There doesn't appear to be an "official" review embargo in place for Hellboy: The Crooked Man, but with the movie being released at different times across the globe (we're still not 100% sure when it arrives in the U.S.), the first wave of reviews has just hit.
They're mixed, yes, but tend to be more positive than negative...so far at least, anyway! A lot of outlets still need to weigh in and we're a long way off from getting a Rotten Tomatoes score but it sounds like we should at least consider giving Brian Taylor's take on Big Red a chance.
We'll start with the worst review of the bunch from The Hollywood Handle; in a 1.5*/5* review, the site says Hellboy: The Crooked Man "initially gives the impression, through its first act and part of the second, that it knows its place and embraces its trashy style. However, the movie soon abandons its fearful elements, opting instead for a dull, serious, and somewhat pretentious approach."
Total Film was a little more impressed, awarding the reboot 3*/5*, acknowledging that while "Taylor's film descends into a couple of extended set-piece battles...Some sore-thumb CGI amid the largely the practical effects, and the odd gimmicky edit, are further impediments," there is still "plenty here to celebrate."
In fact, the site goes so far as to say that those elements are "enough to leave you hoping that Taylor makes good on his plan to revisit Hellboy in the '60s, '70s and '80s."
Dexerto goes with the same score and states, "The Crooked Man is a very different kind of Hellboy, being smaller and cheaper than what’s come before. But that’s enabled Mike Mignola to tell a Big Red story on his terms."
"That definitely works in the film’s favor, as unlike Hollywood’s recent comic book movies, there are no characters or sequels being set-up, and no multiverse confusion to explain. Which gives the movie laser-like focus," it adds.
Starburst also went with 3*/5*, praising Jack Kesy for doing "good work" as Hellboy before concluding, "What The Crooked Man lacks in blockbuster bombast, this ambitious comic book adaptation makes up for with gothic chills and bloody action straight out of an Evil Dead film."
"For all its budgetary constraints, it’s refreshing to see a film take an iconic comic book character and do something that’s so small in scale but essentially true to the spirit of the big guy."
The Hollywood trades haven't chimed in yet and may not depending on how wide a release Hellboy: The Crooked Man receives. While these early reviews aren't exactly glowing, they at least seem to suggest that the movie won't be a critical disaster in the same vein as The Crow.
Stranded in 1950s rural Appalachia, Hellboy and a rookie BPRD agent discover a small community haunted by witches, led by the Crooked Man, a local devil with a troubling connection to Hellboy's past.
Brian Taylor directs Hellboy: The Crooked Man from a script by Mike Mignola and Chris Golden. The cast is led by Jack Kesy as Hellboy, Jefferson White as Tom Ferrell, and Adeline Rudolph playing Bobbie Jo Song. We'll also see Leah McNamara as Effie Kolb, Joseph Marcell as Reverend Watts, Hannah Margetson as Cora Fisher, and Martin Bassindale as the Crooked Man.
Hellboy: The Crooked Man is set to be released later this year.