good, violent.
Hellboy
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Somewhat entertaining, but too scary for many.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 12–14
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Hellboy was written by Nell Minow
Parents need to know that this movie contains frightening images, a dark and at times macabre tone, and the sad death of a central character. There is a great deal of violence in the fight scenes, which are at times bloody, and characters must wrestle with the deadly consequences of their actions. A scary character is addicted to self-surgery, while one of the creatures summoned by the Nazis is a Hell-hound that will frighten younger audiences. Several characters (including one major character) die violent deaths. The inability of one of the characters to control her powers causes the off-screen death of innocents, which might frighten even the most mature of audiences.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about the father-son bond between Dr. Broom and Hellboy, why they fight and how this relationship impacts both of their characters. The movie touches on an issue that runs throughout the comic book series, that of Hellboy's commitment to defense of humans despite his demon form. What does being human mean for Hellboy? Where does he have the power of choice?
Have you seen it? Review It!
More on Hellboy
What’s the Story?
Based on Mike Mignola's comic book series, HELLBOY centers on the titular anti-hero, who has the body of a Hell-spawned demon and the heart of a human. The film depicts how Hellboy made it to Earth as a child, then forwards to the present, in which the adult Hellboy is the supersized ward of Dr. Broom and the Bureau for Paranomal Research and Defense (BPRD). Cigar-munching, cat-loving Hellboy (Ron Perlman) has a huge stone hand and forearm that help him to pummel baddies. He is their most famous inmate, despite the fact that the U.S. government does its best to deny that Hellboy exists. When evil Russian villain Rasputin, his goons, and some rather nasty Hounds of Hell try to bring the Gods of Chaos to Earth, it's time to call in Hellboy & Co. Hellboy is endearingly human, with a penchant for wiseguy understatement and his love for his adopted family of misfits at the Bureau, especially doe-eyed and dangerous Liz Sherman (Selma Blair). They seem literally made for each other as the woman who has trouble controlling her pyrotechnics wouldn't want a boyfriend who wasn't fireproof.
Is It Any Good?
Director Guillermo Del Toro's Blade 2 blazed with whirling swords, back-flipping vampires and frenetic action, at times rendering the fights an incomprehensible blur. Del Toro does not make that error again, introducing a comparatively sleepy pace for Hellboy that seems to stretch its 132 minute length into a much longer movie, padded in parts by unnecessary and cliched scenes and overkill in the squiggly monsters in dripping cavernous cellars category.
To his credit, he captures some of the visual color, tone, and, yes, beauty of the comic book, but he sometimes makes you feel like you are reading it over someone else's shoulder and that person takes too long to finish a page.
Movie Details
Studio: Columbia Tristar, Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Run time: 121 minutes
Theatrical release: 04/02/2004, DVD release: 07/27/2004
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sci-fi action violence and frightening images
Run time: 121 minutes
Theatrical release: 04/02/2004, DVD release: 07/27/2004
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sci-fi action violence and frightening images
Our Members Say
See all 24 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
good movie.
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I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
boring
i found this movie a bit boring.
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I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
Plenty of graphic violence, death, and a dark macrabe tone, so not movie for the kiddies. But Hellboy is perfect for comic book fans and those who enjoy a well directed movie.
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I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
I love this movie! Not good with little kids, but only because they prolly'd be scared and or they wouldn't get it... -__-. there's some cursing, but nothing extreme. The best movie i've seen in all my life, terrible i know. Some blood, gore and violence, some death, but you can emphasize with 'im.... That's what i like about it! ...He has cats XD i love that.
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I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
- My highlights are:
Great Movie
Great Movie But a little too scary for younger audiences
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I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
awesome movie!!!!!
violence:creatre violence and non human blood some intense.sex:two characters date. language:h-ll d-mn and sh-t. alchohal and drugs:helllboy smokes.
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I rate this title iffy for age 9 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Excessive consumerism
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
A Good Comic Book Movie
While it's not identical to the comic, it does do a good job of adapting it and delivers very good action and horror.
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I rate this title off for age 17 and give it
Uses Gods name as filth
Movie would have been good except they Profane Gods name. They did not have to to make an adventure, as in Star Wars, but Hollywood will try to make it OK to use Gods name in place of a 4 letter filth word, I would rather hear the filth word.
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I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
hellboy review by critic07
Now im a big fan of comic book movies, HELLBOY kicked ass! I think you can probaly see it if you want to. It was no worse than my favorite movie spider-man. It was intense and had scary images, but they were'nt that scary. So tell your mom that critic07 said you can see HELLBOY!
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I rate this title on for age 9 and give it
Good show.
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
11+...
a good guy movie. some smoking. beer. violence. alot of hell. and monsters. but a good movie to see.
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
Very cool action horror flick for 13+
I didn't see anything wrong, besides the fact that alot of demon resurrection and satan stuff (not like you've seen in the end of days or exorcist, but it is pretty scary). Good moral stuff besides hellboy smoking a cigar all the time which is not a good lesson for kids. Besides that, great movie!
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
Hellboy is another comic book masterpiece since Hulk came out. It features the Hellboy from the comic book series. In this movie, you discover the origin of Hellboy and how he manages to survive in society where people with horns is not that common. Hellboy encounters an old enemy that brought him into the world.
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
OK interesting but still a little zzzzzzzzzzzzz
Hellboy is great. The beginning matches with the end and the main characters' favorite word is extremely............non apropriate for little kids because of language.
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
Fun!
A fun and entertaining superhero/action movie, pretty forgettable but great while it lasts.
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
very cool
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