Demon gives 'Hell' on DVD

Following what seems to be a common trend, Guillermo del Toro ("Blade II," "Mimic") brings yet another comic book to the big screen. In "Hellboy," the world is being threatened by an evil force, in this case a monk called Rasputin (Karel Roden), and only one hero can save the day.\nThe highly underrated Ron Perlman stars as Hellboy, a lobster red-colored demon, summoned to earth during World War II by the Nazis, and then raised by the U.S. Government's Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. During the present day, Hellboy, alongside a fish-like creature named Abe Sapien (voiced by "Frasier" vet David Hyde Pierce), must stop the resurrected Rasputin from finishing his master plan. The plot is flawed at times, and the action scenes don't carry the same thrill seen in the films like the "X-Men" series or Tim Burton's "Batman." \n"Hellboy," however, does succeed in creating characters that are not afraid of showing emotion. Perlman adds humor and wit to the demon's dialogue, while at the same time depicting his struggle to fit into society's norms.\nThe two-disc Special Edition DVD is packed with a plethora of unnecessary special features, including an overdone two-and-a-half-hour behind-the-scenes featurette and some video comic strips. The bottom line is this, "Hellboy" has the makings of an interesting film but just doesn't pull it off.