Guillermo del Toro’s follow up to his successful Hellboy manages to actually greatly improve on the predecessor. Thanks to what was likely a bigger budget, Hellboy II: The Golden Army delivers a fun, engaging adventure that doesn’t disappoint.Synopsis: given the environmental devastation inflicted on the planet by men, an elf prince decides to break a truce between elves and humans that his father had put in place many years before. He then wants to use the unstoppable Golden Army to wipe out the human race. Hellboy and his friends are all that stands between Prince Nuada and our genocide.
Ron Perlman once again does a great job as Hellboy. Unfortunately, Doug Jones’ Abe Sapien has a less prominent role (he was my favorite in the original) while Selma Blair’s Liz, now much less insecure, comes across as charming and tough. Her powers also come in handy and are applied effectively.
The great Jeffrey Tambor is all but pushed to the margin, allowing the entrance of a new character, Johann Krauss, who is likeable and quite funny. Luke Goss and Anna Walton, who play Prince Nuada and Princess Nuala respectively, are a great pair as well both for their performances and their characters.
Hellboy II also features an organic script that cleverly and smoothly navigates us through different landscapes, confrontations, and plot twists. Furthermore, the visual effects and makeup are spectacular and the most wonderful thing for me are all the different creatures and locations del Toro brings to life that are so original and integral to the story (like the Elemental, the Troll Market, the Golden Army hideaway, or even just the door to access it).
The Bottom Line: whether you saw the first Hellboy or not, you should definitely check out Hellboy II. It’s an engaging, visually stunning, action packed movie that should please just about anybody.
Grade: 8
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