Hellboy 2: The Golden Army - One Hell of a Great Sequel
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army A
Starring Ron Pearlman, Selma Blair, and Jeffrey Tambor
Directed by Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth)
Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence and some language
Appropriate for ages 15+
The Story: A cross between Hancock and Ghost Busters, Hellboy is hated by most men even though he is just a friendly demon that has feelings, loves cats, and kills paranormal enemies that threaten mankind. In this new chapter, Hellboy must stop an evil elf from unleashing the deadly mechanical Golden Army that would destroy all humans.
The Good: While the first Hellboy pic was interesting and unusual, this new film comes across as vibrant and spectacular. The world that director Guillermo del Toro brings us here is much more imaginative than the first film. It is certainly more reminiscent of Pan's Labyrinth than his previous works and all the little details should bring joy to those going for multiple viewings.
Storywise, this is also a superior film with a well-defined villain and fun new characters and creatures to enjoy.
I was also very impressed with how at-home Pearlman and company have become with their roles. I can only imagine that wearing that much makeup would be incredibly difficult for an actor, but Pearlman never shows it and brings Hellboy to life in the way that few actors in Hollywood could.
Production wise, the film is just plain brilliant. Beautiful sights, bold colors, and a rich musical score by Danny Elfman provide for a really great movie experience.
The Bad: For me, the film itself is hard to criticize. I really loved it. I will say that the theater you see it in can make quite the difference. We screened it in a normally well-run theater (Edwards Marq*E in Houston), but the manager decided to knowingly show the movie with a burnt out bulb, making the film much too dark to be fully appreciated. The good news is - that gives me a chance to go see the film again, hopefully the way it was meant to be seen.
The Summary: As much arthouse as it is action, Hellboy is a terrific summer superhero flick that won't dumb down the audience watching it.
Hellboy 2 was fun; for sure that director has an amazing imagination, reminded me a lot of his work in Pan's Labyrinth
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