"Oh, crap."Not exactly a normal catchphrase, but Hellboy's not exactly a normal hero. Teleported here from Hell by the Nazis, this demon has a heart of gold and a right hand of stone, and he's made the trip from comics to cartoons with Hellboy: Sword of Storms, the first of a series of animated films.
And it's good. Damn good, actually.
Hellboy and the other agents of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, including a merman named Ape Sapien and a (literal) hot little number named Liz Sherman, must track a mystical sword that contains the spirits of Thunder and Lightning. Their journey spans Mayan ruins, feudal Japan and a handful of spirit dimensions thrown in for good measure; along the way they'll fight dragons, demons and disembodied heads. As Hellboy himself might say, "Oh crap."
A word on crap – it's refreshing to see an animated film with a PG-13 sensibility. Hellboy's gun shoots bullets, as opposed to, say, those strange red and blue rays the GI Joe guys wield. Characters caught in a shower of glass emerge with scars. Along with the aforementioned crap, characters drop a few hells and damns. Not that those things make the show, but the tone helps elevate Hellboy above standard kiddie fare.
As does the visual style – while some of the animation is inconsistent (the sporadic CGI integration is rough), the overall look is striking. Hellboy's been streamlined from his comic origins, but retains the effect of creator Mike Mignola's original design. Abe looks great, and Liz lights up the screen... particularly when she's on fire.
Hellboy: Sword of Storms is airing on Cartoon Network, but it's worth waiting for the DVD to see – it wasn't made with commercial interruptions in mind. Smart script, compelling characters and pretty pictures. If you haven't been to Hell, it's time to take a trip.
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