Hellboy and Galaxy Quest

[Anthony G Williams]

I had heard that Hellboy (the original, not the recent sequel) was a cut above the average comic-based superhero movie so I gave it a spin. Well, it was watchable, like an episode of Die Hard featuring supernatural beings, and it did have some wry humour, so it gets an "OK".

I've also seen Galaxy Quest, about the jaded cast of a long-running TV space opera who are whisked off by aliens who think that their broadcasts are genuine and need help in fighting a war. The film takes an entertaining swipe at the cliches of space opera and the devotion of its fans. It is an amusing, light-hearted contrast from most movies these days, and is a lot more enjoyable than most "serious" SFF films. A must for all Star Trek fans – or at least, the ones who can take a joke!

(An extract from my SFF blog)

 

[chopper]

re galaxy quest: one of my favourite films of all time! majorly quotable, and everybody seemed to be having great fun, especially Alan Rickman, with a proper "Act-or" performance. and Tony Shalhoub cracks me up every time....

"Group hug!"
"The floors are so shiny!"

 

[HareBrain]

"How can we define the essence of pure, ultimate evil?"

"Tentacles!"

"Just tentacles? Shouldn't we be going for some metaphysical element rather than an invertebrate appendage?"

"No, it's all about tentacles."

"Fine. And has anyone come up with the backstory for how and why the Russian guy constructed this vast underground labyrinth-stroke-trap, and without anyone cottoning on to it?"

"Yup. The backstory is: look at the cool CGI!"

(From an assumed Hellboy production meeting)

 

[dustinzgirl]

Never Give UP, Never Surrender was my household mantra for years after that movie...we still say it in squeaky voices.

And Hellboy is just awesome. Try taking the dvd away from my youngest and he will devour your soul. Tentacles are awesomely adorable, I wish I had some.

Probably some of the best underrated flicks out there. Totally worth the eight bucks to buy them on ebay.

 

[steve12553]

I never sat down and watched Hellboy start to finish, but I caught it in progress sevral times and enjoyed what I saw. As to Galaxy Quest, I was a young teenager when Star Trek first aired and have followed it ever since. Throwing a "what if it's real" into the story was brilliant and hilarious. Superbly cast and wonderfully written.

 

[sloweye]

Cant say i liked Hellboy, watchable but no one i could watch over and over.

Now Galaxy Quest, i love and do watch over and over. Tim Allan is at his best, the whole cast is fantastic.

 

[Happy Joe]

Helboy is on the shelf with the other class C films (some of DelTorro's better work; IMO he's a mediocre director at his best) Helboy 2 will go next to it (although its not as good).
Galaxy quest is on the class A and B shelf with other good movies.

Enjoy!

 

[clovis-man]

re galaxy quest: one of my favourite films of all time! majorly quotable, and everybody seemed to be having great fun, especially Alan Rickman, with a proper "Act-or" performance.

"By Grabthar's hammer................"

 

[Joe Meils]

I liked them both, actually. Hellboy had a nice Lovecraftian vibe to it's backstory, and some scope to the plot. Yeah, I can see the "Die Hard" reference though. If you really want to see how a supernatural detective story SHOULD be done, you should hunt down a copy of Gene Roddenberry's "Spectre" sometime...

Galaxy Quest is a fun film, and one that I happily added to my DVD collection the moment it was available. Yes, it pokes fun at the whole Star Trek franchise... but, (and this is the important thing) it also portrays it as a very positive thing in people's lives. The aliens save their civilization by mimicing it, and the fans band together into an effective group to save the day! Besides, Missi Pyle looked so hot in that uniform and those Bettie Page bangs! LOL Her "love scene" with Tony Schaloob is my favorite part of that film.

"Oh! That's not right!!!"

 

[Pyan]

Alan Rickman - just brilliant..

Favourite quote (to Tim Allen's "Kirk")

"I see you managed to get your shirt off, then!"

 

[clovis-man]

"Oh! That's not right!!!"

One of my favorite movie quotes. Another Tony Shalhoub moment from the film that I love:

"Uh, hi guys. They're telling me that the, uh, engines, they can't take it. The ship is falling apart. Just F.Y.I."

 

[Erunanion]

Galaxy Quest is fantastically good fun; Alan Rickman of course steals the show because he's Alan Rickman. A great one for if you are after something light and fun.

Similarly with the first Hellboy - gaping plot errors notwithstanding - its fun, and Ron Perlman clearly enjoyed himself with the role. The Golden Army is god awful though; take it from one who paid to see it. Cannot vilify it enough.

 

[Pyan]

The Golden Army is god awful though; take it from one who paid to see it. Cannot vilify it enough.

A bit harsh there, Erunanion? I thought the Troll Market was rather good...

 

[Erunanion]

It was pretty harsh; I think I might still be reeling from the gaping hole in my wallet after seeing at my stupidly expensive local cinema

*Mild Spoiler ahead folks*




I'll admit, the Troll Market was filled with some nice touches, and personally I thought the love story between Abe and whatsherface was nice. But overall there was far too much predictability, the fight scenes lacked continuity (Hellboy is both big and lumbering enough to take down the troll chappy with the metal hand, and also nimble and fast enough to keep up with the Elf Prince? Please tell me I am not alone in being pedantic about that )

I think the main difference is this: I would put Hellboy on if I wanted something entertaining to drift in and out of, and Hellboy II does not even rise to this category (and that category of my film collection has some pretty poor titles in it ) Harsh perhaps, but I am a mean-spirited person

 

[Pyan]

It was pretty harsh; I think I might still be reeling from the gaping hole in my wallet after seeing at my stupidly expensive local cinema

Yes, it's hardly a cheap evenings entertainment, is it?
And I refuse on principle to pay the extortionate prices for Coke and popcorn these days...I hate to think what the price per kilo is of cinema popcorn - probably in the platinum bracket...

 

[clovis-man]

Well, I missed Hellboy II at my regular cinema, so I went to see it at the "second run" outlet where the price for all showings is $3.00 per seat. But the projectors barely work and the sound is awful. I'd have been better off paying full price. Maybe I should spring for the DVD.

 

[Starbeast]

I loved both films, Galaxy Quest and Hellboy are two of my all time favorites!

For fans of Hellboy, I recommend watching the visual commentary to the film, very interesting and funny.

 

[biodroid]

I like galaxy Quest although it could have been a lot better and I preferred Hellboy 2 to Hellboy 1. Just had a better story and entertainment factor to it.

 

[gully_foyle]

Shame I missed this thread first time around.

Hellboy, it was okay.

Galaxy Quest, one of my all time favourites. Every time it is on the telly (and its on alot) I happily sit through it. Favourite scenes? Tommy/Laredo taking the Protector out of space doc, the visuals of a massive space ship scraping the walls was fantastic and hilarious. Also watch for Gwen de Marco in the Chompers scene. On hearing she has to go through them she says "Well screw that", but if you watch Sigourney's lips, she is saying something a bit more forthright. I love Sam Rockwell's Guy Fleegman panicking about being the walk on actor who buys it.

 

[Starbeast]

Galaxy Quest, one of my all time favourites. Every time it is on the telly (and its on alot) I happily sit through it. Favourite scenes? Tommy/Laredo taking the Protector out of space doc, the visuals of a massive space ship scraping the walls was fantastic and hilarious. Also watch for Gwen de Marco in the Chompers scene. On hearing she has to go through them she says "Well screw that", but if you watch Sigourney's lips, she is saying something a bit more forthright (I noticed that too). I love Sam Rockwell's Guy Fleegman panicking about being the walk on actor who buys it.

It's a brilliant spoof (if I can say that) on Star Trek and the actors of science fiction programs. Hmm, I may watch this tonight.

Many years ago on a comedy tv show called Saturday Night Live, William Shatner did a sketch where he was himself at a Star Trek Convention and he said to the excited fans...

"I'm amazed to see thousands of people here, spending all of your money on Star Trek merchandise, and you've all come from everywhere in the world just to be here. Get a life, will you!"

I was laughing so hard I was crying, cause I'm a Star Trek fan too.