Movie Info
Movie Name: Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron
Studio: IDT Entertainment
Genre(s): Animated/Comic Book/Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Action/Adventure
Release Date(s): March 17, 2007
MPAA Rating: PG
We’re the ghosts with the most!
Called to investigate a haunted Hamptons mansion purchased by a wealthy hotelier named Oliver Trumbolt hoping to turn it into a tourist attraction, BPRD finds themselves facing spirits and a ghost of Trevor Bruttenholm’s past. In the mansion, harpies are trying to resurrect a vampire of pure evil named Erzebet Ondrushko and with her evil, the goddess Hecate. If the Hecate finds herself on Earth again, she may never be stopped.
Directed by Victor Cooks and Tad Stones, Hellboy Animated: Blood & Iron is a feature length animated comic book film. Following Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms from 2006, the film brings back the actors from Hellboy by Guillermo del Toro (who also serves as one of the producers). The story in the film adapts aspects of Mike Mignola’s Hellboy: Wake the Devil storyline.
One I use my patented “blood bath”, I’ll feel as fresh as a spring morning!
Hellboy feels like it is an acquired taste. I really had to grow into Hellboy and understand the characters to like the film. With multiple viewings, Hellboy gets better. Hellboy: Blood & Iron is a decent story that stands with the two Guillermo del Toro live-action films.
The story for Hellboy Animated: Blood & Iron is more of a straightforward plot than the feature live action films. This feels more like what BPRD is for procedurally. They are called in to investigate the supernatural and defeat it. It is typical good vs. evil…if evil was also on the side of good in the form of Hellboy.
While straight forward, the movie does take a creative approach to the storytelling which elevates the film. As Hellboy, Abe Sapien, Liz Sherman, and Sydney Leach explore the haunted mansion, Trevor Bruttenholm’s first encounter with Erzebet Ondrushko is told in reverse order. In its telling, it shows how Father Lupescu went from a man of faith to a fallen believer. It spices up a rather mundane story.
I’m going to wrap you up in my love!
The cast is solid and it is great that they can get everyone (or at least virtually everyone) from the film to recreate the story. Ron Perlman, Doug Jones, and John Hurt know the characters and that adds weight to the story. It allows viewers to instantly connect with characters they already know and this helps develop both Hellboy and Hellboy II: The Golden Army.
Hellboy Animated: Blood & Iron is the better of the two animated features but both are worthy investments for fans of the character or those who like series like The X-Files or Fringe. With Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy III never developing, it would be nice to see the Hellboy Animated return to wrap up the story started in the two films. With so many options through streaming and direct release, I wish it could happen with the original cast returning. Hellboy Animated: Blood & Iron was followed by Hellboy II: The Golden Army in 2008.
Related Links:
Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms (2006)
I really like the animated series. Hellboy comes across much better in animated form than live-action.
As I mentioned, I wish they had just made a weekly animated series…there are a ton of fun characters and I think it would be cool if they could expand and explore the universe that the B.P.R.D. patrols.