Hellboy II: The Golden Army (B or 3/4 stars)
Yes, folks. That cigar smoking, cat loving, beer guzzling, candy eating demon is back in 'Hellboy 2: The Golden Army' (written & directed again by incredible filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro). In this wonderfully realized sequel, it's up to superhero Hellboy (Ron Perlman), his fire-making girlfriend, Liz (Selma Blair), & Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) to stop the resurgent Prince Nuada (Luke Goss) and his occult army. This sequel surpasses the 1st film in almost every way. The characters are further formed. The dazzling visuals are even 'more' impressive. But both the story & the special effects exhaust themselves as the last half hour closes in.
You don't 'need' to have seen the 1st Hellboy to understand what's going on in 'Hellboy 2'; but this film doesn't do too much explaining. Right off the bat, we're told the 'villain' (some could disagree) is the Elf Prince Nuada, a creature who seeks to recover the 3 pieces of a mystical crown that, once assembled, could give him control over the Golden Army ... thousands of indestructible warriors who can wage war against mankind. You see, an ancient truce existing btwn. the mythical world & humankind has been broken. And defying his bloodline, Nuada walks the line btwn. both worlds, trying to ignite his dormant army. His weakness comes in the form of his own twin sister, Princess Nuala (Anna Walton); as she opposes his views. In her possession is the all-important last piece of the crown.
Back at the Bureau of Paranormal Research & Defense, our fond group of freaks are trying to figure out how to save the world from the Prince & his rebellious army. Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor) steps aside to let a newcomer run this mission, one Johann Krauss (James Dunn), an 'ectoplasmic' gas bag (literally). Situations arise in which Princess Nuala (& crown) fall under the Bureau's protection. She doesn't want war; and thinks that the original 'truce' could supercede man OR beast's desire to have ultimate power (oh, how naive she is). She knows how dangerous her twin brother is. But none of them could be fully prepared for the wrath he intends to unleash upon mankind. Can the hell spawn red man save Earth once again? What's at stake for him this time around?
First & foremost, 'Hellboy 2' is surprisingly funny; more so than the first time around. Perlman's Hellboy lets loose with his witty barrage of self-loathing, misunderstood, melancholic one-liners. His repartee with (a more self-assured) Liz is realistic, biting, & sweet. Every time she gets annoyed & turns into flames, I just had to laugh (she's like every woman, except, WE can't see 'their' flames). I like how Hellboy hates to take direction, whether it's from Manning or Johann Krauss. And I'm so glad that our favorite amphibious intellectual, Abe Sapien, gets more screen time. His romance with princess Nuala is adorable. And a scene in which he & Hellboy lament/sing Barry Manilow's 'Can't Smile Without You' is both poignant & humorous. Tied with Hellboy, Abe is my favorite misfit. All the characters still lack a bit of emotional depth (but that's part & parcel of this movie genre).
'Hellboy 2' offers some of the most inventive, beautiful, richly textured visuals I've ever seen in a movie; no less in my dreams! The layers of color, costumes, make-up, special effects & art direction completely envelops you. It's one of those movies you can watch over & over again in utter awe and always pick up something interesting that you've never previously seen (a knick knack in the lower left corner, a wide-eyed wonder in the upper right corner, etc.). I applaud Del Toro for using REAL people & REAL costumes/make-up ... none of this overused CGI crapola. The extraordinary monsters & set designs are reminiscent of Jim Henson productions from the 80's. I was absolutely enthralled by it all. I can also appreciate Hellboy 2's good vs. evil dichotomy: Nuada isn't as bad as you think. And somewhere inside Hellboy's dormant psyche, there's an evil urge for power. Though he's our hero, he IS a demon, and 'may' not be as good as we think; he's vulnerable. Luckily, Liz is around to keep him in check. But if there are sequels, it may become harder & harder for her to contain him.
However (and unfortunately), Del Toro gets a bit carried away as the film inched closer to its conclusion. The climactic battle is beautiful, but over-the-top. I became both under & overwhelmed by various aspects of the script and the special effects; it all becomes a bit of a mayhemic blur. That said, there are more than enough goofy, scary, & awe-inducing moments to combat the conventional plot, a lack-of-character depth, & an over-the-top-ness. High thumbs up for 'Hellboy 2'. Its fantasy, it's strange, it's endearing, it's tragic & it's exciting (for the most part).
You don't 'need' to have seen the 1st Hellboy to understand what's going on in 'Hellboy 2'; but this film doesn't do too much explaining. Right off the bat, we're told the 'villain' (some could disagree) is the Elf Prince Nuada, a creature who seeks to recover the 3 pieces of a mystical crown that, once assembled, could give him control over the Golden Army ... thousands of indestructible warriors who can wage war against mankind. You see, an ancient truce existing btwn. the mythical world & humankind has been broken. And defying his bloodline, Nuada walks the line btwn. both worlds, trying to ignite his dormant army. His weakness comes in the form of his own twin sister, Princess Nuala (Anna Walton); as she opposes his views. In her possession is the all-important last piece of the crown.
Back at the Bureau of Paranormal Research & Defense, our fond group of freaks are trying to figure out how to save the world from the Prince & his rebellious army. Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor) steps aside to let a newcomer run this mission, one Johann Krauss (James Dunn), an 'ectoplasmic' gas bag (literally). Situations arise in which Princess Nuala (& crown) fall under the Bureau's protection. She doesn't want war; and thinks that the original 'truce' could supercede man OR beast's desire to have ultimate power (oh, how naive she is). She knows how dangerous her twin brother is. But none of them could be fully prepared for the wrath he intends to unleash upon mankind. Can the hell spawn red man save Earth once again? What's at stake for him this time around?
First & foremost, 'Hellboy 2' is surprisingly funny; more so than the first time around. Perlman's Hellboy lets loose with his witty barrage of self-loathing, misunderstood, melancholic one-liners. His repartee with (a more self-assured) Liz is realistic, biting, & sweet. Every time she gets annoyed & turns into flames, I just had to laugh (she's like every woman, except, WE can't see 'their' flames). I like how Hellboy hates to take direction, whether it's from Manning or Johann Krauss. And I'm so glad that our favorite amphibious intellectual, Abe Sapien, gets more screen time. His romance with princess Nuala is adorable. And a scene in which he & Hellboy lament/sing Barry Manilow's 'Can't Smile Without You' is both poignant & humorous. Tied with Hellboy, Abe is my favorite misfit. All the characters still lack a bit of emotional depth (but that's part & parcel of this movie genre).
'Hellboy 2' offers some of the most inventive, beautiful, richly textured visuals I've ever seen in a movie; no less in my dreams! The layers of color, costumes, make-up, special effects & art direction completely envelops you. It's one of those movies you can watch over & over again in utter awe and always pick up something interesting that you've never previously seen (a knick knack in the lower left corner, a wide-eyed wonder in the upper right corner, etc.). I applaud Del Toro for using REAL people & REAL costumes/make-up ... none of this overused CGI crapola. The extraordinary monsters & set designs are reminiscent of Jim Henson productions from the 80's. I was absolutely enthralled by it all. I can also appreciate Hellboy 2's good vs. evil dichotomy: Nuada isn't as bad as you think. And somewhere inside Hellboy's dormant psyche, there's an evil urge for power. Though he's our hero, he IS a demon, and 'may' not be as good as we think; he's vulnerable. Luckily, Liz is around to keep him in check. But if there are sequels, it may become harder & harder for her to contain him.
However (and unfortunately), Del Toro gets a bit carried away as the film inched closer to its conclusion. The climactic battle is beautiful, but over-the-top. I became both under & overwhelmed by various aspects of the script and the special effects; it all becomes a bit of a mayhemic blur. That said, there are more than enough goofy, scary, & awe-inducing moments to combat the conventional plot, a lack-of-character depth, & an over-the-top-ness. High thumbs up for 'Hellboy 2'. Its fantasy, it's strange, it's endearing, it's tragic & it's exciting (for the most part).