"But," says the reviewer, "Del Toro stuck to his guns, and as a result, the film is far truer to its comic origins, retaining many of the things that seem fine on paper, but which you wouldn't think would work on film. It was this uncertainty which led to the movie's theatrical release being delayed in the UK, so that it wouldn't have to go up against the big summer blockbusters. It's a real shame, as this is a film which really deserved to have its chance to shine amongst the big action movies of the year."
The article goes on to describe HELLBOY's success in the US rental market where it sold more than half a million copies in its first week, and has made more than $50 million in total, which is more than Scooby Doo 2, The Passion of Christ, or The Return of the King.
The article closes by saying, "He may be one of the most unusual comic book heroes out there, but HELLBOY is also one of the most interesting. And thankfully, you don't have to go to hell to find out more about him."
TOTAL DVD issue # 69 also features HELLBOY on its front cover, and includes a 3-page article on the film, plus a 3-page interview with Selma Blair.
The article describes the film as a smash hit when it opened in the USA in April this year, pulling in over $23 million in its first weekend.
It goes on to say "the belated UK release brought in over £3 million. Not bad work for a film based on a comic book few people have heard of starring a bright red demon as its hero. The film's success has only been compounded by sensational DVD sales across the Atlantic, with the 2-disk release of the theatrical cut recently followed up by a 3-disk release of the Director's Cut. And now UK consumers have the film's DVD release to look forward to, with Columbia Tristar announcing a 10 January release date for the film, which TOTAL DVD is sure will quickly rocket to the top of the charts."
Both these magazines are curently on sale in the UK.
The Region 2 version of this DVD will contain the same content as the Region 1 edition. Full details can be found here.
No confirmation of a UK release date for the 3-Disk Director's Cut of HELLBOY has been given yet, but DVD MONTHLY suggests it might be released around Easter, 2005.
