Blade II director Guillermo del Toro tackles another comic-book adaptation with this faithful take on Mike Mignola's unlikely superhero Hellboy. A visually appealing marriage of action, horror and romance, it's both intelligent and fun. In a wry and often poignant performance, Ron Perlman brings unusual depth to the titular character, a cigar-chomping demon intended by the Nazis for acts of evil, but instead raised by the Allies to be an agent of good. From his arch-enemy Rasputin (Karel Roden) to his pyrokinetic love interest (Selma Blair), every aspect of Hellboy's world is exotic and exciting. Though the film loses momentum towards the end, it's still a strong example of its genre.

In the final days of World War II, the Nazis attempt to use black magic to aid their dying cause. The Allies raid the camp where the ceremony is taking place, but not before they summon a baby demon who is rescued by Allied forces and dubbed "Hellboy". Sixty years later, Hellboy serves the cause of good rather than evil as an agent in the Bureau of Paranormal Research & Defense, along with Abe Sapien - a merman with psychic powers, and Liz Sherman - a woman with pyrokinesis, protecting America against dark forces.