Film Gecko

"Hellboy II: The Golden Army" Review

by Jane Boursaw on July 20th, 2008

There’s just something about a misunderstood devil-looking guy who really gets to me. I love Hellboy. There, I’ve said it. He’s just trying to do some good in the world, and what does he get for it? Nothing but grief and heartache. It’s no wonder he drinks beer like an Irishman, smokes cigars like a Cuban, and carries a gun to rival any of Schwarzenegger’s. At least he has his other mutant friends to vent to.

More after the jump…

We just watched the first Hellboy movie last week, to get caught up on the storyline. You don’t really have to, but it helps. Hellboy II: The Golden Army, delves briefly into Hellboy’s past — how he was found as a child and raised by Professor Trevor “Broom” Bruttenholm (John Hurt), head of the super-secret Bureau for Paranormal Research. Hellboy (Ron Perlman) is as tough as they come, but he does have a soft spot for kittens, babies, and Barry Manilow.

At the bureau, Hellboy hangs out with his mutant friends: pyrotechnic girlfriend Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), aquatic empath Abe Sapien (Doug Jones - he sounds just like C-3PO, but that was Anthony Daniels), and a new member of the team, protoplasmic mystic Johann Krauss (Seth MacFarlane). Taking over for Broom, who [SPOILER ALERT] died in the first movie, is the oafish Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor).

The story begins some years earlier with Broom reading a bedtime story to young Hellboy, about an ancient truce existing between humankind and the invisible realm of the fantastic. If the truce is broke, the legendary Golden Army will arise and all hell will break loose on Earth.

Back in the present, Prince Nuada (Luke Goss) is a ruthless leader of the underworld who would like nothing better than for that to happen. Unfortunately, he needs a crucial part of an ancient crown, which his twin sister, Princess Nuala (Anna Walton), has in her possession. But she’s got the support of the Bureau mutants, especially Abe. They’ll do whatever it takes to make sure the Prince doesn’t get his pasty-white mitts on that crown piece.

Though I haven’t seen Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, my movie critic friend, David Swindle, writes in his review on WTHR.com that this movie has many similarities to Pan’s, not the least of which are fantastical creatures of every shape and size. It’s like the bar scene in the first Star Wars movie, only magnified about 1000 percent. The special effects range from small tooth-fairy creatures (they’re not as pleasant as they sound) to mammoth, living rocks to a secret place made of genormous gears working off each other. Very impressive.

I have to admit. With a character named Hellboy, I wasn’t all that crazy about this movie or the first. But don’t let that stop you. Ron Perlman is amazing as a flawed, misunderstood hero who really does want to do good in the world. He’s also a very funny guy…with a really big gun. There are some scenes in this movie that had me and my 13-year-old son cracking up!

That said, I think del Toro could have gone a little further in developing some of the characters and story. There was just a hint that Hellboy was sort of caught between the two worlds. I guess they’ll explore that in the next movie. And, fortunately for Hellboy fans, the storyline sets things up perfectly for another sequel. My son and I will be first in line.

Images: Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Dark Horse Entertainment, 2008

Share This

Related Stories

• Movie Trailer: Hellboy II: The Golden Army
• Box Office: July 11 - 13, 2008
• Box Office: July 25-27, 2008
• Box Office: July 18 - 20, 2008
• New in Theaters: July 11, 2008

POSTED IN: Action/Adventure, Celebrity Pictures, DVD Talk, Fantasy, Film Genres, Film Industry, Film Reviews, Movie Sequels & Prequels, Movie Stars, Now Playing, Now on DVD, Personalities, Posters & Production Stills, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller