Story by Mike Mignola & Guillermo Del Toro
Written and Directed by Guillermo Del Toro
Sequels are tricky by nature. Comic book sequels add an extra dimension because not only do the filmmakers have to contend with the expectations of the fans of the first one, they have to take and internalize the criticisms of the first film, and they also have to respond to the always whining fan boys of the original comics.
Hellboy II addresses all of these sects of fandom with a large red boot to the face and comes out swinging immediately. Hellboy (Ron Perlman), Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), Abe Sapien (Doug Jones), and Agent Manning (Jeffery Tambor) are back in this high octane sequel to one of the more underrated comic book related movies, Hellboy. Director Del Toro wastes no time jumping right back into the story, leaving anyone that didn't see the first movie in the dust, as a good sequel should.
However, this face-first approach leaves even hardcore Hellboy fans' heads whirling trying to catch up with what the characters have been up to since the last movie. No matter, that's not the point of this film, these are pieces to be picked up along the way. I'm all for this approach, but at the same time, it doesn't give you much time to think about getting reacquainted with the characters, and leaves the first 30 minutes feeling slightly disjointed. Also, the film introduces the mythical world as a completely separate entity through a clay animated sequence that is the representation of a story being read to a young Hellboy in the 1960's (presumably) by a younger Professor Broom (John Hurt). I think this is the part of the film that kind of separates what happened in the last movie from what's happening in this movie, giving it that disjointed feeling. At the same time, it's a very unique way to reveal the exposition in the film, as opposed to voice over or a cheap dialogue explanation from the characters.
It is explained that King Balor (Roy Dotrice), king of the Elves, had an unstoppable Golden Army built to aid him in his fight against humanity, but a truce was called, and the Golden Army was put to permanent rest. King Balor's son, Prince Nuada (Luke Goss) went into exile swearing his vengeance on the human race, and vowing to one day return and resume the war. His twin sister, Princess Nuala (Anna Walton) stayed and remained loyal to her father. The Prince's return and subsequent overthrow of the throne is inter cut along with the resumed lives of our heroes, and I think this is yet another aspect that leaves the first 30 minutes feeling disjointed. Once the central story is established, everything runs smoothly.
The item that controls the Golden Army is the King's crown, which has been broken into 3 pieces, two of which stay with the King, and one of which ends up in possession of the Princess. In the meantime, the B.P.R.D. crew is saddled with a new boss, Johann Krauss (Seth MacFarlane), who fits right in with Abe, Hellboy, and Liz as he is a gaseous form that resides in a special suit built by Professor Broom before he died. With dissension in the ranks, the crew quickly learns that Prince Nuada has killed his father and is seeking the last piece of the crown in order to raise the Golden Army and make war upon humanity once again.
Once all this confusing exposition is dealt with, the film rights its course and becomes a very entertaining horror/sci-fi/adventure film that is everything a good comic book sequel should be. Hellboy is in his element, and he sets out to stop Prince Nuada at any cost. Princess Nuala finds the B.P.R.D. and strikes up a romance with Abe Sapien, she wants the B.P.R.D. to stop her brother and uphold the truce that her father died for.
There is a scene where Hellboy and company have to go into the Troll Market, which is one of the most well designed sequences in any movie, ever. The marriage of CGI and physical set dressing and make up is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. You are left in wonderment at whether certain characters are CGI or just prosthetic make up, but at a certain point you can't even think about that aspect of the film because you are so engrossed with the different sights and sounds of this fully realized world.
Then, of course, the action breaks out in this magnificent part of the fantasy world where Hellboy and Prince Nuada's hitman have a knock-down drag-out fight that eventually spills out into the streets of Manhattan. This is one of the most excellent action sequences I've ever seen in a film, the things that are done are so creative and groundbreaking that I will be truly disheartened if the film doesn't receive at least a few Oscar nominations for its technical merit.
After the first Hellboy film, many people complained it wasn't "big" enough, or at least not as "big" as they expected. I didn't agree with that sentiment, because I don't believe a movie should be "big" just because it resides in a certain genre (comic book film) and I still enjoyed the first movie thoroughly. However, this film takes that criticism and slaps it in the face with many huge action sequences, and the most epic of all battles facing the main characters. Their loves, their lives, their existences, are all put on trial throughout the course of the story and it's the most anyone could expect out of a Hellboy film.
The comedy, the heart, the fantastic relationships are all here, and they are amplified by the fact that this movie goes straight for the climax once the plot lines are established, and I was very pleased by the final showdown in the film. As I stated, the best part of the film is by far the stunning visuals, this is one of the most creative and inventive films I've ever seen, from character designs, to the NY set pieces, to the Troll Market, all the way up the Irish landscapes where the film ends. Guillermo Del Toro is easily the best living visual director there is, and in this film he uses his insane visuals to tell a great story and display some raucous action like only the best can. The only tragedy of this film is the fact that it was buried beneath The Dark Knight which was released a week after it, had it been released in late May it probably would've been a much bigger hit. I digress, as I'm sure the quality will shine through and the film will get bigger exposure on video like the first film, but at the same time it's a shame that larger audiences didn't get to experience this film because it was overshadowed by another comic movie.
8.8/10
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