Often, film fans will look at the lives of actors and filmmakers and think, “Man, that seems like a great life!” Of course, we think that when we see these people at their highest points. You know, right after a major premiere, the Monday after a monster opening weekend at the box office, or when they win some prestigious award. But what we don’t think about are those days when you devoted months of your life to a project, have that project hyped up beyond belief among fans, and then hits the box office with a critical and commercial thud. That’s exactly what happened to Milla Jovovich and the rest of the folks involved with the recent “Hellboy” reboot. And yeah, fans probably aren’t wishing to be in her shoes right now.
That being said, the actress has gone to Instagram to explain that everyone should be perfectly happy for her, and that she’s not at all worried about the terrible debut her latest film endured. In fact, she sees the dismal box office and Rotten Tomatoes score as a badge of honor. Either that, or she’s putting on a brave face and attempting to convince herself that everything is alright. Poor Milla.
“It’s always stressful on opening weekend and @hellboymovie is no different. You work super hard to make something fun and entertaining and have to absorb the negative reviews by movie critics, but hey! THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY,” she wrote on social media.
Jovovich added, “All my raddest films have been slammed by critics. It’s fucking hilarious. Dazed and Confused? Seriously? Classic movie. The Fifth Element! You would have thought that was the worst movie ever made if you read the reviews in like ‘98. Zoolander? Slammed. Joan of Arc? Disaster. Resident Evil? Let’s not even go there. Anyway, every one of those films is now a cult classic. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. And [‘Hellboy’] will be too.”
READ MORE: Neil Marshall’s Edgelordy ‘Hellboy’ Is A Dreadful, Juvenile Mess [Review]
We’ll say this much, it’s clear that some fans actually did enjoy Neil Marshall’s “Hellboy” reboot. And out of the 159 reviews submitted to Rotten Tomatoes, there are 25 positive ones! (Our’s is not one of them, however.) So, of course, there’s the chance that the film will live among the rest of the cult-classic horror/action films that seem to find audiences years down the line. And Jovovich is probably accurate to include “Hellboy” amongst films like “Resident Evil,” which is comprised of half a dozen films of meh quality that turned into a pretty profitable franchise.
But to compare “Hellboy” to “Dazed and Confused” and “The Fifth Element?” Not so much. Those films were definitely examples of projects that took time to find their audiences, but there’s no denying that each of them is quality entertainment, with filmmakers like Richard Linklater and Luc Besson at the helm, respectively. “Hellboy” and Neil Marshall are probably not in that same category.
That being said, we can’t fully blame Jovovich or Marshall for the finished product. Well, not completely, at least. It would appear from reports that “Hellboy” was doomed before it hit theaters with star David Harbour and a couple of producers having a contentious relationship with Marshall on set. And yes, there are script, acting, and directing issues to be found, but most complaints seem to stem from the post-production work (which Marshall is said to have had a minor influence on), including special effects and terrible editing.
So, good for you Milla Jovovich for tackling this criticism with a smile. And for fans of the film, enjoy it and don’t be embarrassed. Perhaps, you’ll just be the early-adopters on the latest cult-classic.