hellboy (Perlman), now a huge creature with a massive stone right hand and horns that require daily shaving-down, is in the equivalent of his late 20s. They work for the super-secret Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (the BPRD), along with amphibian psychic genius Abe Sapien (Doug Jones in the suit, David Hyde-Pierce as the voice) and assorted humans, including spokesman Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor), whose job it is to convince the world the BPRD doesnt exist. Newcomer John Myers (Rupert Evans), a fresh-faced FBI agent, is recruited to help out Hellboy, who is pining for erstwhile BPRD member Liz Sherman (Selma Blair). Liz has checked herself into a mental hospital, as she fears (not without reason) her own pyrokinetic powers, which tend to explode out of control whenever she is particularly emotional. Then a Sammael monster a type of tentacle-and-tooth-filled hellhound makes bloody mischief at a museum and Hellboy is brought in to dispatch the thing. One problem is that the Sammael isnt known as "the hound of resurrection" for nothing. Another problem is that Rasputin is back, still intent on opening the gateway and he needs Hellboy to do it.

There is not one dull moment in the entire film, whether director/screenwriter Del Toro is giving us a hefty dose of Lovecraftian horror with the elder gods and demons, romance that manages to be honestly affecting and not even slightly silly despite Hellboys rough appearance, and an extremely healthy helping of humor that is invariably funny without ever undercutting the overall serious tone. The film is also stupendously, darkly beautiful, with cinematographer Guillermo Navarro finding great richness in the foreboding interiors and beauty in the snowy outdoors and Stephen Scotts extraordinarily detailed, elaborate production design making us want to explore even more than we see.

Perlman simply could not be better, snapping off Hellboys gruff wisecracks like a tough plumber, displaying every phase of jealousy known to humankind while repeating one thing over and over, or displaying surpassing tenderness to his beloved Liz (for fans of Perlman from his BEAUTY AND THE BEAST days who always wanted to know what it would be like if Vincent were a bit less self-defeating as a suitor heres the answer). Blair has the requisite world-weariness beyond Lizs years (given what we see Liz do, this is appropriate) while still making her vital and even fun. Rodin is a classic self-confident bad guy, Evans is likably accessible and apprehensive as the new guy, Hurt is wise and warm and Tambor hits just the right notes of annoyance and apprehension.