Saving the world is a hell of a job
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
By Cheryl Leong
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Starring: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Seth MacFarlene and Luke Goss
Official website: http://www.hellboymovie.com/
See the thing about sequels, is that it usually has a lot to live up to. After all, nobody would bother making one if the first film isn't a hit to begin with. Lucky for Hellboy II: The Golden Army, it trumps its predecessor by a long shot, far as I'm concerned.
The big, red guy is back, still working for the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD), alongside his pyrokinetic girlfriend Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), and aquatic empath Abe (Doug Jones).
In the fantasy world beneath, an evil exiled elf prince, Nuada (Luke Goss), breaches the time-honored contract of peace between humans and mystical creatures. Wanting to awaken the legendary, bloodthirsty Golden Army to wage war against man, he steals the first two pieces of a crown of three parts, killing his father and countless men in the process. The third part is held by his sister, Nuala, who escapes with it, seeking refuge with the BPRD.
In a botched mission to research the human wreckage left by Nuada, the existence of the BPRD is revealed to the public. Obviously, the brash Hellboy doesn't sit very well with them. In a bid to control the troublesome Hellboy, a new in-charge, Johann Kraus (Seth MacFarlene), is invited to join the BPRD. As it is, Johann is an ectoplasmic spirit held within a containment suit. No surprises there that he is rather a stuffy and by-the-book sort as well.
Together, the BPRD team has to put aside their differences, and stop Prince Nuada from successfully awakening the dreaded Golden Army.
As with the first Hellboy, Ron Perlman revels in all his grumpy glory. Selma Blair is gorgeous with a chic new bob, and cuts a more confident and competent figure here. The new supporting character of Seth MacFarlene, German-accented no less, is quite the goofball, adding much of the humor indeed. Luke Goss has a tingling intensity in his conviction that his actions are for the good for his kind. Now that's really scary because even Hellboy can't help but be swayed by it as well.
The creative magic of Guillermo del Toro is evident at the onset. The tone of the movie is established with the prologue, an inventive framework with a short recap of a young Hellboy, begging his now-deceased father to tell him the bedtime story of the Golden Army, using the stop-motion technique. It's an incredibly classic and poignant moment, so props to del Toro for the insight.
One thing's for sure, the plot is definitely more fleshed out. The bad guys are badder, the evil plans more nefarious. Characters are more developed and spruced up as well. Hence, the movie is driven along firmer ground than its predecessor. You also get more diabolically amusing moments that help add a little heart and warmth to the film. It's not all slick special effects and brute strength though. Add a huge dollop of genius imagination and wondrous invention, and you get a whole host of out-of-this-world (literally and figuratively) fantasy creatures, blending together in an altogether frighteningly magnificent spectacle of sights and sounds. Look out for the Troll Market scene! That'll quite blow you away.
What I loved most about the movie though, even more than its stunning special effects, is the many moments of self-deprecating humor, provided most by Hellboy himself. Here's my one scene that will be worth your ticket price: a drunken sing-a-long to Barry Manilow. Go figure.
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