cartman

I never read the comics, and I just know I'm missing something with this guy as I have no idea who he's supposed to be or how he got that way. Why does he have dust for blood, sewn up skin, and a wind up watch thing in his chest?

Wile we're on the subject, could you explain the blue fire girl as well? All the movie seemed to tell me was that she and Hellboy were all lovey dovey, but not so much her backstory and such.

Get Me Coffee

I'll explain it.....It's a comic book movie

Passing out drunk....I hate mondays

Fincher Fan

His blood had turned to dust because he was so old.

darqleo

He was a Nazi that tried to be the perfect person and went a little too far. Basically made himself immortal and superhuman through technology and probably magic. His character was changed a lot for the movie, in the comics he's barely a side character with no superhuman abilities. They have a cool little comic backstory of the movie version of Kroenen in the "Art Of Hellboy The Movie" book.

She's basically a firestarter. They explain her backstory in the movie.

fumanstan

I'm glad they made him all badass then for the movie, because he was my favorite character (never read any of the comics)

Hiro11

Kroenen= a surgery addicted, clockwork/magic driven, mummified ex-Nazi. Your basic compendium of del Toro motifs.

cartman

I suppose knowing about the Hellboy universe would help my confusion. Does everyone know about the demons and such running around? From the movie, it seemed like the general public was, for the most part, kept out of the "loop" whenever possible (of course, fighting in the subway station didn't help). So is he, and those he fights, like Superman or Spiderman in that the public knows them and the baddies? Is the "magic" in the universe something anyone can learn, or something you're born/delved into?

outer-edge

I haven't read the comic, but I assume all the magic, monsters and whatnot are secret. Basically, same as our world, but with that stuff existing in secret, known only by government agenies and cults. The general public would know of it as unexplained phenomenon or "weather balloons" and other cover up tactics. The public does however know of a so-called "Hellboy", enough to the point a comic is being made about the mysterious persona. Like Bigfoot, many believe but no one has proof.

darqleo

The B.P.R.D. is a U.S. secret government organization that the general public doesn't know about (hence the scene involving the blurred photo of Hellboy in action and people dismissing it as a hoax... their base of operations being hidden away, etc.).

As far as the general public knowing about demons and what not, well, only the people directly affected by them (the victims, villagers nearby who've witnessed, etc) or those summoning them know about them, so no the general public doesn't know about them. The movie's storyline revolved around one single incident, the next movie will probaby involve investigating something else. I guess a shorter answer would be, think The X-Files.

Also I highly recommend reading the graphic novels, they are only about $15 each and are fast and fun reads. It'll help understand elements of the movie better. Just make sure you read them in order!

Dr. DVD

Hellboy, for the most part, draws a lot of its inspiration from the works of H.P. Lovecraft, especially with its references to the different kinds of creatures.
In the comics, Kroennen wasn't as much a bad a$$ as he was a somewhat wimpy scientist with a gas mask. He was also more talkative. FWIW, I liked the changes del Toro made, because the character written like he would be in the comic would have been superfluous.

Corvin

Get Me Coffee

I love this movie!

darqleo

Dr. DVD

No word on how he became Hitler's top assasin?

Supermallet

Where is that comic from?

darqleo

Not to my knowledge.

From the movie art book I mentioned in a previous post. Here's the book:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...255120-6374366