seltzer

As a film, a piece of art, this film leaves so much to be desired that I have to hate it. I hate movies that are better than this. As a series of images that flicker at me faster than any other film or even music video I've ever seen, it is a unique experience. This may be the only film where any 2 minute sequence taken right out of the film could be used as a trailer for the film itself. I don't think any of the main characters are absent from the film for longer than a minute. The acting is b-movie standard. The special effects are pretty good for 1998. Whenever I see this movie on TV, I watch it to the end, bitter and disgusted, but fascinated. A car wreck fails as an analogy because they are not quite as entertaining and nowhere near as fascinating. As an example of the Bay and Bruckheimer excess style of film-making, it might be the best, because it is science fiction and action combined in a manipulatively effective way. When all is said and done, there were a few lines that made me chuckle, so I had to give it a higher score because I was technically entertained.

I was looking forward to this, and yet was still surprised to see it on TV so soon. I love the Hellboy comics and associated spin offs. I thought the movie was great, too. This cartoon version did a great job of bringing the feel of the comic to life, and as a bonus, Ron Perlman and Selma Blair from the movie version do the vocal work of their characters, respectively Hellboy and Liz Sherman. I was also pleasantly surprised to see that Doug Jones, who played Abe Sapien in the film but did not get to voice his character, which was done nicely by David Hyde Pierce, actually provides the voice for Abe Sapien here, and does a great job, too. The story is good, and much like the comic, focuses on the paranormal aspects of myth and folktale, in this case involving a Japanese sword. The animation was great, reminding me both of the comic art by Mike Mignola and the Batman, Superman, and Justice League animated series. I was very entertained. If you like either the comics or the movie, you should check it out, and if you like stories involving the paranormal a la the X-Files, you may very well love Hellboy, who brings a neat twist to investigating the paranormal.

I can't wait to say that I loved this film! It was gripping, engaging, and surprised me a few times. I mean genuinely surprised me. The film is about rival stage magicians, rife with their lingo and culture, but more importantly, the film works much like a magic trick or illusion, offering its own misdirections while showing you everything. Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale were both superb as the obsessed magicians. Scarlett Johansson and Piper Perabo were very good as supporting female leads, though one of the best performances in the film was from Rebecca Hall. She made me want to look up her filmography. Michael Caine and the few others in immediate supporting roles were all good. I've heard mixed things about David Bowie's appearance in this film, but I think he was just fine; his appearance is more an extended cameo than anything else. The sets are authentic looking for the period, the writing is excellent, and even the music was excellent, if a bit subtle. The direction was superb, as was the editing. This is the rare film that gets everything right while telling a compelling story. It combines solid drama with an intriguing mystery and more than a hint of the fantastic I am hesitant to say anything about the plot, other than it concerns rival stage magicians in late nineteenth century London. Even the trailers for the film show precious little, probably for the same reason. Well worth the price of admission, I urge those interested to see it while its on the big screen.