Hellboy Review: 3 Ups & 7 Downs

2. It's Insanely Gory

One of the few benefits of this reboot compared to the del Toro movies is its permissive R rating, which Marshall certainly makes the most of with the film's lashings of brutal gore.

Simply, this film is absolutely awash with neat violence, and while it's almost entirely of the goopy CGI variety, the detail and imagination on display in showing human and monsters alike be dismantled is quite entertaining indeed.

It's a shame most of the grisliness takes place during chaotically-edited action sequences, but it's certainly one aspect of the film that Marshall, ever experienced in blood-letting, gets pretty much right.

Of course, an R rating only works if you know how to use it, and by focusing more on brutality and less on excessive profanity, it does feel like this distinct aspect of the film's tone was largely correct.