Hellboy: Sword of Storms (Animated)

HELLBOY: SWORD OF STORMS is the first of two (so far) animated Hellboy films; it debuted on the Cartoon Network on October 28, 2006. The second animated offering, HELLBOY: BLOOD AND IRON, is slated to air in 2007. For those not in the know, Hellboy is a very popular and successful Dark Horse comic book character conceived, written, and illustrated by long time comic book artist Mike Mignola. HELLBOY: SWORD OF STORMS is not a follow up film to the live action HELLBOY, but, instead, bears a closer similarity to the comic book version. Here, for example, Hellboy and Liz do not have a romantic relationship and Abe Sapien is not psychic. However, pertinent cast members from the live action movie do lend their voices to this animated effort, with the exception of the film-uncredited David Hyde Pierce, who had originally voiced over Doug Jones's Abe Sapien role. Here, Doug Jones gets a chance to do his own vocal work, and he doesn't suck.Some more background for the casual viewer: Hellboy, a baby demon summoned to Earth by Nazi occultists in 1944 - during WW2's final days - and subsequently adopted and raised by the U.S. Army from infanthood on, is one of the good guys. Hellboy makes a powerful ally as his demonic origins equip him with superhuman strength, near invulnerability, an immunity to fire, and a gigantic stone hand (called the Right Hand of Doom, which is prophesied to be instrumental in bringing about the Apocalypse; but that's got nothing to do with this film). Hence, the big coat-wearing, big gun toting, now mature Hellboy has become the primary agent of the U.S. Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, an entity dedicated to defending humanity from supernatural threats. Which now brings us to HELLBOY: SWORD OF STORMS.SPOILERS ALERT: When a Japanese folklore expert reads and is possessed by a mystical scroll, the B.P.R.D. sends Hellboy and a team of agents to Japan to look into things. They quickly learn that the possessed professor and a certain enchanted sword are the keys to unleashing the Storm Demons, Thunder and Lightning, who, in turn, upon release, will summon their brothers, the Dragons, to lay waste to the world. During the course of the investigation, Hellboy chances upon the sword, picks it up, and is instantly transported to the horrific fairy-tale world of Japanese mythology, where folklore legends are real and mostly...not very welcoming.Meanwhile, the team members back home press on and attempt to locate the possessed professor. They are also encumbered with their own challenges (the aforementioned professor now effecting meteorological mishaps, an implacable sea leviathan, and animated furniture which would horrify the Disney empire). In the end, of course, the fate of the world is left in the mismatched hands of Hellboy. However, he faces a perplexing quandary as he learns that, to get back home, the Sword of Storms must be shattered, but that the same act will cause the demons Thunder and Lightning to be freed into our world.Creator Mike Mignola's storytelling leans heavily on the horror aspects of worldwide folklore and mythology. In fact, he revels in it. This time out, he delves deep into Japanese folklore as he has his hero facing off against the Rokurokubi (human-looking creatures who can elongate their necks), a Gataro (the cucumber-loving, shelled water demon), a Tsuchigumo (the arachnid woman), a group of Nukekubi (human-appearing monsters, who, at night, are able to detach their heads from their bodies), and your generic Oni (your basic demon or ogre). Hellboy, by the way, has already had a prior encounter with the Nukekubi (in a story titled "Heads") as evidenced by his decisive actions in dealing with them here. The only supernatural being who, on the surface, doesn't seem to have it in against Hellboy is the kitsune, an intelligent fox who imparts advice to our demon protagonist. HERE ENDETH THE SPOILERS.Those who've experienced Hellboy only thru the live action movie have been missing out on some great, distinctive art by Mike Mignola; viewers are urged to check out Dark Horse's various Hellboy releases (in particular, HELLBOY: SEED OF DESTRUCTION, the initial Hellboy graphic novel). With his minimalist style, prodigious use of the color black and his propensity for heavy shadows in juxtaposition with the more vivid hues, Mignola excels in establishing a dark, atmospheric universe for his hero, with a design steeped in steampunk technology and Gothic visuals. Unfortunately, Mignola's artwork isn't fully translated to this film. While the color palette here is somewhat and sometimes reminiscent of Milogna's preferences, there are several sequences where the design and the look stray from Mignola's stark and brooding artistic renderings; at times, it even has a tendency to more closely resemble the JACKIE CHAN ADVENTURES in its style and sensibilities. Not that that's a bad thing; it just isn't Mike Mignola art. I don't mean to quibble but I was hoping to be exposed to a cohesive animation done up ala Mignola; instead, I only get glimpses. Just, more darkness next time, please.The voice actors do a decent job. Ron Perlman is invaluable as the taciturn Hellboy, whose battle cry seems to be, "Oh, crap." Selma Blair returns vocally as Liz Sherman, who still doesn't have full confidence in her pyrokinetic gifts. I've gotta say that Liz's cartoon incarnation doesn't look at all like Selma Blair, but, it's no big deal. Doug Jones as the amphibian Abe Sapien does a good job mimicking David Hyde Pierce's verbal mannerisms, while Peri Gilpin comes on to the series as Professor Kate Corrigan.Based on HELLBOY: SWORD OF STORMS, I'm looking forward to HELLBOY: BLOOD AND IRON. Come to think of it, I also can't wait 'til the second feature film comes out. While SWORD OF STORMS does suffer from an unexceptional, straight-forward plot and a lack of character-driven moments (one exception is the underwater scene between Liz and Abe and their interaction afterwards), the viewer does become privy to plenty of demon-slaying action and a lesson in Japanese folklore. So, while I think it's pretty cool, it doesn't really resonate within me on an emotional level. But, hey, let's not go further down that path. The Hellboy franchise will always be more of a visual vehicle than a stage for the touchy-feelies. So, if you get kicks out of watching Lovecraftian monsters, a no-nonsense hero demon armed with a friggin' gynormous gun, and superpowered misfits all wrapped up in a nice Gothic/pulp adventure package, then Hellboy is right up your alley. Three and a half stars for this one. Oh, and if you're gonna check out HELLBOY: SWORD OF STORMS, then you might as well also get the excellent AMAZING SCREW-ON HEAD, also by Mike Mignola.

This animated Hellboy movie has a solid standalone plot, not needing a connection to the live-action saga.

The world's greatest paranormal detective continues his battle against the forces of evil in "Hellboy: Sword of Storms". When a university professor of mythology opens an old forbidden scroll and becomes possessed by ancient Japanese demons, the secretive Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense sends Hellboy and a team of agents to Japan to investigate. While examining the crime scene, Hellboy discovers a cursed samurai sword and is transported to a supernatural dimension of Japanese folklore. From comic book creator Mike Mignola and director Guillermo Del Toro, "Hellboy: Sword of Storms" is a very entertaining animated adventure that fans of the comic book hero Hellboy will certainly get quite a kick out of it. An engaging storyline, stylized animation, cool action sequences and Ron Perlman's outstanding voice talents highlight this well produced extension of the "Hellboy" franchise. The voice cast also includes Selma Blair, Doug Jones and Peri Gilpin."Hellboy: Sword of Storms" is a truly excellent DVD. The animated feature is presented in a 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen format. The DVD contains a rich and colorful video transfer and a great 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. The DVD is also packed with an insightful audio commentary with Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and production crew, three short but informative behind-the-scenes featurettes (To Hell and Back, A New Breed & Conquering Hellboy), a 42-minute Comic-Con panel discussion, four trailers and colorful interactive menus. Overall, "Hellboy: Sword of Storms" scores a worthy "B".

The beginning of the Hellboy Animated series, first off I should point out to lovers of the movie that Hellboy Animated Sword of Storms and it's sequels follow a different plot line then the movie does. Example... Hellboy and Liz are not lovers, (In fact Abe and Liz share a suggestive scene) The world knows about the B.P.R.D. and Hellboy. I havent read the comics but I belive that these stories are more in the spirt of them, then the movie was. The cast from the movie returns to play there charecter's. Theres a surprising amount of bonus material so thats good. Those who enjoy Sword of Storms will also enjoy it's sequel Blood & Iron just as much if not more. I recommend this show to anyone who likes action, myth, creepy and wierd stories as well as anyone who's a fan! Parents be warned that while these stories are sutiable for a young audeince some stricter folks may find issues with one or two things, (But I really don't see a problom for most folks) and adults need not worry just because there animated and were originaly shown on the Cartoon Network they have not been dumbed down or filtered out.

I'm a huge Mignola fan and I'm usually very critical of anything Hellboy that's not directly from it's creator, but I found this movie to be quite good. It's not animated in Mignola's distinct style (see the animated Screw-on Head) but the artwork does manage enough of a satisfactory flow to tell the story well. The tale itself is pretty original (with a little Mignola-created material thrown in) and well-done so as to keep the viewer interested throughout the movie's length. Best of all, it is not totally "dumbed down" for children the way many animated takes on comic icons are, and does in fact use several curse words, though the violence is creatively muted. I would recommend this for a fan of the Hellboy comics or movie, as it bridges those mediums well.

Good transfer

I'm a fan of Hellboy and I like how they added to the Hellboy universe. this a cool story, filled with Japanese folk lore. and the fact that they used the actors that did the live action movie to do the voices of there character ties everything together nicely.

Ein japanischer Mythologieforscher stößt auf eine alte Schriftrolle die davon erzählt, wie dereinst die Dämonen Donner und Blitz von einem Samurai besiegt und in dessen Schwert eingesperrt worden, womit das "Schwert der Stürme" entstand. Eben jene Dämonen sind es jedoch die nun Besitz von ihm ergreifen und ihn dazu zwingen wollen sie aus dem Schwert zu befreien. Hellboy und seine Kollegen von der Behörde treffen zu dieser Zeit dort ein. Und während Hellboy selbst einen unfreiwilligen Abstecher in die Welt der japanischen Mythologie unternimmt, müssen sich seine Freunde Liz und Abe mit ganz anderen Dingen herumschlagen.Hellboy Animated richtet sich an Kenner des Films und der Comicvorlage gleichermaßen, nutzt jedoch mehr die Charakteristiken der Filmvorlage mit Ron Perlman(der auch dem gezeichneten Hellboy seine Stimme leiht) und vermischt sie mit eigenen Ideen. Eigen ist auch der Zeichenstil, der nicht jedermann zusagen wird, den man jedoch nicht einen gewissen individuellen Charme absprechen kann. Die Geschichte selbst wird sehr actionreich erzählt und verzichtet in diesem Fall für's Erste auf tiefergehende Charakterisierungen. Der ausgesprochen frische Hintergrund und die vielen Anspielungen auf zahlreiche Mythen und Monstren Japans(und eine Kurzgeschichte Mike Mignolas die Kenner des Comics sofort erkennen werden)machen den Film jedoch zu einem netten Kleinod, der in jede Sammlerecke gehört und auf mehr hoffen lässt.Abgerundet wird das Gesamtpaket noch durch einen kleinen Comic zur Serie und einige Videos in denen sich die Macher(darunter auch Mike Mignola und Guillermo del Torro, der Regisseur der beiden Hellboyfilme) zu Wort melden und einige Interessante Details über die Erschaffung des Films zum Besten geben.

Having never read but a few Hellboy comics, I had no preconceived notions on how Hellboy should be portrayed. What I got was a swaggeringly cool superhero that acts like a regular Joe, and fights a supernatural world of baddies.Hellboy is very at home in this world. He himself is a creature of the underworld who has aligned himself with the fragile world of the humans. His assortment of allies are fleshed out and dimensional. Watching Hellboy: Sword of Storms feels like a piece of a greater movie without making the casual viewer fell left-out.Thoroughly enjoyable for all fans of superheros, and kick-butt cartoons everywhere.

Ich bin mit diesem Produkt zufrieden

Für all diejenigen, denen die beiden "Hellboy" - Kinofilme gefallen haben, sind die beiden "Hellboy" - Animes zu empfehlen. Mir persöhnlich hat "Schwert der Stürme" besser gefallen als "Blut u. Eisen", da der erstgenannte mehr Action enthält u. die Handlung schneller auf den Punkt kommt. Hellboy Animated: Blut & EisenHellboy Animated: Blut & Eisen

Ich kann nur sagen ein absolutes MUSS für Fans!!!! nach der trennung von meiner frau musste ich ihn mir umbedingt wieder kaufen und ich würde es wieder tun!