Hellboy: 10 Flaws That Prove Hellboy 3 Would've Been Better

Hellboy 3, with its implied promise to show us the end of the world, would probably still have had a few better comedic beats than the reboot. Del Toro blended comedy and darkness well in the first two movies, particularly the second. The Golden Army was fairly dark and nearly apocalyptic, yet it still took time to have its characters get drunk and sing along to Barry Manilow.

This scene worked not only for its humor, but because it was humorous in a way that still showed character growth and helped develop the plot. Abe's acceptance of his love for Nuala was essential in allowing Prince Nuada to gain the upper hand and usher in the climax of the film, as was - to some degree - his and Hellboy's drunkenness. The humor earned its place by actually playing a hand in the grim events that followed.

What kind of humor does the reboot deliver? A few easy references to modern technology, along with quips that feel tired the moment they escape their characters' lips. One notable example follows the death of Lady Hatton, when Hellboy explains to Ben Daimio that she was a psychic. "Clearly not psychic enough," Daimio remarks. If that joke sounds vaguely familiar, it's because everyone with a Twitter account heard an only slightly different version on endless repeat the day Miss Cleo died. If it wasn't clever three years ago, why would it be clever now?

Del Toro promised a darker Hellboy 3, but even the darkest of films typically lift the audience's spirits from time to time.