Our review:Item Description:Studio: Starz/sphe Release Date: 06/03/2008 Run time: 75 minutes Rating: Nr
Amazon.com:In some ways,
Blood and Iron captures more of graphic novelist Mike Mignola's original vision than Guillermo del Toro's lackluster feature did in 2004. Hellboy, the demon brought into this world by the Nazis, but raised by 'Professor Broom' to fight for good, was conceived as a drawing, not an actor buried under make-up and latex. The story, which incorporates elements from Mignola's 'Wake the Devil' collection, sends Hellboy, Abe Sapien, Liz Sherman, and Prof. Broom to the haunted mansion of a vulgar millionaire. Hoping to cash in on the supernatural angle, he's filled the house with relics of 'Blood Countess' Erzsebet Ondrusko (based on the 16th century Hungarian noblewoman Elizebeth Bathory), whom Prof. Broom defeated in 1939. It's really haunted, and the gang tackles harpies, ghosts, witches, werewolves, vampires, and the goddess Hecate. The key actors from the live action film repeat their roles as voices: Ron Perlman (Hellboy), Selma Blair (Liz), Doug Jones (Abe), and John Hurt (Broom). Perlman makes a suitably underplayed Hellboy, growling his annoyance at everything from a bad donut to a vicious blow from the iron-clad goddess. The limits of the animation would be less problematic if the direction were more dynamic. Tad Stones and Victor Cook don't get the needed power out of the action sequences, especially the prolonged battle between Hellboy and Hecate. It would be interesting to see what a talented director like Kazuhiro Furuhashi (
Ruruoni Kenshin) or Hiroyuki Okiura (
Jin-Roh) would do with this material.
Blood and Iron will appeal to some 'Hellboy' fans, but it lacks the dark panache of the original books. (Unrated, suitable for ages 14 and older: violence, grotesque imagery, potentially offensive religious imagery)
--Charles Solomon
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Buyer Testimonials
Average Buyer's Review:
-
Hellboy: Certainly puts a new spin on packing Iron.
Hellboy: Blood and Iron, was first commented to the cartoon network and was really hard to watch. It was not the content that caused the problem or the fact that Hellboy was being portrayed via animation that did this a disservice: to the contrary, the show was engrossing and hard to stop watching. The problem with it was that Cartoon Network would show 3 minutes of it, go to commercial, and then come back for a few more minutes. This took an amazing 2 hours of my life before I finished it, and I have to say that not toning out the wrong thing was really hard to accomplish because commercials are never a friend to the watching public. Some time later this was remedied by the DVD version, which touted a beautiful story that coupled known Hellboy ideas with unknown Hellboy tastes and made for something that was really stood out in the wash.
I absolutely loved that little beastie in all his horn-sawed glory.
As far as the plotline was concerned, I recognized some of the considerations and I knew a few of the key players. Hectate has been around the Hellboy block a few times now, the monsters were ones I remembered from waltzing with a whole lot of Graphic Novels, and the notion - the notion was one I had heard before but the expansion here was superb in its delivery. Everything was well-done, too: I was happy with the story from the get-go and things went from promising to thought-provoking as the wilderness expanded and thought aloud. It tasted so much like Hellboy as well: it parts of it I knew a fist would be the answer and other portions contained the whit that I had long bought into. Combine that with the voices utilized - yup, that is indeed RON PEARLMAN - and you have a cartoon that makes it's a grand chapter in the story of one Anung Un Rama.
You cannot imagine how pleased that little piece of direction style made me feel - or maybe you can, depending on how heavily that monkey and its crown have become ( and, yes, that was a pretty bad joke, delivered from a Box Full of Evil, for those who like to play along).
So, should you buy this puppy? I say abso-smurfly, but I am bias reviewer and admit to it. It is cost effective, especially when you think that if you catch it on TV it "good luck with your three-minute snippets. I hope they do not drive you mad." The voices are those from the movies and Hellboy fits Ron Pearlman perfectly - and I say that as a watcher of movies and as someone who has offered up reviews on every piece of Hellboy Graphic Novel tastiness that has ever crossed these wires.
You do not have to know anything about the beastie to enjoy it, you get a stellar cast in the form of a cartoon, and you learn a mixed-bag of lore and mythos while finding out about some oddity in the making. What's not to like, really?
Buyer's review: -
Hellboy-Blood and Iron.........
Hellboy-Blood and Iron is second animated feature in the Hellboy Animated series. The story goes a little something like this... In 1939, a young Professor Broom destroyed Erzsebet Ondrushko, a vampiress who bathed in the blood of innocents to stay young after selling her soul to the Queen of Witches, the goddess Hecate. Flash forward to today, a haunting in the Hamptons, on Long Island, is brought to the BPRD's attention. Broom decides to investigate it himself taking Liz, Abe, and Hellboy himself with him & a new BPRD member named Sydney Leach who is actually a human metal detector who has never seen any action in the field. Upon getting there, they meet a vulgar millionaire hoping to cash in on the supernatural angle, he's filled the house with relics of "Blood Countess" Erzsebet Ondrusko (based on the 16th century Hungarian noblewoman Elizebeth Bathory). They soon find out that it is really haunted and the gang tackles all types of beasties. The storyline, itself, is based on the "Wake the Devil" storyline from the original comics.
It was written by Tad Stone and Mike Mignola and directed by Victor Cook and Tad Stone. Vocal talents were provided by: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, John Hurt, Jim Cummings, Rob Paulson, J. Grant Albrecht, Cree Summer, James Arnold Taylor, Grey Delisle, Kath Soucie, and DeeDee Rescher.
I'll admit, I liked this feature alot more than the last. I guess it is because it deals with the subjects of Vampires. In some ways, this feature is alot better...especially in tone and subject matter. Although, it still lacks that darker feel of the original books. "The Amazing Screw-On Head" feature was closer to Mignola's style and feel of the comics than this. At any rate, I liked it. However, I feel this may only appeal to hardcore animation or Hellboy fans.
Course, after seeing these animated features, I wonder why there hasn't been an animated series on TV. My nephews really loved the cartoons so I know it would appeal to their age set.
Buyer's review: -
Love Hellboy
I'm a huge Hellboy fan. I love the books, the movies are amazing and the animated DVD's are tons of fun. Blood and Iron is visually amazing with art work done by Cheeks Gallow. If your a hellboy fan you will love this DVD.
Buyer's review: 
-
Not as good as Sword Of Storms
With the latest Hellboy movie just hit UK cinemas, to gear up for it, I watched Blood & Iron. Although it's more a prequel, as it still features Professor Broom, voiced by John Hurt. (Thankfully, for fans of John Hurt, he appears in a flashback in Hellboy II.)
The whole myths and legends featured in the animated movies are excellent, and I look forward to seeing more of them. The creatures are amazing, and come to life on the screen. I prefer the live action movies, but the animated ones are always worthwhile watching, and I'm sure there are bound to be more of them. There are a lot of Hellboy comics out there, with lots of ideas to hit Hellboy fans.
The story centres around the Hellboy team, and Erzebet Ondrushko, a female vampire, who in order to stay young and beautiful, bathed in the bloods of innocents to stay young. The elderly Professor Broom decides he must investigate it himself, without revealing too much to his team. Someone is attempting to bring her back - that's never a good sign. Hellboy, Liz and Abe are more worried about his welfare than the return of a vampire. They face ghosts, a ghostly wolf pack, witches, a giant werewolf, and the famous Erzebet herself.
The destiny card is played, a card that is also played in Golden Army, when he battles Queen of Witches, goddess Hecate. She wants him to embrace his true destiny, a destiny that includes the destruction of man kind. This 'destiny' must be a strong feature in the comics as well, and it makes me curious to find out what is actually supposed to happen.
The humour is very dry, as it is in the films, and although Liz's character still annoys me as she did in Sword of Storms (she seems to have a nose piercing, although I think it's just the way her nose is drawn), it still brings a few smiles to faces.
Overall, nothing can really compare to the live action movies, but I did prefer Sword of Storms, with the Japanese mythology, to this. It's still good to watch, and emerse yourself in everything Hellboy.
Buyer's review: -
Better than Sword of Storms
The first animated Hellboy movie wasn't bad but I didn't like the Japanese mythology and I felt like Big Red should have had a more accessible story after the 2004 movie. Blood and Iron keeps the action in America (with the exception of a few flashbacks) and focuses on a haunted house.
The BRPD are assigned to a case involving a mysterious mansion in the Hamptons where spirit Erzsebet Ondrushko (based on Elizabeth Bathory,the legendary Blood Countess), defeated by Professor Broom in the early 40s, plots her own resurrection after selling her soul to Hecate, the queen of the witches. The Professor joins HB, Liz and Abe (clearly this is set before the movie) in solving the case so he can finally put the Blood Countess out of action forever.
The humor is as dry as ever and the animation would shame both traditionally animated shows and all the modern 3D CGI rubbish. I wish all animation could look this good without having to resort to the ugly aesthetics experimented with in Batman Gotham Knight [Blu-ray] or Highlander - The Search for Vengeance (Animated).
With so many Hellboy graphic novels out there these animated movies could go on for ages if they were to base their stories on them. Blood and Iron itself is based on the 'Wake the Devil' storyline from the comics. It's far superior to modern cartoons. And what's with the 15-rating in the UK?
The DVD is in very nice-looking 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby 5.1 sound. There are loads of extras including an animated short called Iron Shoes.