"Red" returns to action in Hellboy II, this time in shiny leather pants.
After four years of waiting, Guillermo del Toro releases the highly anticipated sequel to his 2004 film Hellboy based on the Dark Horse comic book series by Mike Mignola. Hellboy II: The Golden Army is more than merely a continuation of the events in the previous film--it is drastically different from Hellboy and immensely more ambitious, drawing heavily from the fantastic imagery and inspired creatures seen in del Toro's other film Pan's Labyrinth. Hellboy II truly is a feast for the eyes, and In a time where the film world is bloated with movies based on comics, Hellboy II achieves being more than just another comic book, weaving in quite a bit more romance, comedy, fantasy, and characters than the original movie.
From left to right: Abe Sapien, Hellboy, Liz Sherman, Johann Krauss prepare to kick golden robot ass in Hellboy II: The Golden Army.
One of the Most Visually Pleasing Films We've Ever Seen
Hellboy II: The Golden Army begins back in time where a young Hellboy is being told a bedtime story by Professor Bruttenholm. The reason for this rather awkward flashback, which shows us a bucktoothed 9-year-old Hellboy in pajamas, is because this is when Hellboy first learns about the tale of The Golden Army and Prince Nuada. The army is said to be comprised of indestructible mechanized warriors, numbering in the thousands and controlled by whomever wears a special crown. The story goes on to tell that the crown is eventually split up into three pieces that are divvied up among the humans and elves, resulting in the elf Prince Nuada going into exile. The film then fast forwards to the present, placing us after the events of the original movie where Hellboy is having relationship problems with his girlfriend Liz and Prince Nuada has come out of exile to wage war on the human race.
One of the only negative things to be said about Hellboy II is the fact that from beginning to end it's seeping with romance--too much in fact. There's just so much going on in the film in terms of new characters being introduced and developed to buy into the multiple sappy love stories going on at once. This is supposed to be an action movie, remember? That said, the overblown romance in the movie doesn't plague the movie enough for it to make any real impact on the rest of the film. The rest of the movie is nothing short of mesmerizing, with action sequences that'll make your jaw drop and more of what you'd hope for in a Hellboy sequel.
Hellboy + Pan's Labyrinth = Hellboy II
There are a mind-blowing number of characters brought into the Hellboy universe, some good, some bad, and some neutral. The films original three protagonists, Hellboy, Liz, and Abe are joined by an all-new German ally, an "ectoplasmic being" wearing a Lost in Space robot-esque suit named Johann Krauss. The addition of Krauss to the rest of the members of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense works, and Krauss acts as a kind of extension of the the Bureau's director played by Jeffrey Tambor who is known for repeatedly scolding Hellboy for his behavior. One scene in particular comes to mind when talking about some of the unbelievably cool creatures shown in the film, and it's where the team of four heroes enter a troll market located underground The Brooklyn Bridge where they encounter a wide array of unique lifeforms that rival even those of the famous Cantina scene from Star Wars.
Hellboy II is a lot less dark than its predecessor--replacing some of the "horror"-type visuals and nuances of the original with imagery that's more commonly associated with "fantasy." So, if a horror/horror-themed movie like the first Hellboy is what you seek, you'll likely walk away from it feeling empty handed. But if you're a fan of the original movie or just want to watch a really fun movie with some of the coolest monsters and creatures ever to appear on the silver screen, go see Hellboy II. It's definitely not without its share of flaws and it's ending is pretty hard to digest, but all in all it's definitely worth the price of admission and takes more risks in terms of storytelling than just about every other film based on a comic book out there.
Terror Rating: 1 out of 5
Originality: 4 out of 5
Level of Gore: 2 out of 5
Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Other Recommendations: Hellboy (original), Pan's Labyrinth
Tell us what you think would make a killer premise for Hellboy III in no more than a couple words by posting a comment below. The best entry will WIN these 3 prizes:
- Hellboy: Science of Evil (PlayStation 3)
- Free Movie Ticket for Hellboy II (Max value of $12.00)
- Hellboy Poster (11" X 17:)
