In the final days of World War II, the Nazis attempt to use black magic to aid their dying cause. The Allies raid the camp where the ceremony is taking place, but not before they summon a baby demon who is rescued by Allied forces and dubbed "Hellboy". Sixty years later, Hellboy serves the cause of good rather than evil as an agent in the Bureau of Paranormal Research & Defense, along with Abe Sapien - a merman with psychic powers, and Liz Sherman - a woman with pyrokinesis, protecting America against dark forces.
I love the Mike Mignola Hellboy comics, and this movie is a pretty massive deviation from that source material. Oddly though, I'm kind of not bothered by that. In fact in some cases, like that of the character of Karl Ruprecht Kroenen, the film version is actually an improvement. A regular re-watch of Hellboy is a pretty frequent occurrence in my household.
Final rating: - Very strong appeal. A personal favourite.
Hellboy is not a movie for everyone, no matter how much humour is in the screenplay. Nevertheless, Guillermo del Toro's usual knack for outstanding visuals, cool looking action, and focus on character development makes Hellboy unique and entertaining af.
Also, Ron Perlman is an amazing leading man. His charisma makes him one of the most underrated actors of our time.