Line #86 Film/Hellboy2004


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6	[[caption-width-right:320:''[[TagLine Here to protect.]]'']]
7	->''"As you entered the lobby, there was an inscription: 'In the absence of light, darkness prevails.' There are things that go bump in the night, Agent Myers. Make no mistake about that. And we are the ones who bump back."''
8	-->-- '''Professor Trevor Bruttenholm'''
9
10	''Hellboy'' is a fantasy action film adaptation of [[ComicBook/{{Hellboy}} Mike Mignola's comic book series]]. It is written and directed by long-time fan of the comic series Creator/GuillermoDelToro. The cast includes Creator/RonPerlman as the title character, Creator/DougJones as Abe Sapien (voiced by Creator/DavidHydePierce), Creator/SelmaBlair as Liz Sherman and Creator/JohnHurt as Trevor Bruttenholm.
11
12	In the final days of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, the Nazis and UsefulNotes/GrigoriRasputin open a portal to the Void, attempting to summon the [[EldritchAbomination Ogdru Jahad]] to destroy the world. Allied soldiers, with the help of occult expert Trevor Bruttenholm, destroy the portal, but not before something comes through: a baby demon. Bruttenholm adopts him and the soldiers of the unit name him "Hellboy."
13
14	Sixty years later, Hellboy is one of the best agents in the US government's top-secret Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, alongside Abe Sapien (a [[FishPeople fish-man]] with PsychicPowers) and Liz Sherman (a [[PlayingWithFire pyrokinetic]] who vacillates between wanting to be on the B.P.R.D. and [[IJustWantToBeNormal wanting to be a normal human]]). They're joined by NaiveNewcomer FBI agent John Myers, who was chosen specifically by Professor Bruttenholm to provide the moral support for Hellboy to become a man.
15
16	And Hellboy will need all the support he can get: Rasputin has been resurrected by his lover Ilsa Haupstein and his [[TheDragon personal assassin]] Karl Ruprecht Kroenen. The villainous trio frees the {{hellhound}} [[EldritchAbomination Sammael]], as the first step in a plan to force Hellboy to fulfill his destiny and destroy the world.
17
18	A sequel was released in 2008, titled ''Film/HellboyIITheGoldenArmy''. Two {{Animated Adaptation}}s produced by del Toro and featuring the same cast were released in 2006 and 2007: ''WesternAnimation/HellboySwordOfStorms'' and ''WesternAnimation/HellboyBloodAndIron''. A third film was planned but ultimately canceled, and the series was [[ContinuityReboot rebooted]] with ''Film/Hellboy2019''. A second reboot [[https://deadline.com/2023/02/hellboy-crooked-man-details-plot-production-millennium-efm-1235264086/ had been announced]].
19
20	----
21	!!''Hellboy'' provides examples of:
22
23	* AdaptationalBadass: In the graphic novels, Kroenen is just a [[GasMaskMooks gas-masked Nazi]] with a MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate. The first movie turns him into a Surgery Addicted {{Clockwork\|Creature}} [[StupidJetpackHitler Nazi]] [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Cyborg Assassin]] with a taste for [[BladeBelowTheShoulder arm blades]]...''and'' a Morally Ambiguous Doctorate.
24	* AdaptationalUgliness: Abraham Sapien goes from [[https://d2lzb5v10mb0lj.cloudfront.net/darkhorse/downloads/desktops/abesosw/abesosw_lg.jpg reasonably handsome]] (if fishy) in the comics and animated movies to a much more [[http://www.filmmakingreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/abe-sapien2.jpg inhuman, fish-like appearance]] in the films.
25	* AdaptationDistillation:
26	** ''Hellboy'' is a rough condensation of the plots of ''Seed of Destruction'', ''The Right Hand of Doom'', and ''Box Full of Evil'', with a sprinkle of ''Wake the Devil''. Hellboy's character design was also slightly modified, as in the comics he has cloven hooves instead of feet.[[note]] Though he still has cloven hooved feet, visible when John Myers first meets him, though its difficult to see[[/note]] The producers also worried about having to change the Right Hand of Doom to a ''Left'' Hand of Doom before casting Perlman, who is ambidextrous.
27	** The ActionPrologue featuring Hellboy's summoning is likewise condensed from the comic version which had the ritual and Hellboy's arrival take place in different locations. Here Bruttenholm and the U.S forces interrupt the summoning ritual. In addition minor comic characters like the Torch of Liberty and some psychics were cut entirely.
28	* AdaptationDyeJob: Liz has Selma Blair's natural black hair instead of auburn like the comics and animated movies.
29	* AdaptationExpansion: Professor Bruttenholm's relationship with Hellboy (as father-son) gets a lot more focus here than in the comics.
30	* AffablyEvil: Rasputin allows [[spoiler:Professor Bruttenholm]] a moment to prepare for his death and assures him that it will be quick, and it is. Kroenen generally prefers efficiency over sadism anyway, but still. Considering that [[spoiler:the professor]] is terminally ill, it may even count as a MercyKill. Their little theology discussion beforehand, while decidedly antagonistic, is still very civilized.
31	* AlienBlood: Behemoth bleeds a purple liquid as Hellboy chops down its CombatTentacles [[spoiler: and makes it blow up]].
32	* AlternateContinuity: Mignola said in one of his interviews that he felt that the way he did Hellboy was just one interpretation, and he didn't want the movie to be a rehash of that, so he let del Toro interpret the franchise his own way for the movies.
33	* AngelsDevilsAndSquid: Hellboy's devilishness and the Lovecraftian elements are obvious. Angels don't appear directly, but their dried tears keep Sammael's essence restrained until his release, and religious icons possess holy power.
34	* TheAntichrist: Hellboy, though he's not too keen on the idea and becomes an AntiAntiChrist.
35	* ArtImitatesArt: A brief video clip of Hellboy copies the famous film footage of Bigfoot.
36	* ArtisticLicenseGeography: The Birgau Pass in RealLife Moldavia doesn't ''quite'' look like an imposing [[Literature/AtTheMountainsOfMadness Mountains of Madness]] place to say the least.
37	* ArtisticLicenseHistory:
38	** Look closely at the soldiers in Professor Bruttenholm's taskforce as they take the picture at the start of the film; one is black, at a time when the forces were still segregated.
39	** Rasputin's legendary RasputinianDeath is related by Bruttenholm as true, but there is actually scant historical evidence supporting this popular tale. He was simply shot three times, once to the head. Of course, Rasputin wasn't an immortal wizard who joined the Nazis either.
40	* AscendedExtra: Bruttenholm and Kroenen get ''much'' larger roles here than in the original comics where Bruttenholm died at the start and Kroenen was just a minor Nazi flunky.
41	* AsteroidsMonster / ExplosiveBreeder: Sammael. It lays a ''lot'' of eggs, and every time it gets killed, two of those eggs hatch and immediately grow to adulthood. Nothing short of firebombing all the adults ''and'' all the eggs simultaneously can stop them.
42	* AudienceSurrogate: Myers. Most viewers agreed that one was not necessary, hence [[PutOnABus his absence]] from the second film.
43	* AuthorAppeal:
44	** The film has a strong influence from Mike Mignola, with Nazis, eldritch abominations and a very dark, Gothic tone.
45	** The main B.P.R.D. hallway features creatures preserved in jars, and the design of Sammael includes a visible spine, both common hallmarks of del Toro's work.
46	** The presences of Ron Perlman and Doug Jones are del Toro staples.
47	* BadassBoast: Hellboy threatens hell itself in plain and matter-of-fact language: [[spoiler:I said, "Hey, you, on the other side - let her go. Because for her I will cross over, and then you'll be sorry!"]]
48	** Professor Bruttenholm gives a fantastic one while explaining the B.P.R.D.'s motto to Myers: see BadassCreed below.
49	* BadassBystander: The aggressive security guard on the train, who makes the unfortunate (albeit fairly understandable) [[WrongGenreSavvy mistake]] of thinking that [[BigRedDevil Hellboy]] [[DarkIsNotEvil is a bad guy.]]
50	* BadassCreed: The Bureau naturally has one--"In absentia lucis tenebrae vincunt."[[note]]The version seen in the film is missing a couple of letters, but this is what it was aiming for.[[/note]]
51	-->'''Bruttenholm''': In the absence of light, darkness prevails. There are things that go bump in the night, Agent Myers. Make no mistake about that. And we are the ones who [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu bump back.]]
52	* BadassLongcoat: Hellboy in the standard-issue B.P.R.D. trenchcoats. Kroenen in his [[HellBentForLeather black leather]] Nazi trenchcoat. Also Rasputin in his intricately embroidered coat.
53	* BadMoonRising: After Rasputin [[spoiler:forces Hellboy to use his giant right hand to unlock the Tunguska door by sucking out Liz's soul]], the monolith sends some kind of PillarOfLight to the moon, which turns into [[spoiler:a portal to let the Ogdru Jahad enter the world]].
54	* BedtimeBrainwashing: The villain does this to Liz, resulting in Liz burning the entire asylum.
55	* BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy:
56	** Grigori Rasputin as master mystic. Granted, even many of his contemporaries thought there was something weird about him.
57	** Adolf Hitler as an accomplished mystic. Early in the movie, Bruttenholm briefs Myers on the Occult Wars which happened when the Nazis acquired mystical artifacts (such as [[TheLanceOfLonginus the Spear of Longinus]]) and ended when Hitler finally died in 1958. Myers corrects him, saying Hitler died in 1945; Bruttenholm simply gives an amused "Did he now?"
58	* {{BFG}}: One of the B.P.R.D. agents wields one, but by the time he charges it up, it's too late.
59	* BigBad: UsefulNotes/GrigoriRasputin, who spends the film trying to summon world-destroying {{Eldritch Abomination}}s.
60	* BiggerOnTheInside: Rasputin's Tomb.
61	* BigEater: Hellboy, if the massive plates of food brought into his room six times a day are any indication.
62	* BladeBelowTheShoulder: Kroenen's preferred weapon.
63	* BloodlessCarnage: During the fight scenes, Creator/GuillermoDelToro uses everything ''but'' blood: sweat, Sammael spittle, slime, gumballs, and coins from a pay-phone are just a few examples. The only bloodshed that occurs is symbolic.
64	* BodyHorror: Sammael. The very first one we're introduced to, after it escapes the train, falls onto the tracks. You get a nice visual of its legs and spine ''literally twisting around'' instead of it just simply rolling over to get up, complete with the sickening sounds of bones cracking.
65	* BodybagTrick: Used by Kroenen to infiltrate B.P.R.D. headquarters.
66	* BondOneLiner: Hellboy is fond of these. "I'm fireproof...you're not."
67	* BookEnds: Begins and ends with a monologue asking "What defines a man?"
68	* BrainsAndBrawn: Hellboy is superhumanly strong and tough, while Abe is a psychic genius.
69	* BullyingADragon: Yeah, throw rocks at the pre-teen pyrokinetic. Real smart, kids.
70	* BurningWithAnger: Liz, when she's angry at Hellboy. Or about to go whoop some ass. Either or.
71	* CallASmeerpARabbit: Sammael is called a hellhound. He does not resemble a dog in any way (except his [[DoubleEntendre canine teeth.]])
72	* CameBackWrong: Rasputin returns from the Void with [[spoiler:an EldritchAbomination in his stomach]], although it's not technically "wrong" as far as he's concerned.
73	-->[[spoiler:Every time I died, a [[BodyHorror little more of the master came back with me.]]]]
74	* CivilizationDestroyer: Hellboy is apparently the BeastOfTheApocalypse and is fated to destroy human civilization on Earth, which is what Rasputin wants.
75	* ClockworkCreature: Kroenen is a [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot clockwork Nazi]].
76	* CoDragons: Kroenen and Ilsa act as equal (yet separate in function, with Kroenen being the more physical enforcer while Ilsa is the more cerebral one) enforcers to Rasputin.
77	* ColorCodedCharacters: Hellboy has a red light on his communicator, Abe has blue. Those colors are also their B.P.R.D. callsigns.
78	* CombatTentacles: Behemoth uses them in its fight with Hellboy.
79	* ComicBooksAreReal: Hellboy is only known to the outside world as an urban myth and the star of a series of comic books. When John Myers meets the real Hellboy, HB himself complains that the comics never get his eyes right.
80	* ConservationOfNinjutsu: Hellboy spends a lot of the first act battling the first Sammael, but as the number of Sammaels grows, he has less difficulty with each one.
81	* CosmicHorrorStory / LovecraftLite: If anything, the movies are even more upfront with the Lovecraft influence: Mignola's Ogdru Jahad are reptilian, while del Toro's are betentacled crustaceans.
82	* CouldntFindALighter: Hellboy's first fight with Sammael leaves his right hand on fire. He lights a cigar with it before putting out the flame.
83	* CoveredWithScars: Kroenen, as a result of his addiction to surgery (though, being a century-old assassin, he's no doubt racked up a few battle scars as well).
84	* CovertGroupWithMundaneFront: Played with. B.P.R.D.'s headquarters are very poorly disguised as a waste disposal facility, an elaborate, beautiful structure with impressive statues all behind a large entrance gate...and a tiny sign out front claiming it to be a waste disposal business. The transports for HB and Abe are disguised as garbage trucks.
85	* CreatorCameo: Both original comic author Mike Mignola and director Creator/GuillermoDelToro appear, dressed as a knight and a dragon respectively, in the scene where a costume party is attacked.
86	* CreepyAsymmetry: One of Creator/WayneBarlowe's design considerations was that every [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Hell creature]] has an asymmetrical element to mark their otherworldly origin. Behemoth and the Ogdru Jahad both wrap their bodies in lopsided masses of [[TentacledTerror tentacles]], and in the latter's case crustacean claws. Sammael has two small eyes on one side of its face and a single large one on the other. And Hellboy himself has TheRightHandOfDoom.
87	* CrossoverCosmology: Much like the original comics. Devils, Lovecraftian horrors, fairy-tale creatures, and {{God}} are all implied to exist.
88	* CrystalPrison: The Ogdru Jahad are contained within these.
89	* CurseCutShort: When Kroenen begins to EvilLaugh after getting beaten, Hellboy asks "What are you laughing at, you Nazi son of a..." before being cut off by the activation of the TrapDoor beneath him.
90	* CuteKitten: Hellboy loves cats. There's even a scene where he goes out of his way to save a box of kittens from falling to their deaths during a fight with Sammael.
91	* DarkIsNotEvil: Hellboy himself, though the villains try to convince him that he ''should'' be evil.
92	* DeadpanSnarker:
93	** Hellboy's dialogue is laced with some of the snarkiest deadpanning of any film in the 21st century thus far. Professor Bruttenholm gets a pretty good one in 1944, so apparently that's where he got it from.
94	** Liz also has rather snarky moments, and given her depressing background, this makes sense.
95	* DealWithTheDevil: Inverted: [[spoiler:Hellboy briefly submits to his true form in order to get the love of his life's soul back (long story short, Grigori Rasputin steals her soul, stating that he can only get her soul back to her if he opens the gate).]]
96	* DemonSlaying: One of the primary jobs of the BPRD.
97	* DepletedPhlebotinumShells: Hellboy's handgun shoots specially-made bullets with holy water, garlic, white oak, silver shavings... "the works".
98	* DescriptionCut: Tom Manning states on TV that the B.P.R.D. does not exist. There's then an immediate cut to an establishing shot of B.P.R.D. headquarters.
99	* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: Hellboy's standard M.O. Also, given Hellboy's true name and nature, this probably applies whenever someone punches ''him'' out.
100	* DiesDifferentlyInTheAdaptation: Professor Bruttenholm is killed by Kroenen rather than a frog monster.
101	* DoingResearch: During Hellboy's fist fight with Sammael, Abe Sapien is researching Sammael and relaying information to Hellboy. He asks how to kill Sammael, and Abe replies that the book doesn't say how.
102	* DroolHello: Sammael's introduction, a torrent of saliva from feeding on his latest victims.
103	* DullSurprise: Creator/SelmaBlair's portrayal of Liz Sherman. Justified, as she's supposed to be depressed and heavily medicated due to her tragic past, and she gets ''much'' better in the second film, after she finally comes to terms with her emotions and powers.
104	* ElaborateUndergroundBase: Rasputin's crazy ClockPunk mausoleum.
105	* EldritchAbomination: The Ogdru Jahad, Sammael, and Behemoth ([[spoiler:[[AllThereInTheManual that thing that crawled out of Rasputin's stomach]]]]).
106	* EmergingFromTheShadows: Rasputin materializes from the shadows of Liz's asylum dorm room the moment the door is shut, which was achieved by a simple but effective StopTrick.
107	* {{Expy}}:
108	** The Sammael have similarities to the Frog Monsters, with their build, prehensile tongues and elongated faces. They are also amphibious and linked to one of the Ogdru-hem
109	** The [[spoiler: "Behemoth", the EldritchAbomination that comes out of Rasputin to fight Hellboy in the ending]] is largely an expy of Sadu-Hem from the original "Seed of Destruction" comic.
110	* ExploitedImmunity: The title character's immunity to fire comes up a [[ChekhovsSkill few times]]:
111	** Hellboy defeats a demon by grabbing a live subway rail. The electrical current is unpleasant for Hellboy, but fatal to Sammael.
112	** When Hellboy is fighting swarms of Sammaels, Liz the pyrokinetic releases a fire blast that takes down all the Sammaels while leaving Hellboy intact.
113	** Hellboy finally defeats [[spoiler:Behemoth]] by [[FeedItABomb pulling the pin on his grenades and jumping into its mouth]]. The ensuing explosion destroys [[spoiler:Behemoth]] from the inside out, while Hellboy is BlownAcrossTheRoom but otherwise fine.
114	** When Hellboy and Liz finally kiss, her powers light them both up in a flaming blaze. Scary to think what would've happened if poor Myers had been the one she fell in love with. Do you take your FBI agents medium or well-done?
115	* ExtraEyes: Sammael has three eyes: two on the right side of its head, and one slightly larger on the left.
116	* ExtranormalInstitute: The B.P.R.D.'s offices.
117	* EvenEvilHasStandards: Kinda. [[spoiler:After revealing his plan to the Professor, as well as the knowledge that they would kill him afterwards, Rasputin assures him that his death will be quick and painless. Seconds later, Kroenen swiftly stabs him through the back of his neck, at the top of the spinal cord, killing him instantly.]]
118	* FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler:Professor Bruttenholm doesn't struggle when Rasputin and Kroenen come for him, knowing that there's nothing he can do to escape them and nothing more he can do to foil their plans than he has already done.]]
119	* {{Fanservice}}:
120	** Perlman mentions that all the female [=TAs=] were "smitten" with Hellboy, and suspects that many were crestfallen upon seeing him out of makeup and costume for the first time.
121	** Abe Sapien spends the majority of time shirtless and is ''very'' fit.
122	** In the movie, Liz apparently burnt all her clothes off before falling unconscious, so Rasputin kindly gives her a big blanket (and nothing else). On the [[CoversAlwaysLie movie case]], she's also wearing a clingy black dress never seen in the film.
123	* FeedItABomb: [[spoiler:The death of the Behemoth.]]
124	* FilmAdaptationLiveAction: An adaptation of the ''ComicBook/{{Hellboy}}'' comics, includes an OriginStory.
125	* FireForgedFriends: Hellboy starts out treating Myers like crap, partially due to him being a NaiveNewcomer and partially due to the LoveTriangle between them and Liz. By the end of the film, he finally shows Myers some respect when he helps him realize he has control over his own destiny. [[SubvertedTrope Of course]], then there's the fact that Hellboy had Myers ''literally'' ReassignedToAntarctica in the sequel.
126	* FishPeople: Abe is an ''Icthyo Sapien'' (thinking fish), an amphibious humanoid.
127	* {{Foil}}: Rasputin is this to Hellboy. The latter is a demon who chooses to defend humanity, and prefers brute force and assorted guns to get the job done. Meanwhile, the former is a (undead) human who willingly chose to side with an EldritchAbomination and is more skilled in the occult, relying on his underlings to do the dirty work. His final scenes show that he cares little for humanity, telling Hellboy that Earth's destruction will go unmourned by the rest of the universe.
128	* FoldSpindleMutilation: Rasputin is sucked belly-first into the portal during the opening sequence, his already-liquefying body bending in half, backward (urk!).
129	* FourFingeredHands: Hellboy's stone hand has only four fingers.
130	* FriendshipMoment: After Manning spends most of the movie complaining that Hellboy is an insubordinate menace, [[spoiler:Hellboy saves his life from a death trap and then they team up to defeat Kroenen]]. Afterward, they have a friendly moment, which because it's Manning takes the form of him being a curmudgeon about the way Hellboy lights his victory cigar and teaching him how to do it ''properly'', thus making the cigar actually taste better.
131	* FuneralBanishment: While not formally kept from the procession, Hellboy is unable to attend the funeral of [[spoiler:his adoptive father]], due to his inhuman appearance, and can only watch it from a distance.
132	* GasMaskLongcoat: Kroenen wears this combination in the opening scene when he's in Nazi uniform. Later, he just keeps his mask.
133	* GentleGiant: Hellboy loves cats and he doesn't mind the kid on the roof he meets while spying on Myers and Liz's date.
134	* {{Ghostapo}} / StupidJetpackHitler: The movie doesn't even start to show off the Nazis' capabilities with a ''{{Clock\|Punk}}work [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Nazi assassin]]''. UsefulNotes/WorldWarII was simply the public face of the decades-long "Occult Wars" which began shortly after UsefulNotes/WorldWarI and lasted until the Allies finally killed Hitler ''in 1958''. Only Mignola knows how [[AmericaSavesTheDay America Saved the Day]].
135	* GilliganCut: In the beginning, when Tom Manning is interviewed on TV.
136	-->'''Manning:''' -- I want to tell you and I want to tell the American public one thing. This Bureau for...umm...
137	-->'''TV Anchor:''' -- ...Paranormal Research and Defence.
138	-->'''Manning:''' -- (looks towards camera) There is... [[PunctuatedForEmphasis No. Such. Thing.]]
139	-->''[cut to properly subtitled facility of B.P.R.D]''
140	* GogglesDoNothing: Averted, as Abe's goggles protect his aquatic eyes while also, as expected, [[RuleOfCool looking really cool]]
141	* GoodHurtsEvil: When Hellboy regrows his horns and is briefly evil, the crucifix from his rosary leaves a burn mark on his hand.
142	* GreaterScopeVillain: The Ogdru Jahad, a team of EldritchAbomination aliens worshiped by Rasputin, who tries to lay the world to waste by using Hellboy as a way of summoning them.
143	* GreenEyedMonster: Hellboy gets really upset about Liz going out for a coffee with Myers and [[SeriousBusiness overreacts]] about her doing things he deems romantic with him (like taking a photo of him, apparently). He throws a rock at Myers when he does the decisively more romantic YawnAndReach move on her.
144	* GroinAttack: When the Professor is recalling the history of Rasputin, he mentions that when Rasputin died the first time he was castrated as part of his death by HumiliationConga.
145	* GrudgingThankYou: After dealing with Kroenen, Manning helps Hellboy light up his cigar properly before the two quietly exchange thank you's to one another.
146	* HandCannon: Hellboy's enormous, customized "Samaritan" revolver, which holds four rounds and is made from consecrated materials such as iron from church bells and pieces of the True Cross. He uses two special types of rounds: "Whoppers" (explosive-tipped and filled with materials that can injure supernatural creatures) and "Trackers" (leave a dye trail that can be used to follow a wounded target).
147	* HappilyAdopted: Hellboy's fond memories of his surrogate father and his supportive childhood is a fundamental reason of why he keeps trying his best to do the right thing, as hard as it is.
148	* HeartInTheWrongPlace: Kroenen doesn't seem to ''have'' a working heart or blood in the film adaptation, but the clockwork device that keeps his body going...somehow...is in the upper left side of his chest where his heart should be.
149	* {{Hellgate}}: Rasputin's portal to the Void.
150	* {{Hellhound}}: Sammael. Though he looks more like a cross between a [[Film/{{Avatar}} Thanator]] and a [[Film/AliensVsPredatorRequiem Predalien]] than an actual dog.
151	* HighVoltageDeath: DoubleSubverted when Hellboy is battling Sammael the first time. Hellboy grabs the third rail of a subway. He just gets jolted, but Sammael gets barbecued. Hellboy then lights a cigar off a flaming bit of Sammael stuck to his stone hand.
152	* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Rasputin in reality was little more than a weird, opportunistic fortune teller, while this story draws heavily from propaganda painting him as a malevolent wizard bent on domination.
153	* HitMeDammit: When Liz is still having problems accessing her powers, she goads Myers with this.
154	* HolyBurnsEvil: [[spoiler:When Hellboy embraces his demonic power during the climax, Professor Bruttenholm's cross burns his palm when Agent Myers throws it to him.]] However, during the rest of the movie, Hellboy has no problem with using holy objects such as the components of his DepletedPhlebotinumShells.
155	* HolyWater: One of the ingredients in the [[DepletedPhlebotinumShells custom revolver rounds]] Hellboy creates for hunting demons, alongside white oak, [[SilverHasMysticPowers silver shavings]], and clover.
156	* HugeGuyTinyGirl: Hellboy is said to be 6'5" and is a mountain of red muscle, while Liz has a slender and feminine frame.
157	* HumanSacrifice: Done in order to bring back Rasputin in 2004. Kroenen kills the man who guided him and Ilsa to the ancient ruin in Moldavia and the guide's [[BloodMagic blood]] pools down into a basin at the centre of the temple from which a newly respawn Rasputin emerges.
158	* ICallItVera: Hellboy's HandCannon is named "The Samaritan".
159	* IdiotBall: In retrospect, leaving Kroenen's body unattended, and leaving all his gear in the same room, might not have been the best idea.
160	* IJustWantToBeNormal: Hellboy. He sands down his horns to fit in and generally likes to pal around with the other B.P.R.D. agents when he's not working.
161	** Liz resents her power, and Hellboy believes part of the reason she left the BPRD was because she felt like she wasn't a part of the normal world there.
162	* IKnowYourTrueName: Invoked and played with, as Rasputin knows Hellboy's real name, Professor Bruttenholm most likely knows but refuses to say it, and the viewer is left wondering if Hellboy himself knows right up until his final confrontation with Rasputin. Turns out, Hellboy ''does'' know his demonic name: Anung Un Rama.[[note]] It means "And upon his brow is set a crown of fire."[[/note]]
163	* IgnoreTheDisability: Clay warns Myers not to stare at Hellboy's filed horns...with predictable result.
164	* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice:
165	** [[spoiler:[[TheDragon Karl Ruprecht Kroenen]] is impaled against a column during the opening battle but survives it and disappears. In Russia he tries to make Hellboy fall into a SpikesOfDoom-filled TrapDoor... [[HoistByHisOwnPetard but ends up getting thrown into it himself]], after which Hellboy drops a huge gear on top of him for good measure leaving him stuck in a AndIMustScream state if he's still conscious and unable to piece himself back together.]]
166	** [[spoiler: Rasputin gets a horn shoved into his belly after Hellboy snaps out of his control.]]
167	* ImplausibleFencingPowers: Kroenen is capable of deflecting bullets at his attackers and {{Diagonal Cut}}ting stone statues.
168	* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Myers possesses this, according to both the Professor and Abe, with it being implied that the latter determined this through his psychic abilities.
169	-->'''Professor:''' In medieval stories, there is often a young knight who is inexperienced, but pure of heart.\
170	'''Myers:''' Oh, come on. I am not pure of heart.\
171	'''Abe:''' Yes, you are.
172	* InSeriesNickname: Hellboy has two: "H.B." and "Red".
173	* InTheStyleOf: Hellboy reads a Creator/JackKirby-styled ''Hellboy'' comic book at one point. He considers it a GuiltyPleasure.
174	--> '''Hellboy''': I hate those comics. They never get the eyes right.
175	* InterspeciesRomance: Hellboy (demon) and Liz (human).
176	* InvoluntaryGroupSplit: When the agents enter Rasputin's ElaborateUndergroundBase, they're split into two groups by rising walls, literally ''seconds'' after [[TemptingFate stressing the importance of sticking together]].
177	* ItAlwaysRainsAtFunerals: During Professor Bruttenholm's funeral.
178	* JerkAssHasAPoint: Manning, regarding Hellboy's irresponsibility as a commanding officer. Such a good point, in fact, that the movie has him immediately follow it up with a bigoted rant so we don't stop thinking of him as a jerkass.
179	* KidsAreCruel: The children that gang up on Liz in her childhood memory go as far as throwing stones at her.
180	* KillItWithFire: Liz uses this a lot, obviously. Sometimes she's WreathedInFlames [[IncendiaryExponent for that extra boost of awesome]].
181	* KindheartedCatLover: Hellboy's soft side is established early when he's introduced in a bedroom filled with pet cats. Hellboy also goes well out of his way to save some kittens during his fight with Sammael in the subway.
182	* KissOfDeath: Rasputin gives it to Liz. It's not death for her but for all the other inmates of the looney bin she's in, because it makes her [[PlayingWithFire fire power]] go haywire and [[StuffBlowingUp blow up the whole building]].
183	* KissOfLife: Hellboy to Liz.
184	* LampshadeHanging: At the library when Hellboy goes to face Sammael alone:
185	-->'''Myers:''' Hey, no one goes with him?! Jesus!\
186	'''Abe:''' Hmm... no. He likes it that way. The whole "[[IWorkAlone lonely hero thing]]"...
187	* LightningBruiser: By human standards, Hellboy is definitely this, but since his actual fights tend to be against various supernatural creatures, he can be anything from a FragileSpeedster (compared to the Behemoth) to a MightyGlacier.
188	* LipLosses: Karl Ruprecht Kroenen. On top of the many cybernetic modifications and acts of SelfHarm inflicted on his own body, he's also revealed to have sliced off his upper and lower lips by the start of the film - hence why he never speaks and usually wears a gas mask to cover the injury.
189	* LivingLabyrinth: Under the mausoleum in the film's final act.
190	* LoveTriangle: Between Liz, Hellboy and Myers (who seems to vacillate between trying to reconcile Liz and Hellboy and falling for Liz himself).
191	* MagicalWeapon: The Spear of Longinus is said to make its wielder invincible, and to have caused Hitler's power to grow tenfold when he acquired it during his rise to power, though fortunately it's safely locked away in the B.P.R.D. and is not important to the plot.
192	* MalevolentArchitecture: Kroenen's LivingLabyrinth (actually [[BiggerOnTheInside Rasputin's Tomb]]) comes complete with SpikesOfDoom and SmashingHallwayTrapsOfDoom.
193	* {{Masquerade}}: Hellboy, the B.P.R.D., and the occult are all kept secret from the public, and one of Tom Manning's jobs is to appear on TV and deny that they exist.
194	* MercyKill: Kroenen delivers one to [[spoiler:Professor Bruttenholm by stabbing him in the back of the neck on Rasputin's orders.]]
195	* MetaCasting: When discussing the film, Mignola and del Toro were considering who should play Hellboy. They each said they had a particular actor in mind and decided to each write their choice down on a napkin and turn them both over at the same time. They had both written "Creator/RonPerlman." Given that Perlman was large and deep-voiced, had extensive experience working in heavy prosthetic makeup, and was already a del Toro regular, the choice was rather obvious.
196	* MistakenDeathConfirmation: Dr. Bruttonholm's autopsy of Kroenen somehow overlooks that he's [[PlayingPossum merely suspended]] the {{clockwork\|Creature}} that animates him, which [[spoiler:costs Bruttonholm his life]].
197	* MistakenForSanta: Subverted -- a patient with Down's Syndrome at Liz Sherman's sanitorium reports seeing a "big red guy" outside the window. One of the staff thinks she's talking about Santa, seeing as it's the Christmas season, but the patient confirms that what she saw ''wasn't'' Santa, and she's right- it's [[BigRedDevil Hellboy]] himself, having stopped by the sanitorium to share drinks with [[LoveInterest Liz]].
198	* MobileFishbowl: Abe sometimes wears water goggles and water tanks when he is out of his tank. Based on the comics this is more to keep him from drying out than to help him breathe; he has both lungs and gills.
199	* {{Muggles}}: Every supernatural entity's opinion of ordinary humans, including B.P.R.D. agents.
200	* MrFanservice: Abe and Hellboy are both quite muscular and both spend a ''lot'' of time shirtless.
201	* MythologyGag:
202	** Hellboy gets presented a comic book based on him, similar (but distinct) to his actual source material. In the cover you can see Von Klempt and one of his Krigoffs, characters from the comics that haven't made their way to the films as of yet.
203	** Rasputin dubs Sammael "seed of destruction". This film (loosely) adapts the first arc of the comics, appropriately titled ''Seeds of Destruction''.
204	** The lightning and angles used for the scene Myers and a doctor discuss Liz from behind a glass are lifted almost directly from a similar scene in the comics arc titled ''Almost Colossus''.
205	** Roger the Homonunculus, a comics character, can be briefly glimpsed as a statue in the B.P.R.D lobby.
206	* NaiveNewcomer: Myers, who doesn't know much about the supernatural and carries some naivete from his youth with him.
207	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Karl Ruprecht Kroenen, the Ogdru Jahad, Anung Un Rama (the last a subversion...although it being a subversion depends entirely on whose side you're on).
208	* NaziGold: The guide who led Ilsa Haupstein and Kroenen to the site where Rasputin could be resurrected is paid by them with a gold bar stamped with a swastika for his services... [[spoiler:and then Kroenen promptly stabs him in the back.]]
209	* NewEraSpeech: Rasputin gives one of these just before carrying out a ceremony to release the Ogdru Jahad for the Nazis.
210	-->'''Rasputin''': What I will do tonight can never be undone! I will open a portal and awaken the Ogdru Jahad, the seven gods of Chaos! Our enemies will be destroyed, and from the ashes, a new Eden will arise.
211	* NiceGuy: Myers is said to be "pure of heart" by Abe, and he'd know.
212	* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Hellboy does this on several occasions, from causing Sammael to multiply each time he kills one of them (including the original Sammael, setting off the chain reaction), to getting several {{Red Shirt}}s killed by running off on his own.
213	* NighInvulnerability: Hellboy can get hurt, but he's extremely durable.
214	* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: Kroenen is a Nazi clockwork zombie cyborg assassin who can sprout blades from his [[strike:[[BladeBelowTheShoulder wrists]]]] sleeves.
215	* NurtureOverNature: The core of Hellboy's character, as he was created to herald the return of various {{Eldritch Abomination}}s but was raised by a good man.
216	* OneLiner: "I'm fireproof. You're not," and, "I'm gonna be sore in the morning..." Made all the better because this was the last line Ron Perlman recited while working on the film. The cast and crew gave him a standing ovation.
217	* OutOfTheFryingPan: [[spoiler:After resisting Rasputin's temptation to summon Eldritch Abominations to Earth, Hellboy kills Rasputin--which allows ''another'' abomination, hiding inside Rasputin, to begin wreaking havoc.]]
218	* PedestrianCrushesCar: Hellboy [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kA0tg8hudw punches an oncoming car with his stone fist]] to save Myers who is lying in the road, causing it to flip over them both.
219	* PiggybackingOnHitler: Rasputin.
220	-->'''SS General''': Five years of construction and research, Grigori! ''Five years''! The Fuhrer doesn't look kindly on failure!
221	-->'''Rasputin''': There will be no failure, General. I promised Herr Hitler a miracle... I'll deliver one!
222	* PowerIncontinence: Liz's pyrokinesis blows up an entire city block when she's eight years old. Later in life, [[spoiler: Rasputin uses that memory to have Liz destroy the mental institution she's living in while she's asleep]]. It's the biggest reason she's afraid of her power.
223	* PracticalEffects: Used extensively and very effectively throughout, as is del Toro's tradition. Basically, any monster that's not running or fighting is a suit or animatronics rather than CGI. Even the Sammael had an actual physical suit built (complete with motorized tendrils!)
224	* PretentiousLatinMotto: The motto of the BRPD is "In absentia luci, tenebrae vicunt." Or, "[[DarkIsEvil In the absence of light, darkness prevails.]]"
225	* ProductPlacement:
226	** Hellboy first bonds with Bruttenholm over Baby Ruth bars, which are shot in their original wrapper. Modern bars are seen in the modern scenes.
227	** Hellboy steals a six-pack of Bud Light, which receives a lot of close-up camera attention.
228	** Dunkin' Donuts boxes and coffee cups are seen scattered about Hellboy's room.
229	** Hellboy sips on a can of Red Bull with the label facing the camera during one scene in his room. Feels amusingly fitting considering the color of the character and the last name of the director.
230	* PromotedToLoveInterest: Liz Sherman; she's more like a little sister to Hellboy in the comics. Played with when Liz tells Myers that she's known Hellboy all her life. In the original stories, Liz had a stronger romantic interest in ''Abe.''
231	* ProtagonistTitle: ''Hellboy'', our hero.
232	* PsychoKnifeNut: Kroenen. Not only does he love his tonfas (bladed tonfas at that), but when he's shown without his trenchcoat, he's got several knives strapped to his arms and legs.
233	* PsychicPowers: Abe is telepathic and able to read the past of objects and places, probably to allow them to do an InfoDump for the audience without it seeming too awkward.
234	* PublicDomainArtifact: The UsefulNotes/HolyLance is prominently displayed in a glass case in the BRPD headquarters. According to Professor Bruttenholm, it was taken from UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler's body.
235	* RasputinianDeath: Rasputin, obviously...and he's still not technically dead.
236	* RedFlagRecreationMaterial: In the DVD special features, the characters are all given their own profiles, including likes and dislikes. The apocalyptic-minded Rasputin naturally enjoys ''Literature/ParadiseLost'' and the works of Music/ModestMussorgsky.
237	* RedShirt: The ordinary, unnamed human BPRD agents are in the movie mainly to get picked off by the bad guys at dramatically appropriate moments.
238	* RemovingTheEarpiece: Done twice by H.B. The second time, it leads to several redshirts getting killed while he can't be reached.
239	* TheRightHandOfDoom: Hellboy's stone right hand is literally the Right Hand of Doom.
240	* RoofHopping: Hellboy does it when he spies on Liz and Myers having a date, and reveals his presence to a kid who was tending to a pigeon coop when he almost takes a deadly leap, but the kid isn't afraid and joins him at spying on the two after promising he won't tell anyone.
241	* RuleOfCool: Anything [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Kroenen]] does runs on this. The museum fight is probably the best example, where he can spin his blades fast enough to deflect bullets ''and shoot them back at the guards''.
242	* SayYourPrayers: Rasputin allows [[spoiler: Professor Bruttenholm]] a moment to do so before having him killed by Kroenen. If the rosary is any indication, he made use of it.
243	* ScrewDestiny: Hellboy was born to bring about the [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Apocalypse]]. After Myers reminds Hellboy that he has a choice, Hellboy tells Rasputin what he thinks of his destiny [[spoiler:by ripping off his own horns and stabbing Rasputin in the gut with them]].
244	* SecretWar: Professor Bruttenholm mentions in passing that UsefulNotes/WorldWarII was merely the public face of the Occult War, which only ended with UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler's ''real'' death in ''1958''.
245	* SeeNoEvilHearNoEvil: Abe Sapien's introductory scene features rotten eggs which Myers smells and is repulsed by while in-frame, despite having been present in the scene for several minutes. Joked about on the commentary: "Is it too late to send this back to editing?"
246	* SeenItAll: On Myers' arrival at the BPRD:
247	-->'''Clay''': So you saw the fish guy, right?\
248	'''Myers''': Oh, yeah. That was ''weird''.\
249	'''Clay''': ''[unimpressed]'' Yeah, right.
250	* SelfHarm: According to Broom, Kroenen suffers from "surgical addiction", a severe form of masochism that made him mutilate himself and he survives all of that only thanks to some kind of black magic.
251	* SinisterSubway: Hellboy fights Sammael on underground railroad tracks and later in the middle of a crowded subway station.
252	* ShoutOut:
253	** The scene of Bruttenholm befriending "baby Hellboy" is very reminiscent of the Baby Ruth scene from ''Film/TheGoonies'' -- including the yummy-sounds.
254	** There are shoutouts to Mike Mignola scattered about - in Liz's flashback sequence, one of the buildings is called "Mignola Plaza", and one of the headstones in the Russian cemetery is inscribed with Mike Mignola's name in Russian.
255	** Hellboy lives on the [[Area51 51st floor]] of the BPRD HQ.
256	** Hellboy calls Kroenen "[[Film/{{Hellraiser}} Pinhead]]" in his PreMortemOneLiner.
257	* ShownTheirWork: With Mignola and del Toro co-producing, it wasn't hard to squeeze in all kinds of obscure mythological references. Of course, it's a FantasyKitchenSink, so...
258	* SmokingIsCool: Hellboy is constantly smoking cigars. It may double as a real-life ActorAllusion as Ron Perlman is an avid cigar aficionado.
259	* SnowyScreenOfDeath: When Liz has her pyrokinesis fit in the psychiatric institution, the CCTV cameras go to full static as the fire wave destroys them, and again in the auction hall in ''TGA'', along with the lights blacking out.
260	* SpinToDeflectStuff: Kroenen uses his blade-tonfas to [[ImplausibleFencingPowers block bullets]] and ''[[ImprobableAimingSkills shoot them back at people]]''.
261	* SpyCatsuit: Abe's wetsuit is effectively this.
262	* TheStinger: Halfway through the credits is the punchline of a BrickJoke.
263	* StockScream: As an unnamed Nazi scientist is thrown against the portal in the beginning and reduced to a skeleton before disappearing, a classic Wilhelm scream is heard.
264	* StoppedReadingTooSoon: A variation; Abe Sapien reads off the description for the {{Hellhound}} from a book to Hellboy. Hellboy supposedly kills the hellhound before Abe finishes, after which he mentions the last few sentences about resurrection.
265	* StopTrick: The moment that the door of Liz's asylum dorm room is shut, leaving it in shadow, Rasputin materializes out of the darkness. Del Toro pointed this out as one of the most effective special effects in the film, and it was achieved by a simple StopTrick.
266	* StoryboardingTheApocalypse: Rasputin gives Bruttenholm a vision of Hellboy causing the end of the world.
267	* StupidEvil: It's unclear just how intelligent [[spoiler:the Behemoth]] is, but the fact Rasputin calls it "the master" is suggestive -- in which case, it wasn't very smart of it to [[spoiler:swallow Hellboy whole when he had a bomb on his person, which ultimately kills the beast from the inside]]. Possibly {{justified}} by a [[FishOutOfTemporalWater lack of familiarity with terrestrial technology]].
268	* SubhumanSurfacingShot: Early in the film, [[BigBad Grigori Rasputin]] is resurrected for the second time by spilling the blood of an innocent guide in an ancient ritual circle, resulting in a pool of blood that he rises smoothly from as if levitating, firmly driving home the fact that Rasputin is [[HumanoidAbomination even more unearthly]] this time around. For good measure, the deleted scenes featured Rasputin being resurrected without eyes, making the resurrection even more unsettling and forcing Rasputin to make use of glass prosthetics throughout the film.
269	* SupernormalBindings: Rasputin binds Hellboy in stocks and chains inscribed with [[IKnowYourTrueName Hellboy's true name]]. The only way for Hellboy to break these bindings is to say his name, [[YouCantFightFate tacitly submitting to his destiny]] as Prince of Hell and bringer of the apocalypse. Of course, making Hellboy fulfill this destiny is Rasputin's entire goal.
270	* TastesLikeFriendship: Baby Ruth bars. Also, milk and cookies from a nine-year-old kid.
271	* TheTeamNormal: John Myers is just a normal FBI agent thrust into the world of the supernatural.
272	* TemptingFate: "We'll be all right as long as we don't separate." Cue sliding walls rising up from the floor and splitting the group in two.
273	* ThingsThatGoBumpInTheNight: They are quite real, as the Professor points out. The B.P.R.D.'s job is to understand them, and stop them from harming ordinary people.
274	* ThisIsGonnaSuck: Hellboy when about to [[spoiler:be [[EatenAlive swallowed whole]] by the Behemoth while he's carrying a live bomb]].
275	-->"''Oh, this is gonna hurt''."
276	* ThoseWackyNazis: Ilsa, Kroenen and von Klempt.
277	* ToHellAndBack: Hellboy threatens it when he saves Liz.
278	-->'''Hellboy''': I said "Hey, you on the other side; let her go. 'Cause for--[chokes back a sob]--for her I'll cross over...and then you'll be sorry."
279	* TouchTelepathy: Abe Sapien can learn about objects or people by touching them. For example, he can touch a weapon left behind at a crime scene and see exactly how the crime happened — or he can touch a superior's hand and realize the man is dying of cancer.
280	* ATrueStoryInMyUniverse: We see some Hellboy comics on the actual Hellboy's legends.
281	* TheTunguskaEvent: In the Director's Cut it's revealed that the large monolith Hellboy inserts his rock hand into to generate the PillarOfLight when he's under Rasputin's control was sent to Earth by the Ogdru Jahad, causing the Tunguska explosion in the process.
282	* TwoGuysAndAGirl: Hellboy, Liz, and Abe are each supernatural and make up the core of the BPRD.
283	* UnderlingWithAnFInPR: Hellboy is a BigRedDevil who's part of a secret government agency charged with eliminating supernatural threats before the public gets wind of them. Hellboy apparently didn't get the memo on that last part, because he enjoys having his picture taken with people, [[BeleagueredBoss much to the director's chagrin]]. Note that in the comics, his existence is in no way a secret, and in fact nobody ever even bats an eye at his appearance.
284	* UnfazedEveryman: Myers. Once he adjusts, he's pretty much unfazed by the rest of the movie's events.
285	* TheUnintelligible: Ivan, the desiccated half-corpse Hellboy resurrects during the final act, talks with a fittingly dry, raspy voice ''and'' in (presumably) some form of Russian, which makes everything he says largely impossible to understand for the average western viewer. Hellboy and his team seem to understand him quite fine, though, if Liz's snickering when Ivan insults Hellboy is any indication.
286	* UrbanLegend: Hellboy and the B.P.R.D., until he goes public.
287	* VillainTeleportation: Used by Rasputin.
288	* WelcomedToTheMasquerade: The movie begins with Agent Myers being brought in to the BPRD, a paranormal investigation unit. Downplayed in that his FBI skills don't do him any good against the various monsters and ancient evils they meet up with. He was only brought in to be a positive influence on the title character.
289	* WhatHappenedToTheMouse:
290	** General von Krupt, the older Nazi who warns Rasputin that the Führer won't be happy if he fails, just oddly disappears, it's not shown wether he has fled or got killed during the battle.
291	** We never do find out if Clay survives his stabbing (but Manning strongly implies to Hellboy that he won't).
292	* WindowLove: A platonic variation between Abe and Liz when he gives her some words of advice and asks her to take care of Hellboy for him while he's stuck recovering in his medical tank.
293	* WithMyDyingBreathISummonYou: [[spoiler:Rasputin summons the Behemoth this way]] - if it wasn't a case of [[spoiler:the Behemoth simply being released by Rasputin's death]], in which case, NiceJobBreakingItHero.
294	* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: [[spoiler:Hellboy ''almost'' becomes this after Rasputin kills Liz in front of him and sends her soul into the Ogdru Jahad realm in order to force him to become the beast of the apocalypse and unlock the portal. The only reason H.B. doesn't is because Myers manages to get him to snap out of it by reminding him of what he once was and that he can choose his own destiny.]]
295	* YawnAndReach: {{Lampshaded}}
296	--> '''Kid:''' Look! He's yawning! He's ''bored!''
297	--> '''Hellboy''': Yeah, yeah, the ol' "stretch and yawn trick." Watch his arm...
298	* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: Invoked by Myers [[spoiler: to convince Hellboy to refuse Rasputin's demand to free the Ogdru Jahad]].
299	-->'''Myers''': Remember who you are! [...] You have a choice! Your father gave you that.
300	* YouAreWorthHell
301	-->'''Ilsa:''' ''(to Rasputin, seconds before death)'' Hell will hold no surprises for us, my love.
302	* YouKilledMyFather: [[spoiler:Hellboy to Kroenen, after Kroenen kills Professor Bruttenholm. "You killed my father! [[BondOneLiner Your ass is mine!]]" ]]

Context Film / Hellboy2004