Hellboy: Sword of Storms Review
Reviewer: What the Hellboy
Hellboy: Sword of Storms DVD
Live action translates perfectly into animation in this feature-length Hellboy adventure. What makes it even better is that the main cast return to do the voices and Marco Beltrami's main theme is used. A lot of animated spin-offs in the past have proved to be just as good when taken seriously by the makers (Animatrix, Spider-Man) but, in my opinion, Hellboy: Sword of Storms was good enough for a theatrical release. A small one, like Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.
The story has HB, Liz and Abe go to Japan where a local historian has gone missing and a priceless exhibit damaged. While at the scene, HB wanders off, following a strange Fox and ends up trapped somewhere in time. Liz and Abe have no idea where he is but have their own problems to deal with as the weather takes a turn for the worse.
Stuck in ancient Japan, HB must deal with a bunch of vampires, demons and monsters in an effort to get home. Easier said than done.
I liked the movie, but felt it lacked something. Still, it made me interested in the character, even though I have yet to buy a single Hellboy comic book. After watching this however, I can't wait to get some more of HB. The animation style follows that of the comic pretty closely and the color pallet ranges from very bright and very colorful to moody and atmospheric. It's very impressive and highly detailed. Don't expect 'saturday morning' style animation here.
If you are seriously into Hellboy or even if you are just a casual fan of the movie then you totally have to get this. I eagerly await Hellboy: Blood and Iron, due out this summer. In the meantime, I reckon I ought to get me some Hellboy comic-books.
The DVD features a brilliant 1.78:1 anamorphic picture, Dolby 5.1 sound and a decent amount of extras.
Rating: 9
Reviewer: Uniquely Hellboy
Hellboy: Sword of Storms is the titular character's first-ever animated adventure. While investigating an ancient Japanese sword, Hellboy is sucked into a mystical world and is forced to do battle with monsters and demons before he can return home. And if he makes it home, he must face two ancient gods ready to destroy the world. But hey, nothing's ever easy.
Fans of Mike Mignola's comics or the recent Hellboy movie will love this adventure. True it doesn't use Mignola's distinctive art style, but it maintains a look that is distinctively 'Hellboy' while at the same time being much easier to animate. Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, and Doug Jones return to voice their movie roles, and seasoned vets Peri Gilpin, John Hurt, and Phil LaMarr carry the supporting characters. Perlman again proves he is the only choice for Hellboy, and his deadpan delivery is amusing in itself as well as emphasizing some of Hellboy's actions.
This dvd is fully loaded. Lots of featurettes, audio commentary, and footage taken from the panel at the San Diego comic-con. With the first release, Hellboy blows away all previous DTV efforts from Disney, Marvel, and Warner Bros.
I recommend this to anyone in search of a good comic book story with sharp writing and good animation. Truly fills the gap left open by the departure of Justice League Unlimited, and is far better than the recent Marvel efforts. SCORE=10
