Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms / Blood & Iron Blu-ray

Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms / Blood & Iron

 (2007)

Animation | Fantasy


This animated double feature from the hit Hellboy franchise includes "Sword of Storms," in which Hellboy battles to save a professor from two ancient demons, and "Blood & Iron," in which our hero must thwart a plan to resurrect an evil vampire. As Hellboy and BPRD sidekicks Kate Corrigan and Rusell Thorne fight the good fight, they square off against a malevolent goddess and a host of ghosts, werewolves, harpies and other awesome foes.

For more details about Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms / Blood & Iron on Blu-ray, see the Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms / Blood & Iron Blu-ray Review

Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms / Blood & Iron Blu-ray Review

A double whammy of animated mediocrity.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman, February 2, 2010

There are things that go bump in the night.

With live-action films adapted from comics and graphic novels all the rage these days, it's no surprise that in recent years a deluge of animated films furthering the mystique of the legends of ink and telling more -- and bigger -- tales from the exciting worlds of heroes, villains, and superpowers have cropped up on the market in support of and complimentary to their big-brother counterparts, and much like their mega-million dollar live-action brethren, the pictures are, no surprise, of varying quality. Amidst the hoopla surrounding The X-Men, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, and friends, Mike Mignola's creation of a more recent vintage, Hellboy, earned two excellent live-action film adaptations in the past several years, each a testament to both Mignola's creative genius and Director Guillermo del Toro's impeccable visual style. Fresh off their successes, a pair of animated Hellboy adventures -- Sword of Storms and Blood and Iron -- were released to an eager public, the results fairly true to the Hellboy universe but the films lacking the magic, allure, and grandeur of del Toro's fabulous pictures.



Sword of Storms Rating: 2.5/5

A prominent academic, Professor Sakai, uncovers and examines an ancient Japanese scroll. He soon becomes a pawn in an ancient feud and possessed by warriors of thunder and lighting, both of whom are still attempting to battle a warrior wielding the Sword of Storms, a weapon with the ability to slay demons. After the possessed Professor attacks one of his colleagues, the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense is called in to investigate. Leading the charge is the team of Hellboy (Ron Perlman), Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), and Abe Sapien (Doug Jones). When Hellboy picks up the ancient sword, he finds himself instantly transported to a world of ancient Japanese myth and culture where he must battle a variety of nasties in order to protect the valuable sword and return to his own time and place. Meanwhile, Abe and Liz find their hands full with a powerful sea demon, while Kate Corrigan and psychic investigator Russell Thorne attempt to unravel the mystery of the possessed professor.






Blood and Iron Rating: 3/5

When the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense is called upon as a favor from a prominent U.S. Senator to send an investigative team to uncover the "truth" behind a series of hauntings at a well-to-do mansion in the Hamptons that's set to become the latest entertainment and tourism destination, Professor Trevor 'Broom' Bruttenholm (John Hurt) quickly rearranges the team members' schedules so his top agents can accompany him on the mission, which is seen as nothing more than a publicity stunt. Hellboy, Liz, Abe, and "the human metal detector," Sidney Leach (Rob Paulsen), make the trip and, sure enough, soon find the house to be full of spirits. As the agents unearth the truth and battle assorted demons, Professor Bloom -- in a series of flashbacks -- reveals a story from his distant past that sees him pitted against the vampire Erzsebet Ondrushko, a beast who has slain countless innocents in the pursuit for eternal youth, spurred on by an arrangement with the goddess Hecate. Can Bloom, Hellboy, and the rest of the team put to rest a decades-old dilemma and bring peace to a group of tortured souls?

Neither Sword of Storms nor Blood and Iron prove poor outings, animated or otherwise, but there's a noticeable absence of cohesion, drama, and most importantly, the fun factor that proved one of the live-action films' greatest strengths. Of course, comparing relatively low-budgeted cartoons with multi-million dollar feature-length films makes not a cut-and-dry study, but regardless of the medium and dollar figures involved, story proves the number-one selling point to most any film, and while Hellboy's pair of animated adventures yield passably entertaining fare, there's a lack of rhythm and charm to each picture -- and to Sword of Storms in particular -- that keeps them from achieving the same must-see quality of del Toro's pictures. The return of the feature films' quartet of leading voice talent -- Perlman, Blair, Jones, and Hurt -- lend not only continuity but credence to the pictures. The voice acting is certainly one of the animated films' greatest assets, the transition from live action to animated adventures both natural and seamless. However, the pictures lack an abundance of energy, both following the same basic structure that sees the team come together to work a case, become separated, and face their own challenges in the supernatural world. The stories themselves range from bland (Sword of Storms) to intriguing (Blood and Iron), but neither are particularly memorable and both seem just a bit too involved for what are but 70-some minute pictures, each attempting to cram as much story and as many villains and perils in as possible, even at the expense of flow. However, both films capture the wit and charm of the characters themselves nicely, and longtime fans should appreciate the way each primary is handled within the confines of the stories.

Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms / Blood & Iron Blu-ray, Video Quality

 

Both Sword of Storms and Blood and Iron arrive on a single 25GB Blu-ray disc with a 1080p transfer housed within the confines of a 1.78:1 frame. This transfer yields a solid image considering the picture's animated origins. There's some nice detail and definition to be seen in both backgrounds and character renderings. Additionally, the image offers a fair sense of dimension, and considering its sharp, crisp lines and mostly fluid motion, the transfer looks wonderful in both more deliberate scenes as well as in the faster-paced action that's found in each film. This Blu-ray disc also handles both films' color palettes well. The opening sequence in Sword of Storms is heavy in blues, greens, grays, and blacks, the transfer handsomely rendering the darker segments as well as the brighter backgrounds found throughout both pictures, Hellboy's bright red skin in particular. Only a hint of banding in select shots mars an otherwise solid transfer from Starz.

Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms / Blood & Iron Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 

Hellboy: Sword of Storms/Blood and Iron features only a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. Fortunately, this offering -- while not as crisp and convincing as a top-flight lossless or uncompressed mix -- does an admirable job of drawing the listener into each film and creating a fair sense of space that opens up the worlds of both. The track does lack a bit of oomph at calibrated reference volume, but never does it sound worn-down or wimpy. The track delivers fairly strong atmospherics that consistently create a noticeably pleasant atmosphere; whether dripping background water, a rolling thunderstorm, buzzing electricity, the hum of a helicopter's rotors as heard inside its belly, or flowing chants bouncing off the cavernous walls of a cathedral, there's rarely a sequence where the track doesn't invite the listener to become part of the action from the comfort of the sofa or recliner. Additionally, imaging is excellent; sound maneuvers around the listening area with ease and in conjunction with the on-screen action to realistic effect. However, more powerful effects don't fare quite as well; gunshots lack much authority, and more pronounced action effects feature only a fair amount of heft. Dialogue reproduction is never a problem in either film. Though these mixes would have no doubt further benefited from lossless or uncompressed soundtracks, what's here is rather good for a pair of Dolby Digital tracks.

Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms / Blood & Iron Blu-ray, Special Features and Extras

 

No special features are included.

Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms / Blood & Iron Blu-ray, Overall Score and Recommendation

 

Hellboy: Sword of Storms/Blood and Iron doesn't make for a potent pair of animated delight, but each offers suitable entertainment that should please Hellboy super-fans and satiate the appetite for new adventures from the character's more tepid supporters. Though neither film comes close to beating out the live-action pictures from a story perspective, there's enough here to enjoy once or twice and bask in the glory that is "Big Red" in the animated realm. This Starz/Anchor Bay Blu-ray release sports a quality 1080p transfer, a lossy Dolby Digital soundtrack that's of high quality, but no extra materials. Considering the price, fans should have no reservations about picking this one up.

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