# Is Hellboy (and its sequel) worth watching? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 19, 2008, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hellboy-and-its-sequel-worth-watching/460595 "2008-08-19T21:13:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hellboy-and-its-sequel-worth-watching/460595/21 "2008-08-27T23:31:05Z")
Okay so I just saw the first Hellboy tonight and thought it was okay, it just about scraped a 3/5. I’ll go and see the second one because the visuals in the trailer look great, but I’ll go in with expectations set to “extremely low”. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hellboy-and-its-sequel-worth-watching/460595/22 "2008-08-27T23:47:27Z")
[QUOTE=Illuminatiprimus] Okay so I just saw the first Hellboy tonight and thought it was okay, it just about scraped a 3/5. I’ll go and see the second one because the visuals in the trailer look great, but I’ll go in with expectations set to “extremely low”. [/QUOTE] Thanks for the info (and the opinions of other posters). “Pan’s labyrinth” is on my “best movies” list, but I’ve been disappointed by “Devil’s backbone” and as a result wondered if Hellboy was worth watching. From what I read in this thread, I’ll give it a pass. Especially since I’m not much into action and comics. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hellboy-and-its-sequel-worth-watching/460595/23 "2008-08-28T00:26:11Z")
I thought so. I didn’t think the second one was as good, but it was fun. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hellboy-and-its-sequel-worth-watching/460595/24 "2008-08-28T00:33:09Z")
Rent the first on DVD. It’s worth an evening’s entertainment. The characters are fun, and the action scenes are, for the most part, exciting. I haven’t seen the sequel yet, it is released in Australia today, but I anticipate enjoying it more than the first. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hellboy-and-its-sequel-worth-watching/460595/25 "2008-08-28T01:51:56Z")
[QUOTE=illuminatiprimus] No I haven’t - will that count against me? [/QUOTE] Meh, I thought it was OK. If you like the superhero genre, it’s pretty good. I’d never heard of Hellboy and had no idea he was a superhero. For a Netflix rent, I couldn’t be happier. I enjoyed it, and I thought it was a pleasant suprise. I won’t bother with the sequel till I’m desparate. ---
**Author:** ![Crocodiles\_And\_Boulevards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ee7513/32.png) [@Crocodiles\_And\_Boulevards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crocodiles_And_Boulevards)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hellboy-and-its-sequel-worth-watching/460595/26 "2008-08-28T09:30:21Z")
Hellboy is great on the TV, but I don’t know that I’d pay theater prices to see it. On TV, though, I watch it every single time I see it on. Must have seen that movie 5 or 6 times now. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hellboy-and-its-sequel-worth-watching/460595/27 "2008-08-28T10:39:34Z")
[QUOTE=Illuminatiprimus] Also to go in with expectations set to “low/medium” to avoid disappointment, fine. [/QUOTE] I’ve learned to do that with pretty much every film I’ve gone to see 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hellboy-and-its-sequel-worth-watching/460595/28 "2008-08-28T13:52:55Z")
I saw somewhere (probably here) Hellboy II described as “Pan’s Labyrinth without the emotional content”, and agreed completely. Worth looking at for the gorgeous visuals, but don’t expect the plot to be anything other than any other brain-dead action movie. In fact, I think the characters are much less compelling than Hellboy I (though the visuals are better). Hopefully, the best thing about Hellboy II will be that it funds DeToro’s next real movie, if it’s as good as Pan’s Labyrinth. ---
**Author:** ![Omi\_no\_Kami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Omi\_no\_Kami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omi_no_Kami)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hellboy-and-its-sequel-worth-watching/460595/29 "2008-08-28T14:11:33Z")
[QUOTE=smiling bandit] It contains some better scenes (and one in particular which is but-gusting hilarious), but characterization, synergy, sense, and plot. [/QUOTE] Out of curiosity, which scene were you referring to? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hellboy-and-its-sequel-worth-watching/460595.md?page=1)