When it was announced that Lionsgate was moving forward with a hard-R reboot of “Hellboy” without director Guillermo del Toro, fans were initially upset. However, when we started to learn more about the new film, excitement built with the idea that the franchise was going to embrace its more horrific roots and present a version of the character we have yet to see. And earlier this year, that “Hellboy” was released and we really did get a new version of the franchise that wasn’t seen in the del Toro films — a truly bad “Hellboy.”
Now, courtesy of Yahoo, we have a video that shows Guillermo del Toro explaining the very specific, unique tone he attempted with his two “Hellboy” films. And in giving us that explanation, the filmmaker actually illuminates why the recent reboot failed to connect with audiences and critics.
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“The thing I love about the ‘Hellboy’ movies is that they have a good heart. They are milk-and-cookies movies that you can watch on the sofa with the whole family,” said del Toro. “They’re scary, but not scary. Maybe scarier for the adults!”
The filmmaker said he was influenced by the Ray Harryhausen movies when coming up with the family-friendly, but scary, tone for his “Hellboy” films. Del Toro explained that one scene from “Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger” stands out as particularly sentimental.
“I was with my mom, and the Minotaur impales the guy and lifts him!” said the filmmaker. “The guy is flailing in the lens and I’m enchanted. I wanted that sort of action-adventure fusion with humor and good heart in the ‘Hellboy’ movies.”
If there is anything that you can say about the differences between del Toro’s two films and the recent reboot that was released in April, it’s that there is plenty of that “good heart” in the former, which was sadly lacking in the blood-soaked, R-rated latter. While the comic books that “Hellboy” is adapted from are full of horrific images and a dark, humorous tone, del Toro was able to infuse his almost-childlike love of monster films that he’s known for in his two films. The newest one, by contrast, doesn’t have that same joy and, at times, comes across as cynical and mean.
Long story short, it appears that Guillermo del Toro has successfully broken down why his “Hellboy” will likely always be superior to any other versions of the character in film. He created a horror film filled with monsters and action that somehow can be enjoyed by anyone from ages 8 to 80. That’s one hell of an accomplishment.
