For director - and comic book connoisseur - Guillermo del Toro, bringing Hellboy to life on celluloid was a labor of love and his passion for the material is evident in every frame, from first to last. This much anticipated film, adapted from the Mike Mignola - penned comic books, has finally arrived in theaters and was well worth the wait.

       Summoned to earth through a portal opened by the evil Rasputin (Karel Roden) to help the Nazi's win WWII, Hellboy (Ron Perlman) arrives as a baby and is found by Professor Trevor Bruttenholm (John Hurt), a paranormal expert who assists the Allied forces in thwarting Rasputin's plan. 60 years later, we find a full-grown Hellboy working for the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense under the watchful eye of the ailing Professor 'Broom', who has raised him as his son. With the help of his loyal side-kick, the telepathic fish-man Abe Sapian (voiced by David Hyde Pierce), Hellboy protects the world from potential destruction by chasing down monsters and either blowing them away with 'The Samaritan' (one BIG piece of firepower!) or pummeling them with 'The Right Hand of Doom' (one BIG fist!). When he's not dishing out his particular brand of justice on the bad guys, Hellboy spends his time pining for the lovely fire-starter, Liz (Selma Blair), a woman afraid of, and unable to control, her power and who has distanced herself from the Bureau and, consequently, H.B. In to this mix steps John Myers (Rupert Evans), a promising young FBI agent hand picked by Professor Broom to be Hellboy's 'handler' and assume leadership of the Bureau. The mayhem begins when Rasputin and his minions return to finish what they started 60 years previous – complete and total destruction of the world.

       In a recent interview published in a nationally known film publication, del Toro states that the only actor he ever considered for Hellboy was Perlman. At one point, Universal wanted to develop the film with Vin Diesel or The Rock in the role but del Toro balked at the idea and the project remained in limbo until it was picked up by Revolution. It turns out del Toro's instincts were right on the mark. Perlman is an excellent Hellboy, hardened and tough one minute, weak and vulnerable the next. Perlman not only has the right physical look for the character but he understands the inner workings of the character, the very human side underneath the bulky red exterior. Hellboy is a super hero, no doubt, but he's also a guy who loves to drink beer, smoke cigars, and chew on a Baby Ruth and it's in the moments when Hellboy is just a regular Joe that Perlman really shines. The supporting cast is also very good, but Perlman is the real star of this show and he more than rises to the challenge.

       Del Toro's vision has been realized right down to the smallest detail and the film is visually stunning. Del Toro shot every inch of it himself and his mastery of the camera is evident in even the smallest of scenes. The set pieces, costumes, makeup, and special effects are all achievements of skill that bring to life the world in which the story takes place in a way that even the most casual film-goer can appreciate. As you would expect, the action sequences are bigger than life: a chase through the city, Hellboy battling the Samarrea in a subway station, and the final showdown in Rasputin's stronghold are amazingly staged. But, what makes the film really special are the little moments: H.B visiting Liz at the psychiatric hospital, Hellboy surrounded by wads of crumpled paper as he tries to express his feelings for Liz in a note, Hellboy sitting on a rooftop with a young boy as he jealously critiques Myer's attempts to woo Liz, the way in which Abe convinces Liz to stay – all wonderful, and often humorous, scenes that tie the film together and make the characters likeable.

       There are more stories to tell and, in the hands of del Toro and Perlman, Hellboy could very well be the auspicious beginnings of a spectacular franchise. We can only hope to be so lucky!

I just can't say enough about Hellboy. In terms of pure entertainment value, it is second to none, but it is also a very good film – if not surpassing at least on par with The X-Men or Spiderman in terms of brilliantly bringing a comic book hero to life on the big screen.