Hellboy II: The Golden Army – Movie Review

Hellboy 2 was definitely better than its predecessor (which is still quite good). While the first one may have more of a root in “real” history with the whole look at the Nazi research into the occult, this sequel has its roots in much older “history.” As the movie opens, we see Hellboy as a young child in the 50s being told a bedtime story by Professor Broom. In the story, men warred with elves and other magical creatures for the dominion of the earth. With mankind poised to win, the elf king had the goblin-smiths create the Golden Army, an unstoppable mechanical horde. The Golden Army was so absolute in its destruction, that the king regretted his decision and decided to make a treaty with man: the elves and magical creatures would live in the forests if mankind would stay in the cities. Mankind agreed, and the Crown of Bethmora, which allowed the rightful owner to control the Golden Army, was split into three parts. Two for elfkind, and one for man, and the Golden Army was stored deep in the earth. The elven prince, who did not agree with his father’s decision, left his father and twin sister to go into exile, swearing to return one day and reclaim the land.

As you can probably guess, in modern times the prince resurfaces and steals mankind’s portion of the Crown, seeking to get the other two pieces from his father and sister. Of course, the only people to stand in his way are the B.P.R.D. While the main storyline concerning the Golden Army is certainly enjoyable, what truly makes the movie memorable is the characters. As all of the B.P.R.D., including new member Ectoplasmic Man, interact with one another we get a lot of great dynamics. Perhaps most amusing is the scene shared by Hellboy and Abe Sapien as they discuss (and sing) their romance problems over a couple of beers. But the theme that runs throughout the movie is that you don’t really have to be a human to be human. Touched upon in the first movie, these guys may all be “freaks” of nature, but they still have the most important of human qualities and that’s why they’re so likable. True, this type of story has been used in countless other movies (in fact they make a reference to one when Frankenstein is seen playing on TV in one of the scenes), but the way it is presented here is both entertaining and poignant.

Of course, those who don’t go to theaters to be taught a “moral” will still get plenty of enjoyment from this action-packed movie. Whether it’s the downright creepy fight against “tooth fairies” in the beginning, the mass-advertised brawl with the troll (you know, the one where they punch each others’ hands), or Hellboy’s climactic duel to the death, there is more than enough of the obligatory violence of a comic book movie to satiate the average fan.

Not everyone will like this because of its weird or bizarre flavor, but if you enjoy (or at least don’t mind) these kinds of movies, and if you like comic book movies, you will very likely be entertained by Hellboy 2. And for those who are already looking forward to seeing this, know that the ending leaves the doors wide open for a Hellboy 3. (Grade: A-)

-M. Staples

A Second Opinion

Ron Perlman remains the standout of the franchise. He’s an actor I always hoped would “make it big.” Sadly, being one of the best actors ever under make up doesn’t appear to be enough to get up to A-list status. Still, his performance as Hellboy is one of his best. Perlman brings a sort of beer-drinking, man’s man sort of charm to the character that is uninhibited by all the makeup. The action sequences are better than the original, though some of them (notably the climax) feel short. Another step up over the original is how much better the CG is. In the original the CG was pretty glaring and at times distracting, what a difference a few bucks makes.

Guillermo Del Toro is an excellent director, and his passion for the character is unmatched by anyone short of series creator, Mike Mignola. That said, a lot of the negatives I feel are pointed at him. With the budget of the film, and success of the original, Del Toro was seemingly given a blank check for adding weird stuff to the movie. His imagination is both his biggest strength and weakness, and we get to see examples of it being both in the film. All of the creatures look great, but there’s too many of them to really appreciate. The elements of comedy are really funny, but at the same time there’s too much comedy. If you look at the original as a darker version of Men In Black, Hellboy 2 is, well, like regular MIB. Del Toro’s premise is definitly strong, but something about the film feels really disconnected. I’m interested in seeing a director’s cut, since the movie feels like its missing some pieces. The beginning is very dark and ominous, in line with the original, but once the BPRD team hits the troll market, the comedy and goofiness step up to center stage.

I wanted to like Hellboy 2 a lot more than I did. That’s not to say it’s not a good movie, it is, I just think there was a lot more potential than what was shown. At times, it felt like a big budget test run for Del Toro who is moving on to other projects. It’s full of good stuff though, and definitely is worth seeing in the theaters if you liked the original. (Grade B-)

– Ben Berger

A Third Opinion

Hellboy II is a great, fun, action movie. It also made me realize how stupid the MPAA rating system is. The movie has lots of decapitations, monsters eating humans, deaths by swords, and as long as it doesn’t show blood, it’s only PG-13 (what the frak?!). But for me this is an R-rated movie. There is a lot of tension and always a fear of death for the main characters (though you know that it won’t happen – but it’s there).

I’m not familiar with the comics, but liked the first movie. This sequel goes far and beyond. More humor, big battles and lots of monsters. I loved the design work here – in particular the Johann Kraus character. One thing that tickled me in the first movie was Liz’s blue fire. It got fixed this time around and I couldn’t be happier.

Oh and here’s a piece of useless trivia: The opening sequence was made into a comic book and given away at WonderCon 08. Pretty cool, eh? (Grade: A-)

-Daniel Yanez

A Fourth Opinion

I’m not a fan of the first Hellboy movie. I own it on Blu-Ray, but its ending really annoys me. I was expecting this grandios Cthulu-inspired fight to happen between Hellboy and that god but instead, I got a fight that was over in a matter of seconds – all because of some simple grenades. Talk about anti-climactic. Thankfully, that doesn’t happen in this sequel.

Hellboy 2 is by far, a superior film. It feels complete, not rushed, and epic in scale.The opening of the movie is imaginative and brilliantly executed. It’s a fable come to life and very reminiscent of how Francis Ford Coppola opened Bram Stoker’s Dracula (just not as creepy). Guillermo Del Toro deserves a lot of credit for being able to mix a fantasy-based movie into an almost reality-based setting. Creature and set designs are top notch, and the action is visceral – though I do think Del Toro tosses Hellboy around a bit too much. The final fight at the end is exactly what I wanted to see, and frankly, I can’t think of a better way it could have been handled.

As gushing as I am about this movie, it’s not perfect; I agree with the reviewers above on many of their criticisms. There’s a bit too much comedy for my tastes. The little musical number in the middle of the film is definitely funny – and a crowd pleaser – but, my god, does it feel out of place. Selma Blair also looks tired throughout the film and at times (near the end of the movie), seems to be struggling with her dialogue delivery. Then there’s Ape Sapien in that ridiculous black body suit that screams, “Hey guys, there’s a human running around with a fish mask on his head!” And don’t get me going about how awkward Ron Perlman looks in the beginning of the movie when he’s slouching in his apartment with his shirt off. Where did his neck go? Oh yeah, it’s somewhere under that muscular body suit he’s wearing. This stuff is, sadly, very distracting, and it’s stuff you’ll murmur about to your friends after seeing the movie.

But in the end what matters is if this movie is good. Yes, it is. In fact, it’s great. Don’t get me wrong, it’s highly very predictable, but its delivery as a story and the journey our folks at the BPRD go through is  entertaining and the movie does its job of transporting the audience into its world. That’s all we really ask for in the end, a good dose of escapism, right?

Hellboy 2 has actually done something for me that rarely happens: It’s has me interested in reading the series (and its 2 billion spin-offs). I think if any movie can pull new readers into comic stores, this is probably it. And if that happens, we’re all better off in the end. (Grade: A-)

– J. Montes