Hellboy
Saw Hellboy this evening! Great movie. Brilliant adaption of the Dark Horse Comic. Unfortunately as often happens in movies with sarcastic, non-physical, non-slapstick humor, I was the only one in the theater laughing at most of the humor.
Humor is just one of those things that is so hard to translate across languages and cultures. While several moments in the movie was laugh out loud funny to me, the Koreans in the audience laughed laughed exactly once…when a lone piece of broken glass fell oh Hellboy’s head a few moments after the rest of the window had fallen on him.
Even after 16 years, I don’t find much of Korean humor funny. I don’t see anything funny about the antics of the comedians in the “gag concerts.” I just stare at the TV dumbstruck and how everyone in attendance could be laughing at what is going on. Conversely, my Korean friends simply don’t get why I am rolling on the floor holding my ribs and gasping for air while watching things like Raising Arizona, Spinal Tap, and such.
Way back in the day, my Korean friends and I would have endless fun telling each other the funniest jokes we could think of and then laugh at the other person not finding the joke funny.
The difficulties inherent in translating humor cross culturally is one of the reasons I am constantly telling foreign clients not to start their presentations with jokes, not to try to be funny in their discussions, and to steer well clear of anything resembling sarcasm.
But, back to the point…The movie was a good 2-hour escape. Well worth the KRW 6,000. Effect were great, Ron Pearlman played the character amazingly straight, the rest of the cast was wonderful…including my secret girlfriend Selma Blair. I recommend it for people of all ages… There is quite a bit of violence, but the most vulgar word in the movie that I remember was the word “crap.”
Memorable line:
Abe Sapien: In five seconds she planted three eggs inside you.
Hellboy: And she didn’t even buy me a drink.
