Hellboy:Sword of Storms – DVD Review
The Movie: The story begins with Hellboy (Ron Pearlman), Liz (Selma Blair), & Abe (Doug Jones) just returning from a case in the jungles of South America when the BPRD send Hellboy with Agent Kate Corrigan (Peri Gilpin) to investigate the disappearance of a Japanese Professor, who has become possessed by the two demons of Thunder and Lightning. When Hellboy arrives on the scene in Japan, he picks up the cursed "Sword of Storms" and is sucked into an alternate reality where Japanese Myths and Folklore come to life. While Hellboy is making his way through the land confronting all sorts bizarre creatures in order to find his way home, Liz and Abe battle a creature in the middle of the Pacific Ocean & Agents Kate and Russell continue to try and locate the missing Professor.
The Look & Sound: "Sword of Storms" is presented in at a 1.78:1 aspect ratio and has a great anamorphic transfer. The quality of the animation is pretty good, it's right on par with other top notch Anime flicks. The movie has three sound options, a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix in English and 2.0 versions in English and in Spanish. There is also an audio commentary with creator Mike Mignola, & Directors Tad Stones and Phil Weinstein.
My Take: This DVD shines on all counts, it's a good movie, has very nice animation, and is packed with plenty of extras. Fans of Animation & Sci-Fi should give this movie a look with a Rental and Hellboy fans should definitely Buy this DVD. I'll end with the trailer for the next Hellboy Animated Feature: "Blood & Iron" due out in May.
Next DVD Review: "The Departed"
The Look & Sound: "Sword of Storms" is presented in at a 1.78:1 aspect ratio and has a great anamorphic transfer. The quality of the animation is pretty good, it's right on par with other top notch Anime flicks. The movie has three sound options, a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix in English and 2.0 versions in English and in Spanish. There is also an audio commentary with creator Mike Mignola, & Directors Tad Stones and Phil Weinstein.
The Extras: This DVD has plenty of extras, starting with the "Follow the Fox" option. A fox will appear on screen and when selected will take you to a series of short behind the scenes cilps: "Origins": The Myths that inspired the Movie, "A View from the Top": How the Hellboy short story "Heads" was adapted into the film, "Tale Spin": A breakdown of the "Spider Lady" sequence, "Prop Prefecture":
The design of the props, & "Samurai Songs": Meet Christopher Drake, who alone composed and played the entire score on his Keyboard synthesizer. These documentaries are also available to watch standalone from the film in the special features section, most of which are in the "Hellboy Goes East" section. The other featurettes included are: "To Hell and Back": A conversation with Mike Mignola on the creation and history of Hellboy, "A New Breed": A look at the new design concepts of Hellboy Animated, "Conquering Hellboy": Behind the scenes with the voice cast, & "Keepers of Hellboy": The 2006 "Comic Con" Panel for "Sword of Storms". There are a handful of trailers, most notably "Blood & Iron" (the next Hellboy animated feature). And lastly, the DVD comes packed with a mini Hellboy Animated comic Book "Phantom Limbs".My Take: This DVD shines on all counts, it's a good movie, has very nice animation, and is packed with plenty of extras. Fans of Animation & Sci-Fi should give this movie a look with a Rental and Hellboy fans should definitely Buy this DVD. I'll end with the trailer for the next Hellboy Animated Feature: "Blood & Iron" due out in May.
Next DVD Review: "The Departed"
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