Pun Salad

Here's the story: I got this movie as a freebie from Blockbuster a few years back. But Mrs. Salad refused to watch it with me, so it sat on the shelf for a long time. The arrival of Hellboy II on DVD finally pushed the issue; you can't watch Hellboy II if you haven't seen Hellboy! So I skulked off to a remote corner of Pun Salad Manor, and:

The movie opens in rainy 1944 Scotland, where some pesky Nazis, aided and abetted by a resurrected Rasputin, are opening up a interdimensional portal to awaken the seven Gods of Chaos, who will come and destroy most of humanity, with Adolf One-nut ruling over the smashed remnants of civilization. Thanks to FDR's paranormal advisor, Professor Bruttenholm, and a platoon of American soldiers, that doesn't actually happen. Instead the portal merely poops out a young demon, who turns out to be friendly enough when you give him chocolate bars. The professor and the soldiers name him Hellboy.

The scene then shifts to roughly present-day. Hellboy has grown up, considers Bruttenholm to be his father, and helps continue the fight against evil supernatural monsters and their human allies. This battle is carried on in secret, largely unnoticed by humanity in general, although public enough so that Hellboy has obtained mythical status, like Bigfoot. It develops that the 1944 victory was only temporary, and the same baddies are back in play to make another try at the Gods of Chaos.

Hellboy is played by Ron Perlman, outwardly tough and gruff, but with a gooey sentimental core. The movie is a visual feast, with spectacular special effects and imaginative sets and action pieces. Bottom line: a lot of fun.