Hellboy 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Hellboy 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Sony has released Director Guillermo del Toro's 2004 Comic Book film 'Hellboy' to the UHD format. The new disc includes 2160p/HDR video and Dolby Atmos audio as well as several new bonus features. Sony has also included a remastered Blu-ray rather than repackage the dated 2007 disc. That disc has not been made available separately. Therefore this page will include coverage of both the UHD and the Blu-ray.

Hellboy 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from the newly remastered and herein included 1080p Blu-ray disc.

Hellboy's 2160p/HDR UHD presentation is another masterwork from Sony. The opening sequence has an almost black and white feel to it. With the surrounding nighttime darkness and the predominance of blues and grays there's opportunity for the UHD transfer to present is qualities with remarkable precision, finding perfectly and gracefully balanced HDR color grading in a difficult sequence where zaps of lightning, high intensity spotlights, and sporadic colors (red Nazi banners) merge with the predominately bleak tones to give the sequence a jolt of visual excellence that is only complimented by the finely honed textures and corresponding organic grain structure. Skin tones are proficient here despite the relative lack of tonal intensity, looking a little pallid and gray but perfectly balanced and blended with the surroundings. Beyond the opening sequence the movie favors largely warm and/or steely tones. There are not many truly and traditionally dizzying displays of color. It's very subdued but the HDR coloration allows it to pop as needed. Intense blues and oranges in chapter seven, for example -- a merging of fire and water -- offer some of the most fundamentally pure color punch the image has to offer. Various character tones are perfectly nuanced and deep, including the obvious ones like Hellboy and Abe, but human skin in any light enjoys healthy depth and detail within the constraints and parameters of any given lighting condition. Brights are intense with exceptionally balanced whites and black levels are perfectly refined whether considering dark attire or shadowy corners.

The 2160p resolution brings a crispness and clarity to the movie that exists well beyond the old Blu-ray and is a clear step above the newly remastered 1080p presentation. The image is organic and sophisticated, pure and without any obvious blemish. The level of clarity is astonishing. Close-ups of the various practical make-up and costume elements reveal amazing attention to detail that don't simply reveal Hellboy's skin intricacies and crevices and designs but rather begs viewers to explore them, to take measurements, to reach out and touch them, to feel the tactile pieces and learn what the character is truly about. The same goes for Abe's complexly designed skin. Environments are ultra-sharp and even under some challenging or less-than-ideal lighting conditions find an extraordinary level of clarity and visual insight that allows viewers the opportunity to soak up the fine-point construction details and appreciate the production design complexities at every turn. Human skin and clothing details are precise. Grain is organic and pure, a delight that brings the picture to strikingly beautiful and filmic perfection.

The newly remastered 1080p Blu-ray is certainly no slouch. It's an excellent representation of the film, finding many of the same qualities. There's undoubtedly a bit less in terms of absolute clarity, perfect film-like texturing, and more perfectly dense and deep colors, but considering the technical downgrade from the UHD there's nothing to dislike here. Colors cover the spectrum with commendable complexity, from intense whites to the deepest darkest tones with plenty of steely resolve and warmth intermixed in the middle. The image is texturally robust, sure and firm and while lacking the intricate complexity and inherent filmic accuracy seen on the UHD the material does push the 1080p format towards, if not directly to, its limits. Though it plays second fiddle to the UHD, Sony's remastered Blu-ray is more than capable of delivering extraordinary results in its own right.

Hellboy 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Hellboy's UHD disc features a Dolby Atmos soundtrack. The track is impressively large and perfectly refined. It's basically everything one could wish for for the film's audio in the Atmos configuration. Music finds engaging width and seamless surround support, bolstered by lifelike clarity. Action scenes are huge, from gunshots to explosions. Hellboy's monstrous caliber revolver offers good thump when it goes bang. An explosion in chapter seven is monumentally large, with fire flowing through the stage with raging intensity and perfectly realized positioning as it maneuvers through at furious speed. Any action element is a delight, presenting with perfectly attuned stage engagement that includes a healthy, though not usually discrete, overhead component. The top layer does work in some seamless detail on a give-and-go basis, when the situation warrants some added height elements, including overhead loudspeaker announcements at one point. The Atmos track accomplishes its task of invigorating the movie's sound design from the top to the bottom, from simple dialogue to complexly engineered and intense action. There are no gaps in coverage, no drops in clarity, no missteps in placement or prioritization. It's an invigorating, high yield track that is the perfect compliment to the movie.

As is standard practice for a Sony release, the Blu-ray does not include the Atmos track, instead featuring a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The marketing ploy behind the practice is obvious enough; the studio is trying to create a more premium product with the UHD line, but it's a bit of a head-scratcher here with no separate Blu-ray release. Why not throw the Atmos track on the Blu-ray since buying the UHD is the only way to get the BD, anyway? Regardless, the 5.1 track is certainly not to be dismissed outright for its comparative lack of channels. It's as authoritative, fun, and full-fledged as one would expect. It's basically everything the Atmos track delivers, minus the fuller spacial awareness and perfectly harmonized precision that more channels affords. The track never wants for greater low end depth, surround stretch, or front end width, even if it lacks the absolute top-tier pureness and purpose that Atmos track delivers. It's all harmoniously put together with every component perfectly executed and well prioritized within the whole.

Hellboy 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Hellboy's UHD disc includes two cuts of the film: Theatrical (2:01:55) and Director's (2:12:27). It also includes a few new extras (some brand new, some new to Blu-ray/UHD, some returning from DVD) while the bundled Blu-ray is a brand-new disc that includes new to Blu-ray and carryover content. Unfortunately, not every legacy extra has been brought over; notably absent are the isolated score track and the composer commentary. Supplements marked as "new" are new to high definition formats but may either be entirely new or ported over from previous standard definition issues. The Blu-ray is home only to the Theatrical cut of the film (2:01:55); Sony's previously released Blu-ray featured only the Director's cut. See below for a breakdown of what's included, and where, with reviews of new content. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.

UHD Disc:

• NEW! Cast Audio Commentary (Theatrical Cut): Cast Members Jeffrey Tambor, Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, and Rupert Evans bring a nice blend of light banter and insightful detail that fans will love.
• NEW! Creators Audio Commentary (Theatrical Cut): Director Guillermo del Toro and Hellboy Creator Mike Mignola talk the film from a number of perspectives, including technical details, story elements, character qualities, performances, shooting locations, special effects, influences, and much more.
• Director Audio Commentary (Director's Cut): Director Guillermo del Toro discusses the film in the track that carries over from the 2007 Blu-ray release.
• NEW! Introduction with Director Guillermo del Toro (2160p/HDR, 0:23): del Toro talks up this new set and the "old fashioned style" extras.
• NEW! To Hell and Back Retrospective (1080p, 7:03): del Toro reflects on the film's take on the Superhero genre, the franchise's heart, the Harryhausen influence, a comic book's rhythm and a movie's flow, his insistence on honoring the source comics in the adaptation process, necessary changes from page to screen, changes he would make in retrospect, the challenges of the shoot, and more.
• The Seeds of Creation (1080p, 2:23:02): A six-part feature that runs a staggering 143 minutes, much longer than even the film's lengthier Director's cut. This is an exhaustive, all-encompassing making-of documentary that was previously made available on the 2007 Blu-ray.
• NEW! Theatrical Trailers (1080p): A pair of trailers for the film: Theatrical Trailer 1 (2:27) and Theatrical Trailer 2 (1:19).

• Deleted Scenes (1080i, windowbox, 4:27 total runtime): Included are Breaking the Ice Wall, Cab Ride, and Russian Warehouse. With optional director commentary.
• VFX How To's (1080i, 12:44 total runtime): Included are Bellamie Hospital/B.P.R.D. Lift Miniatures, Computer Generated Sets/Behemoth, and Liz's Fire.
• Make-Up and Lighting Tests with Commentary by Guillermo del Toro (1080i, 7:21): del Toro discusses the process of lighting a visually challenging character.
• Scott McCloud: A Quick Guide to Understanding Comics (1080i, 12:19): The comic expert shines some light on the format in an engaging exploration of the ink and story world.
• NEW! Right Hand of Doom - Set Visits (1080i, 18:21): Candid behind-the-scenes footage that opens up the process of making several scenes.
• NEW! Hellboy Recommends (1080i): A few of Hellboy's favorite cartoons. Included are Gerald McBoing Boing (6:56), Gerald McBoing! Boing! On the Planet Moo (7:11), Gerald McBoing! Boing's Symphony (7:03), How Now Boing! Boing! (7:21), and The Tell Tale Heart (7:47).
• NEW! Q&A Archive: Comic Con 2002 (1080i, 4x3, 23:17): Guillermo del Toro, Ron Perlman, and Mike Mignola address and interact with the fans well ahead of the film's 2004 release.
• NEW! Mike Mignola Artwork (1080i, 40:09): A lengthy exploration of Mignola's hand-created work that was a foundation for Hellboy's production design. He speaks over shifting images within a static frame.
• NEW! Animatics (1080i): Previsualizations accompanied by the finished film clips and included full screen. Included are Hellboy & Sammael (West Side Highway) - Comparison (1:58), Hellboy & Sammael (West Side Highway) - Full Frame (1:58), Hellboy & Sammael (Subway) - Comparison (0:48), Hellboy & Sammael (Subway) - Full Frame (0:48), Hellboy & Abe (Underwater Chamber) - Comparison (3:00), Hellboy & Abe (Underwater Chamber) - Full Frame (3:00), Behemoth - Comparison (0:41), and Behemoth - Full Frame (0:34).
• NEW! Ogdru Jahad - Scene Progression (1080i, 0:45): A hand-drawn storyboard fills the screen, juxtaposed against the final clip from the film in a small window bottom-right.
• NEW! Board-A-Matics (1080i): Similar to the Animatics supplement above in supplement layout. Following the Video Introduction to Board-A-Matic Sequences with Guillermo del Toro (0:44) are the following: B.P.R.D. Lift - Comparison (0:14), B.P.R.D. Lift - Full Frame (0:14), Bellamie Hospital - Comparison (2:12), Bellamie Hospital - Full Frame (2:12), Bridge - Comparison (2:34), Bridge - Full Frame (1:24), Hellboy (Rooftop) - Comparison (1:44), Hellboy (Rooftop) Full-Frame (1:34), Support Beam Tunnel - Comparison (1:19), and Support Beam Tunnel - Full Frame (1:15).
• NEW! Multi-Angle Storyboards (1080i): Storyboards juxtaposed against the finished product. "Full Frame" offers the Storyboard filling the entire screen. Included are Ragnarok with Intro (4:25), Ragnarok Full Frame (4:25), Machen Library (2:31), Machen Library Full Frame (2:31), Hellboy and Sammael (Subway Platform) (2:52), Hellboy and Sammael (Subway Platform) Full Frame (2:52), The Corpse (0:42), The Corpse Full Frame (0:42), Behemoth (2:28), Behemoth Full Frame (2:28), Ogdru Jahad - Comparison (0:40), and Ogdru Jahad - Full Frame (0:40).
• NEW! Easter Eggs (1080i): Included are a storyboarded Alternate Opening (Submarine) (2:07) and a basic digital rendering entitled Hell on Earth (0:36).
• NEW! TV Spots (1080i, 5:03 total runtime): Included are Ancient Evil Final, Team, Evil's Back, Kroenen, Bump, Origin, Only Hope, Guillermo - English, and Guillermo - Spanish
• NEW! Photo Galleries (1080p): Included are Director's Notebook, Production, Concept Art, Maquette Gallery, Costume Design, Comic Book Artist Pin-Ups, Poster Explorations, Disc Credits, and Guillermo's Quotes.

Hellboy 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

For any Hellboy fans eagerly awaiting a new release that doesn't just replace the existing 2007 Blu-ray that has not aged well (that menu...yikes!) but rather renders it entirely null and void, the wait is over. Sony has gone to great lengths to make this an old fashioned and full-fledged (but not quite definitive) home video release of Hellboy, offering a stunning 4K presentation and a bolstered Blu-ray, all while infusing the set with plenty of new, returning, and previously missing from Blu-ray supplements. Omissions from previous releases include a composer commentary track and an isolated score track, but this is certainly a voluminous, feature-packed presentation. Throw in a digital copy and it's a fan's dream come true. It's priced right and comes very highly recommended.