The 2019 Hellboy reboot from Neil Marshall was long-anticipated after the cult following that the Guillermo Del Toro films garnered in 2004 and 2008. Hellboy and Hellboy 2: The Golden Army were both considered great films which did the comic book character justice, but the new offering starring David Harbour was not met with the same critical approval.
Pic: Hellboy Facebook.
The 2019 Hellboy reboot from Neil Marshall was long-anticipated after the cult following that the Guillermo Del Toro films garnered in 2004 and 2008. Hellboy and Hellboy 2: The Golden Army were both considered great films which did the comic book character justice, but the new offering starring David Harbour was not met with the same critical approval. It was also a box office bomb, bringing in a total of $40 million worldwide against a production budget of $50 million. Despite these terrible returns, there were some good aspects of the movie. The soundtrack, in particular, was a silver lining to an unfunny and undercooked cloud of abysmal filmmaking. Here, we take a look at some of the best tracks, and see how they stack up against the original offering.
Strong Offerings from Muse, Motley Crue and Alice Cooper
Strong Offerings from Muse, Motley Crue and Alice Cooper
The soundtrack to Hellboy was composed by Benjamin Wallfisch, who was also responsible for the original scores on Blade Runner 2049 and A Cure for Wellness. The London-born composer is renowned in the industry, and was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Score in 2017 for his work on Theodore Melfi’s 2016 biographical drama, Hidden Figures. Wallfisch’s work on Hellboy was lauded for its haunting originality.
Aside from the score, there were various tracks from famous music acts played throughout the film. One of the best moments was during the giant battle when Muse’s Psycho came on. The 2015 B-side to Dead Inside fit the fight scene perfectly, and added an extra element to what was seen on screen. Marshall’s film was always expected to be heavy on the rock influences, and Motley Crue’s Kickstart My Heart was another appropriate entry to the soundtrack. The iconic 1989 track written by Nikki Six has featured in numerous films, and was an excellent choice to play over the ending fight scene of the picture. One of the other standout additions to the movie was Alice Cooper’s Welcome to My Nightmare. The title track from the legendary rocker’s first ever solo project in 1975 has been considered among the best Halloween songs ever written, so was a fitting inclusion to Hellboy.
Hellboy Reboot was always Likely to Attract Big Names.
Aside from the score, there were various tracks from famous music acts played throughout the film. One of the best moments was during the giant battle when Muse’s Psycho came on. The 2015 B-side to Dead Inside fit the fight scene perfectly, and added an extra element to what was seen on screen. Marshall’s film was always expected to be heavy on the rock influences, and Motley Crue’s Kickstart My Heart was another appropriate entry to the soundtrack. The iconic 1989 track written by Nikki Six has featured in numerous films, and was an excellent choice to play over the ending fight scene of the picture. One of the other standout additions to the movie was Alice Cooper’s Welcome to My Nightmare. The title track from the legendary rocker’s first ever solo project in 1975 has been considered among the best Halloween songs ever written, so was a fitting inclusion to Hellboy.
Hellboy Reboot was always Likely to Attract Big Names.
Prior to the release of Hellboy, there was a lot of hype around the project and big names wanted to be involved with it. After the success of the original films and the iconic Dark Horse Comics series, the franchise had swelled out into various other media. This helped the beast-like character gain widespread notoriety. Hellboy has been represented frequently in the entertainment industry, and the recognisable face and horns have been used to attract players. The Hellboy slot game, for instance, is one of the most played Betway slots because of its familiarity and the use of the character’s face on the reels. In addition to that casino game, there have been numerous console offerings including Hellboy: Dogs of the Night from Cryo Interactive in 2000 and Hellboy: The Science of Evil from Krome Studios in 2008.
Hellboy has appeared in numerous cartoons over the years, with the animated films Sword of Storms and Blood and Iron released in 2006 and 2007 respectively by Cartoon Network. There have also been numerous novels and anthologies, mainly written by Christopher Golden. These include Hellboy: The Lost Army in 1997 and Hellboy: The Bones of Giants in 2001. With all the various media surrounding the character, Hellboy has become legendary. The reboot was always likely to attract some of the world’s best musicians.
How Does the Soundtrack Stack up Against the Original?
Wallfisch had a lot to live up to when he was writing the score for the latest Hellboy film, as his predecessor had been Marco Beltrami. The New York-born composer is an expert in the horror genre, and composed music for Wes Craven’s Scream franchise from 1996 to 2011, Paul W.S Anderson’s Resident Evil in 2002, and James Watkins’ The Woman in Black in 2012.
The 2004 offering also featured a number of tracks from well-known musicians. One of the most notable songs used was Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. The celebrated track has been used most recently in Peaky Blinders for the opening credits. The film also featured the 1980 Tom Waits track Heartattack and Vine. For fans of rock music, the newer Hellboy offering includes more standout tracks.
With the enormity of the Hellboy franchise, the new offering needed to include a lot of big name musicians to boost its popularity. Unfortunately for Lionsgate, the great soundtrack wasn’t enough to save the film from failing miserably at the box office.
Hellboy has appeared in numerous cartoons over the years, with the animated films Sword of Storms and Blood and Iron released in 2006 and 2007 respectively by Cartoon Network. There have also been numerous novels and anthologies, mainly written by Christopher Golden. These include Hellboy: The Lost Army in 1997 and Hellboy: The Bones of Giants in 2001. With all the various media surrounding the character, Hellboy has become legendary. The reboot was always likely to attract some of the world’s best musicians.
How Does the Soundtrack Stack up Against the Original?
Wallfisch had a lot to live up to when he was writing the score for the latest Hellboy film, as his predecessor had been Marco Beltrami. The New York-born composer is an expert in the horror genre, and composed music for Wes Craven’s Scream franchise from 1996 to 2011, Paul W.S Anderson’s Resident Evil in 2002, and James Watkins’ The Woman in Black in 2012.
The 2004 offering also featured a number of tracks from well-known musicians. One of the most notable songs used was Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. The celebrated track has been used most recently in Peaky Blinders for the opening credits. The film also featured the 1980 Tom Waits track Heartattack and Vine. For fans of rock music, the newer Hellboy offering includes more standout tracks.
With the enormity of the Hellboy franchise, the new offering needed to include a lot of big name musicians to boost its popularity. Unfortunately for Lionsgate, the great soundtrack wasn’t enough to save the film from failing miserably at the box office.
