Amazon.com: The feverish Hellboy II: The Golden Army is a very busy sequel that might have looked unhinged in the hands of a less visionary director than Guillermo del Toro. Ron Perlman returns as Hellboy, aka "Red," the Dark Horse Comics demon-hero with roots in the mythical world but personal ties in the human realm. Still working, as he was in Hellboy, for a secret department of the federal government that deals (as in "Men In Black") with forces of the fantastic, Red and his colleagues take on a royal elf (Luke Goss) determined to smash a longtime truce between mankind and the forces of magic. Meanwhile, Red's relationship with girlfriend Liz (Selma Blair), who can burst into flames at will, is going through a rocky stage observed by Red's fishy friend Abe (Doug Jones), himself struck by love in this film. Del Toro brilliantly integrates the ordinary and extraordinary, diving into an extended scene set in a troll market barely hidden behind the façade of typical city streets. He also unleashes a forest monster that devastates an urban neighborhood, but then--interestingly--brings a luminous beauty to the same area as the creature (an "elemental") succumbs to a terrible death. Del Toro's art direction proves masterful, too, in a climactic battle set in a clockworks-like stronghold tucked away in rugged Irish landscape. But it's really the juxtaposition of visual marvels with not-so-unusual relationship issues that gives Hellboy II a certain jaunty appeal hard to find in other superhero movies. --Tom Keogh
A splendid follow up to the first film in the series Warning! Spoilers abound!
Gradually over the past several years Guillermo del Toro has emerged as arguably the finest creator of fantastical films in the world. Now that he has been tagged to direct the two-part HOBBIT he has the opportunity to cement that reputation. Even without that, however, he has a string of remarkable films behind him. His finest film remains PAN'S LABYRINTH. He has also made both of the HELLBOY films, the stunning Spanish language THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE, the second (and best) part of the BLADE trilogy, and the absolutely terrifying horror film MIMIC. Others can boast two or three such films, but few so many or of such high quality.
HELLBOY II was, if anything, even more enjoyable than the first film. del Toro focuses less on plot than on the interrelations between the various characters and the way that affects things. Their superheroic adventures by contrast serve as mere interruptions to that. The central conflict in the film is Liz's unhappiness in her relationship with Hellboy and her hesitation in telling her that she is pregnant. This is the issue they all refocus on when not having to deal with saving the world from destruction by the Golden Army. But it reminds us that whatever else the characters are despite their astonishing gifts, they are persons as well, with the kinds of concerns that people have.
One of my favorite characters in the Hellboy films is Abe Sapien, marvelously portrayed by the astonishing Doug Jones. Over the years Jones, a mime by training, has carved out a career as perhaps the best-known physical actor in Hollywood. If you need a character that needs to move in remarkable fashion, Jones is often called upon to bring them to life. For instance, though Laurence Fishburne voiced the Silver Surfer, Jones provided the template for the CGI imaging. Fans of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER will remember him as the taller of the two main Gentlemen in the classic Season Four episode "Hush." But no one has used Jones as effectively as del Toro. He has been not only played Abe Sapien in the Hellboy movies, but several other characters as well. And in PAN'S LABYRINTH Jones portrayed both the Fawn of the title (which is not, by the way, Pan -- that was added only to the English translation of the title -- in most other languages the film is simply THE LABYRINTH OF THE FAWN) as well as the Pale Man who haunts the girl with his eye balls in the palms of his hands. I'm sure del Toro will find a place for him in THE HOBBIT as well. Actually, I'm fairly certain he'll find several places.
There were just so many things that I enjoyed about this film. Many of these were small touches, such as the battle Hellboy has beside the Brooklyn Bridge with the Elemental, while holding a small baby. As a viewer knowing what he does not (that Liz is pregnant with his child), one realizes that he might make a better father than one might initially suppose. I also loved the way that while the film utilizes staggering amounts of CGI, it is never used more than is necessary. The CGI is used in service of the story; the film is not merely a vehicle for CGI, which is the case with, say, TRANSFORMERS and SPEED RACER.
The summer of 2008 could well be remembered as the summer of the superhero film. It started off with IRON MAN, progressed to THE INCREDIBLE HULK and HELLBOY II, and finally to THE DARK KNIGHT. Well, OK, there was also HANCOCK. But those four good films are easily the best batch of superhero movies ever to be released in a single summer. All signs are that they will receive considerable competition in the future. Barring success by 20th Century Fox's lawsuit attempting to ban its release, THE WATCHMEN is slated for a Spring 2009 release. Marvel now has its own production company and has announced future films based on Thor, the Runaways (my personal favorites in all the Marvel Universe), the Avengers, and Captain America, as well as sequels to Iron Man and The Hulk. DC has lagged behind Marvel in the quality and quantity of its properties coming to light (THE DARK KNIGHT notwithstanding), but I have little doubt that they will start taking steps to correct that. Over the past 20 years the comics that DC has put out, especially under its Vertigo imprint, has been far superior to Marvel. The problem is that those titles are by and large more complex and darker. Marvel may not have anything quite as stunning as Gaiman's Sandman series or Y: THE LAST MAN (which is rumored to be under development as a film project) or Willingham's FABLES or Ellis's TRANSMETROPOLITAN, but as great as these are as comics, they may not have the mass movie appeal of the Marvel titles. Time will tell.
The Asparagus that Ate New York Wow! I don't know how they keep doing it, but the HELLBOY franchise is sure going strong. HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY is tons of fun. Filled with great acting, weird and wonderful creatures, terrific special effects, an engaging plot, and some very fun surprises, HELLBOY II appealed to my entire family (sans the wee one), and we all had a delightfully good time.
Ron Pearlman is a standout. You can tell that is having the time of his life playing this character. He makes this comic book hero real and believable, and his cat-loving Hellboy persona has great audience appeal. You are just compelled to root for him. The rest of the very talented cast, including Selma Blair as Liz and Doug Jones as Abe Sapien, are equally good, giving this film a well-rounded, top-notch company.
The incredible creatures, good and bad alike, are a wonder to behold. The CGI is marvelous, and you really can't tell where the make-up ends and the special effects begin. The fantastical scene at the Troll Market under the foot of Brooklyn Bridge is a wild cross between the Star Wars Cantina and Harry Potter's Nocturn Alley. I don't think such a wide array of amazing creatures has been seen on this side of the galaxy in a long, long time. One truly outstanding and lovely creature is a giant forest elemental, both a bringer and destroyer of life. Even as the "giant asparagus" is battling Hellboy, New York City becomes covered in gorgeous layer of green grass and flowers. This incredible effect is beautiful and moving. And let's not forget the tooth fairies. These tiny creatures are exceedingly well done. And I don't think I will let my kids leave any more teeth under their pillows!
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY is a fast-paced, action-packed, rollicking good time. I give this film my highest praise for being able to build upon the original HELLBOY, and take it up a notch. So many sequels fail where this one succeeds. Plus, where else can you see two drunken "monsters" singing Barry Manilow's "I Can't Smile Without You" while pining way over their love lives. That side-splitting scene alone is clearly worth the price of admission...
in love with monsters "Hellboy 2" is so visually sumptuous, rich, lush. The weeks leading up to it's release I saw so many previews and images of the movie that I was expecting to be left with few surprises in the theater. Boy was I wrong! Wow, as far as this viewer is concerned, Guillermo outdid himself. I suppose one could take issue with the plot, maybe quibble about this or that, you know. Maybe the villain was "unimposing". Yea, and maybe he was supposed to be. I felt that was sort of interesting.
Spare me the fanboys with preconceived ideas and too high expectations on this one. I know what it's like as a fan that has been left wanting other than what I got from a film, but not with this one.
This latest by Guillermo del Toro leaves me excited for what will be comng next from who is clearly one of the greatest directors of fantasy/adventure films working today. (Btw, you do know what that is don't you?!)"Hellboy 2" is a juggernaut, a lavish celebration of the imagination of the highest order. I think people are getting spoiled. The public has been treated, especially in recent years, to so many feasts of the imagination that maybe they've naturally gotten a little accustomed to having their eye balls dazzled. "Hellyboy 2" deserves praise. For me "Hellboy 2" by far is the greatest showcase of creatures ever. The Troll Market, tooth fairies, Krauss (voice done by "American Dad"'s Seth MacFarlane, which is why that voice sounds like a certain goldfish), the Angel of Death, the elemental, the Golden Army, The Elves, and many more are what make the movie great. The performances are good. Ron Perlman was born for the part. The story is good, but mainly it's a vehicle for these creatures to be brought into the picture to be enjoyed for their own sake.
What makes the mind of this visual wizard tick? "I have a sort of a fetish for insects, clockwork, monsters, dark places, and unborn things" says Guillermo Del Toro. Our number one director of fantasy films is "in love with monsters. My fascination with them is almost anthropological... I study them, I dissect them in many of my movies: I want to know how they work, what the inside of them looks like, [and] what their sociology is." I can see that.
"Hellboy II: The Golden Army" Rocks Deliriously entertaining from start to finish, "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" is a jolt of summer fun that thrives on the feverish mind of a director letting his imagination hang loose. Building off the hard earned goodwill from the previous "Hellboy," writer-director Guillermo Del Toro digs deeper into a world beset by wicked fairy tale monsters and guarded by benevolent fantasy beasts. The pivot point of this film is still Ron Perlman. Behind the pounds of red prosthetics and make-up, he infuses the big red hulk with a warm, wry and working-class sensibility, where Hellboy can demolish the latest supernatural threat but still has mundane troubles at home and cracks open a beer with his buddies to take the edge off.
But unlike the first film, Perlman no longer has to carry the whole thing by himself. The other strange beings that populate the secret governmental organization known as the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense are fleshed out wonderfully, and it's the relationship between this extended family of freaks that gives the film its humor, heart and soul. Firestarter Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), aquaman Abe Sapien (Doug Jones), newcomer Johan Krauss (Seth McFarlane) and agency director Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor) are all tops, but its Jones and McFarlane that make the biggest splash. Johann Krauss is pure ectoplasmic spirit encased in an old-school diving suit, but that doesn't dampen his strict sense of mission protocol. McFarlane, best known for his work on "Family Guy" and "American Dad," summons a riotous vocal mix of Stewie Griffin, horn-dog goldfish Klaus and the gleefully perverse Quagmire to come up with a hilarious and bizarre character that could only exist in the comic world dreamed up by "Hellboy" creator Mike Mignola. Abe Sapien, on the other hand, is a fish out of water that finds solace in his intellectual pursuits, quietly envious of the love that Hellboy and Liz Sherman share with one another. He falls for an elfin princess named Nuada (Anna Walton), the twin sister of the evil Nuala (Luke Goss). Both are the offspring of an aging King who long ago struck up a truce between the world of magical creatures and humanity, a truce that humanity has wantonly broken by expanding their world of industrial excess and materialistic greed into the lush, untouched realms of the children of the earth.
It's Nuada who takes it upon himself to strike back against humanity by seeking to reanimate the Golden Army, an invincible force that was under the control of the King, but was put to rest ages ago. "The Golden Army" may a raucous monster mash with plenty of eye-popping make-up and prosthetic effects (the scene in a troll market is one for the time capsule), but the film raises troubling issues about why the magical realm has risen so violently against humanity, an uprising that Hellboy and his comrades must put down. Throughout the film, things of visceral and primal beauty are sacrificed to avoid all out destruction, something that the defenders of humanity find painful to bear witness and facilitate. But no matter what they do, likely the eradication of an entire magical world and the natural world by way of greedy human behavior will not stop. No character emerges unchanged or unscathed. It may not have the operatic impact of "The Dark Knight," but "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" deserves its place next to it. They represent some of the finest material comic book movies have to offer.
Gruesome Supernatural Creatures Abound In This Action Packed Fantasy Sequel Better than the original, "Hellboy II" is pure fantasy adventure. For thousands of years, the world of humans and the world of supernatural creatures has been at peace, but an angry Prince Nuada is determined to bring about a war between the two. Knowing that Hellboy is shunned and repulsed by humans, the prince tries to lure Hellboy to his side.
The sequel is more emotional than the original. It involves love found and lost. Hellboy's relationship with Liz Sherman is strained; they are on the brink of separation.
There is a secret world of goblins, faeries, hags and trolls hidden beneath Manhattan's Brooklyn Bridge. This reminded me very much of the "Harry Potter" series where witches and other supernatural creatures have their own banks, trains, and shopping districts hidden behind magical walls. However, many of the creatures in "Hellboy II" bore a closer resemblance to the aliens found in "Star Wars" or "The Fifth Element." Indeed, the institution where Hellboy lives is becoming more like the one in "Men in Black." Furthermore, the prince reminded me of an emaciated Vampire Lestat in "Interview with the Vampire."
Yes, "Hellboy II" does seem to imitate a lot of classic science fiction movies, but it still remains unique in its own way. Every one of us can identify with Hellboy because we have all been rejected at one time or another.
"Hellboy II" is packed with gruesome, terrifying creatures. The most horrific are the Tooth Faeries - four-legged insect-like creatures with round heads and big mouths full of razor-sharp teeth. They are like piranha with wings; they fly in swarms and ferociously devour all flesh, bone, and muscle and leave no trace of the victim except when they defecate. Simply gross!
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Not Available Comics
Tony's Online Tips
Trevor
![Hellboy II: The Golden Army [Blu-ray]](http://www.worldfamouscomics.com/shopping/largeimage/?back=B0018C7Q60&image=http://g-images.amazon.com/images/G/01/dvd/icons/dvd-no-image.gif&title=Hellboy+II%3A+The+Golden+Army+%5BBlu-ray%5D){kind=icon}
