Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms (2006) (TV)

Directors:

Phil Weinstein
Tad Stones

Writers:

Mike Mignola (characters)
Mike Mignola (story)

Release Date:

28 October 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Horror | Sci-Fi

Plot:

A professor of folklore opens a forbidden scroll and becomes possessed by the ancient Japanese demons of Thunder and Lightning...

Plot Keywords:

Demon | Folklore | Sword | Hell | Dark Horse Comics

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Ron Perlman	...	Hellboy (voice)
Selma Blair	...	Liz Sherman (voice)
Doug Jones	...	Abe Sapien (voice)
Peri Gilpin	...	Professor Kate Corrigan (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dee Bradley Baker	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Liza Del Mundo	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Keith Ferguson	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Kim Mai Guest	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Michael Hagiwara	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Yuriana Kim	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Clyde Kusatsu	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Phil LaMarr	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Paul Nakauchi	...	Additional Voices (voice)
James Sie	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Mitchell Whitfield	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Gwendoline Yeo	...	Kitsune (voice)

Runtime:

73 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Australia:M | USA:PG | New Zealand:M | South Africa:13V | Netherlands:12

Company:

IDT Entertainment

Trivia:

The name that the old man is carving into a cucumber is "Murakami". Director Tad Stones says that this is a shout out to his friend, fellow animator Glen Murakami

Goofs:

Continuity: We see the giant bat creature pin Abe to the ground, then the shot cuts away for a moment and then cuts back to the bat but Abe is now on his feet and several yards away from the creature when there wasn't time for him to get there.

Quotes:

Russell: [eyes closed] Based on the psychic wavelengths of this room, I'd have to say a massive disturbance occurred here not long ago.
[Hellboy glances around the room, which looks like a tornado hit it]
Hellboy: You're good! I mean, I've worked with psychics before but you... are something special.
[aside to Kate]
Hellboy: I hate psychics.
Professor Kate Corrigan: I know, but we have to use them.

Movie Connections:

References Bronenosets Potyomkin (1925)

Pretty darn good, but missing something

I caught this on its Cartoon Network debut, after about two weeks of waiting eagerly for the day to come. After I'd witnessed the Sci-Fi Channel's absolutely brilliant "Amazing Screw-On Head", also a creation of Mike Mignola, maybe my hopes were too high that this would have the same edge and charm and wit. It didn't quite hit that peak. Considering the audience, I guess it couldn't have.

Another thing I wasn't prepared for was Abe Sapien being so completely different from his movie incarnation. Not worse, just different. Despite having most of the same voice actors, don't come into this movie expecting it to be a translation of the live film.

Artistically, it's pretty great stuff. I watch the DeviantArt gallery of one of the film's concept artists, and minus some tweaking on the designs to make them easier to animate they kept it pretty consistent to the art direction. The character designs of the supporting characters are pretty standard stuff, but the film also boasts some truly beautiful layouts and artwork with rich and well-used color. Animation's kinda choppy in places, but nothing too bad.

I kinda wish the script and voice acting really stepped up to plate; despite its efforts there was only one line in the whole film I really laughed at. Still, it was a good way to spend two hours. I'd watch it again.