A simple mission to investigate allegations of a haunted mansion leads the BRPD to a billionaire’s gothic castle and a possible publicity stunt. Peeved at being used for publicity, Hellboy, Abe, Liz and the rest of the BRPD check things out anyway. Soon they find themselves neck deep and sinking fast in a sea of vampires, harpies, evil witches, werewolves, one seriously ticked off goddess, and a surprising link to Professor Broom’s very first field mission! What do all these present supernatural goings-on have to do with the Professor? And can the supernatural investigation team find out the truth in time before Broom’s past catches up to him?

This second animated movie brings together the same creative team behind the first Hellboy animated feature film. Tad Stones again lends his creative writing talent, while Mike Mignolia (creator of Hellboy) and Guillermo del Toro (Director of the live action Hellboy movie, and Oscar winner for Best Original Screenplay for Pan’s Labyrinth) reprise their roles as producers. The show also sees the return of Dong-Wook Lee (Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles US Version, Millennium Actress) as director of the second animated feature and Madhouse Studio, Inc. again adds its Eastern animation flair to this Western title. The cast from the live action movie and the first animated feature also return to take up their roles again: Ron Perlman (Hellboy), Selma Blair (Liz Sherman), Doug Jones (Abe Sapien), and John Hurt (as Professor Broom). Peri Gilpin also returns to reprise her role as Kate Corrigan from Hellboy: Sword of Storms.

Hellboy: Blood and Iron has the same cast, same crew and a very different feel to this all-new story. It’s a tricky movie that cleverly balances two storylines that tie in together. Hellboy fans get to see the very first field mission of a very young Professor Broom before he met Hellboy. This story is told in the style of the live action film Memento, done in chronological reverse order throughout the main film to tie in with what is going on in the present. It all connects to a Gothic castle, a blood countess, and a priest in search of redemption.

The film is quite clever in how it juggles between the escalating perils of Hellboy, the other BRPD agents, and the revelations unwinding from Professor Broom’s past. Unlike the previous film Sword of Storms, Blood and Iron has a decidedly darker Gothic atmosphere and look to it, very much as a homage to Hammer Horror films. For those unfamiliar with Hammer Horror, it is a reference to a specific style of horror films popular in 1950s to 1970s from a UK film production house called Hammer Films. They did such films as the Curse of Frankenstein, The Mummy, and The Phantom of the Opera (the original film). They showcased such cult stars as Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Many studios went on to emulate Hammer’s successful horror style. Although I wouldn’t say the animation was completely successful in capturing the look of and full feel of the Hammer Horror style, it was certainly partially successful. The darker atmosphere differs greatly from the first film while still retaining character consistency. And even though Hellboy Animated is somewhat of an off-shoot from both the comic and the live action film (consider it like an alternate universe) there are a lot of nods and winks to the other Hellboy incarnations both original and the ones that followed.  Pay astute attention to items in the various rooms and backgrounds and you’ll see many references that tie in with Mike Mignolia’s original Hellboy comic book, the live action movie, and even the first animated Hellboy feature.

The more sober story is heavier rooted in horror than the first animated film and lends to the overall Gothic flavour of the piece. The reverse story of Professor Broom’s first mission is interestingly done and something that longtime fans will enjoy while new comers will be entertained with the story for its ingenuity. There’s a lot of branching off story lines that happen when the action goes full tilt and the gang splits up to deal with each danger on their own. Broom’s first story is brought full circle with his most recent for full-out supernatural action horror film entertainment, replete with the sardonic humour so quintessential to Hellboy.
 
Christopher Drake’s scoring of the film is a wonderful homage to the Hammer Horror style with organ music and orchestral scores threaded with perilous tension in every note. The animation style is a mix of 2D and 3D animation. Occasionally it does suffer from the backgrounds lacking a sense of depth and appearing too flat compared to the characters in motion. There are also some amusing continuity issues to keep your eyes open for, such as when Abe has suffered some severe injuries and is covered in his own blood and abrasions. The next second they’re all gone. A similar thing happens with Hellboy who has the equivalent of a fist-sized hole in his shoulder, the next scene – gone. Then there it is again, then gone again. 

The story, although it may seem like there are two of them, the stories tie in to make a larger encompassing tale, is highly enjoyable. Hellboy is such a unique and intriguing character, but one of the strengths of the movie, the animation and the comic books, is that the other supporting characters are almost, if not equally, interesting. Liz, Abe, and Professor Broom are fascinating people and this movie does an outstanding job of giving a more in depth background to Broom while also providing great moments for Abe and Liz as well as Hellboy. This movie is also thick with supernatural creatures, most taken from European monster tales, but there are also some nods to Greek myths as well which tie in to the original comic book.

EXTRAS:
A stack of goodies as big as the Right Hand of Doom fill this disc. First is Reversal of Fortune: Professor Broom’s Story which plays the entire first mission of the professor that was seen in the movie, but this time uninterrupted and in chronological order. The Iron Shoes is a brief animated short featuring a new adventure of Hellboy dealing with goblin trouble and was written by Mike Mignolia (creator of Hellboy). Pennangalan is an original e-comic exclusive from Mike Mignolia, and is a gruesome and involving tale of revenge, horror and Hellboy getting roughed up as he tries to vanquish evil against monstrous odds.

The DVD also has some extras a bit more common for DVD bonus features such as commentary by Mike Mignolia, Tad Stones, and Vic Cook. There are trailers of other animation titles including a trailer for Hellboy Blood & Iron. And there is also Tales from the Tomb: a Look inside Blood & Iron. This feature takes viewers behind the scenes with the crew to discover how this story came to be, its inspirations, its challenges and its triumphs.

Included with this release is an exclusive Hellboy Animated full color comic book Hellboy Animated: The Yearning from Dark Horse, featuring a pinup by Mike Mignolia, story by Jim Pascoe and art by Ben Stenbeck. The comic book is a supernatural adventure that combines deadpan humour and ghastly horrors for a ghoulish tale about a grudge held by nine thousand slaughtered Tibetan monks, and the knife that might free them if it is slaked with blood.

IN SUMMARY:
Hellboy: Blood & Iron is the second in the Hellboy Animated movies. It is a fiendish good time with scads of evil of creatures that go bump in the night with Hellboy and the BRPD ready to bump back. This movie offers a lot for Hellboy fans: a Gothic horror tale, a priest seeking redemption, a blood countess come back to life, a look into Broom’s early years, a battle for Hellboy’s soul with Goddess Hecate, and Broom comes face to face with a deadly creature from his past, and she is very pleased to have him at her mercy once again!

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