REVIEW: Hellboy 2

HELLBOY II

By: Lee Rice

In the recent deluge of super-hero related films, “Hellboy II” stands apart as possibly the best this summer. Sandwiched between the much anticipated “The Dark Knight” and hot on the heels of the abysmal “Hancock,” “The Golden Army” is a great reminder of what it's like to be floored by a superhero movie.

Perhaps the best thing about “The Golden Army” is that it takes everything that we loved about the original and gives us more. Whereas some sequels simply recycle the jokes and scenes of the original with only slight twists, “The Golden Army” gives audiences more humor, bigger action, and special effects that hit that rare sweet spot between CGI overload and the realism that practical effects can bring to movies.

This sequel seems as though director Guillermo del Toro (“Pan’s Labyrinth”) was given free reign to explore whatever territory he wanted this time, and the results are nothing short of absolutely brilliant. “The Golden Army” is by turns funnier, gorier, and more exciting than its predecessor, and this excess of greatness is actually the film’s one major flaw.

“Hellboy II” is a lot like going to Vegas for the first time. In several places, I felt like I was going into full-on sensory overload, and I wished that I could pause things to have a closer look at everything. I can tell that when this baby hits DVD, I’m probably going to spend an unhealthy amount of time just admiring the work that went into some of the sequences. The brilliance and intensity can get to the viewer after a while, but the promise of more will keep them glued to the screen.

Another thing that sets “Hellboy II” apart from other sequels is the fact that the human drama involved doesn’t seem forced. It feels like a natural extension of what happened at the end of the previous movie instead of a tired attempt to make old characters seem fresh and exciting.

One of the most astounding things about “Hellboy II” is the modest budget. Whereas “Hancock” cost an estimated $150 million, “Hellboy II” is a vastly superior film on every level and cost only $75 million to make, proving that it’s not the size of your budget, but what you do with it that counts.

The acting is quite good. Nothing Oscar worthy, but it’s obvious that the actors are familiar with the characters and wear them like a second skin. Ron Perlman does a great job of making Hellboy seem torn between saving the world that he has come to love and saving the last of a dying race.

Unlike the crop of other superhero films out this summer, “The Golden Army” presents its main character with a genuine moral dilemma. As Hellboy comes to realize that his actions will mean death for either humanity or the increasingly rare creatures of the magical world, his indecision feels far more real than Iron Man’s “industrialist trying to turn his life around” shtick. Perhaps what makes it more effective is the fact that Hellboy is himself a creature of myth.

Lying under the surface of all the action, horror and special effects are several pervasive themes. The most obvious, and one that we’ve been beaten over the head with all summer, is that of mankind’s disrespect for the environment. Although “WALL-E” managed to pull it off with a lot more subtlety, “Hellboy II” is quite a bit more blunt about it. It’s not as bad as in “The Happening,” but it’s still there. Perhaps the better theme, one left largely unexplored this summer, is the death of mankind’s wonder with the world. As things steadily shrink, and as the universe begins to seem a far less fantastic place, it’s hard not to feel a sense of loss at our own disillusionment. “Hellboy II” manages to capture that note perfectly in several of its scenes, which raises it head and shoulders above the increasingly trite “go-green” sentiment that Hollywood is trying to cash in on these days.

In short, “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” is one of the most satisfying film sequels since James Cameron‘s “Aliens” and his later “Terminator 2.” Anyone who even moderately enjoyed the original will be greatly satisfied, as will those who missed the first film completely.

Final Verdict: 9/10