Hellboy II: The Golden Army, the new film from visionary director Guillermo del Toro, is a high fantasy film sequel to the popular first Hellboy film of 2004. It stars Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, and Doug Jones. The story tells of a truce that was set between humankind and the invisible realm of fantasy. The vengeful Prince Nuada (Luke Goss), angry that human’s have forgotten the old ways and dominate in ignorance, decides he wants to take back dominion, and wage war upon them. Beyond the control of his kind, he breaks the truce and sets out to command The Golden Army. A massive indestructible army of machines, ready to destroy for whomever commands them. Princess Nuala (Anna Walton), the Prince’s twin sister, knows he is in the wrong and flees to protect the last piece of the crown he needs to awaken the army. This is when the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BRPD) steps in. Hellboy (Perlman), his girlfriend Liz Sherman (Blair) with her newly discovered pyro powers, the part fish, part man, brains of the outfit Abe Sapien (Jones), and the newest member of the team Johann Kraus (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) set out to stop the evil prince. They journey between our common physical worlds to the grandiose world of fantasy. Hellboy must try to maintain his already struggling relationship with Liz and save the world at the same time.
This film is a prime example of all the things that can still be done the old-fashioned way and still, dazzle audiences. Guillermo del Toro’s mix of extreme makeup effects, puppets, robotics, and yes, CGI, swirl together seamlessly to generate a fantasy world unlike any we’ve seen in a live action film before. This film takes the universe set up by the original Hellboy to an incredible new level. Del Toro brings his imagination to the screen in a more vivid way than most directors would even attempt. But he does it boldly and with spectacular results. The amount of colorful characters that we meet along this journey are as diverse as they are interesting, not to mention the brash and offensive Hellboy himself.
The story is well told from the first frame to the last, we are pulled in (albeit kicking and screaming at times) into this fantasy universe. That’s not to say that everything is totally believable, some of the effects reminded me very much of Star Wars, (the original trilogy). There are some moments in the film, where the dialog had me squirming in my seat a bit, but they are few and far between. The plot is engaging, and interesting with some real messages about how we live our lives as humans. It’s almost preachy at one moment in the film, but a minor flaw in this massive experience. This film is something I would suggest to anyone who simply loves movies. The palette of colors is as diverse as the talent, and the visuals as sharp as the humor. I laughed out loud many times in this one.
Perlman really has this character pegged and he executes the performance so well, you forget that he’s a human, covered in prosthetics; he was meant to play Hellboy. Blair’s portrayal of Liz was one that I didn’t find quite as believable as the others, but still, solid enough. Doug Jones really entertains with the very likable Abe Sapien, but he also plays two other roles in this film one being the (female) Angel of Death. He pulled off all three without me realizing he did each one separately, excellent actor. The rest of the cast also really helps pull this film off, and each in their own crazy and colorful ways.
This movie truly proves that Guillermo del Toro is ready to be the director of the upcoming Hobbit films. His ability to create another universe that actually links with ours, and with such a distinctive style, makes him one of Hollywood’s greatest auteurs. Now, I must say, I’m a big fan of fantasy films, and (good) superhero films. So I may be more emphatic about the excellence of this movie than some, but it’s really a great film. This is an experience you must have in the theater, to truly appreciate it. If you don’t mind some old fashioned Hollywood style mixed with new techniques. And if you are ready to be saturated in visual pleasures, then take some time to see this film. Oh and if you haven’t already seen the first Hellboy, now is the time.
| Direction – 9 |
Performances – 8 |
Story – 8 |
Visuals – 10 |
Overall – 9/10 |
-Nick Wolfwood
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