Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) User Reviews (407)

Take another trip to Del Toro's labyrinth.

[vip_ebriega · 8/10 · 20 December 2009]

My Take: An elaborate set of imaginative creature effects and the always interesting lead character make the show worth watching.

I have a confession to make: I haven't seen the original HELLBOY yet. And neither have I seen it when I saw the much-praised sequel HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY. But that's just what I really like about this sequel: It doesn't require you to have seen the original to fully enjoy this weird and entertaining excursion. Seeing the original would certainly add to the experience, but taken in its own rights, HELLBOY II does what a sequel should do: Not just live up to the expectations left by its predecessor, but also shine as a stand-alone effort.

And yet I have another confession: I have not seen Guillermo Del Toro's crown jewel PAN'S LABYRINTH yet. But seeing HELLBOY II, I am more than impressed by his wild imagination. HELLBOY may have been based on a comic book, but for anyone who isn't a fan of the comics, Hellboy is Del Toro's own creation. Like what Tim Burton did with BATMAN, Del Toro has modeled Hellboy (Ron Perlman) as his own creation on-screen, and he's a very interesting character. Perlman never wastes his opportunity to provide depth as well as nuance to his character. Perlman proves himself worthy, not just an ideal action hero (under tons of make-up), but as yet another actor who successfully embodies the role of a comic-book character.

As in PAN'S LABYRINTH, Del Toro populates the world of HELLBOY II with some truly fascinating and intriguing creatures. Roger Ebert made a truthful compliment by stating that the world of HELLBOY II reminded him of the famous Cantina scene from STAR WARS. What George Lucas has conceived within only a few minutes of screen time in his movie, Del Toro manages to do for 2 hours. The creatures are imaginative, not just in look but in personality, and they are at an abundance. Plus, they're also mostly done using make-up effects rather than CGI, which makes them all the more real. Add to Del Toro's imaginative set pieces, he is a master storyteller. From the opening scene, where "Broom" Bruttenholm (John Hurt) tells the legend of the "Golden Army" to a young Hellboy, Del Toro exhibits is true talents at telling a good story. There are moments of thrills and even laughs, and the visuals are superb. Supporting performances and some neat special effects (notice that I praised the CGI later in in this review) make for one worthy adventure ride. HELLBOY II isn't perfect, but it sure is great at what it was doing.

Rating: **** out of 5.

Visually it's outstanding, Mentally it's mediocre

[DarthVoorhees · 7/10 · 12 July 2008]

Del Torro's imagination is a beautiful thing. He has created some of the most fascinating creatures that traditional Hollywood doesn't have the guts or inclination to ever assemble. I would take Guillmero Del Torro in the director's chair any time any place, but Hellboy II shows that he is not without his flaws. Ron Perlman who is terrific as Hellboy doesn't have anything truly interesting to say or do, the world around him is magical but the plot isn't.

Hellboy is the most unique character to appear in your comic book shop. The mythology and the character are such the opposite of the main stream and to Hellboy II's credit so is this movie. Ron Perlman doesn't deliver catch phrases or gun down bad guys for the sake of doing so. He is an interesting character but he is overshadowed by this lackluster plot and the world around it. I felt as if we didn't see enough of Big Red or maybe we did we just didn't get to see the most of the talents. Del Torro constantly wants to remind you that he directed Pan's Labyrinth because visually the creatures look like they were leftovers from that film. I don't mind this per say but these characters just don't have much to do, they are there really to look at rather than them having significance. Visually I can't complain about them because they are amazing but they serve little purpose to the story.

The plot is really the weakest thing this movie has going for it. I felt it took too many liberties against the original concepts of Hellboy. Hellboy is a creature alive in our world, Del Torro tries to tell us that our world is nothing more than a division of fantasy and reality. Well we spend too much time in the fantasy that we forget the fact that this Golden Army is a threat to reality. The villain Prince Nuada is weak, we don't see any method to his madness other than the fact that the plot dictates that he be the antagonist. In the first film and to a lesser degree this one we were given details about why Hellboy has faith in humanity and would chose not to serve his purpose. It's interesting because we are given glimpses of what could have been something that could have added real teeth and tension to the story, for the first time Hellboy is tempted by evil, weakly tempted but tempted nonetheless. This mental struggle could have given our actors the chance to show their talent but instead the filler between the action scenes is just okay at best.

I didn't hate Hellboy II I just think it needed some beef in it's story. Del Torro has shown us he is a master storyteller but this time he didn't focus on the story it's self. I would recommend this film but I know Del Torro can and has done much better.

Visually stunning and surpasses the first Hellboy by far

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 8/10 · 30 July 2008]

When I saw the trailer for Hellboy II: The Golden Army, I hadn't seen the first Hellboy, so before I saw the sequel, I wanted to see the first movie, so I rented it and when I watched it, I wasn't really thrilled with it. I mean, it was a decent movie, but it wasn't something I would watch again, so I was thinking that the sequel was going to be a bust and probably not do much for the story, for what they had at least. Another thing was that the people that I talked to who had seen this movie before I saw it said that it was horrible and a waste of time, but I still did want to see this movie, so I decided to go ahead and just judge for myself. After all, I do admire Guillermo del Toro's style, his visions are eye candy and his stories can be incredible, so Hellboy II: The Golden Army? It seriously was so awesome! It was a whole lot better and stronger than the first Hellboy.

Hellboy is becoming quite the star in town, which isn't making the government very happy and they are becoming more and more angry with him since his growing popularity, but they're not the only one who's unhappy with his behavior, Liz is getting upset with his behavior as well. But things are more worse than Hellboy's youtube popularity, Prince Nuada wishes to raise the undefeatable golden army that can destroy the human race. Princess Nuala, his twin sister, is the only link that can stop him as well as Hellboy and his friends, but the strong link between Nuala and Nauda is scary, if he dies, she dies as well since she helps out Hellboy and becomes Abe Sapien's new love.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army is a great action movie and I'm really glad I gave it a chance. I'm telling you right now, the creatures in this movie are so visually stunning, the work that was put into this film was absolutely incredible and I have a whole lot more respect for Guillermo del Toro for his work, he really knows how to keep the audience's eyes on the screen. He made Hellboy into a solid comic book film. I love the character, Hellboy, I think more so in this one because he acts more human and you can't help but feel for him when the world turns on him after him saving it. Hellboy II: The Golden Army is a recommendation from me, it's a good movie and is guaranteed fun to watch.

8/10

Very good

[ametaphysicalshark · 11 July 2008]

You know you're not watching a formulaic comic book film when one of the highlights is a drunken rendition of "Can't Smile Without You" by Hellboy and Abe Sapien. "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" is a more confident, assured outing than the first film and while it does not draw from Mignola's comics for its plot it is perhaps better off for it, lacking the usual burden of comparison and expectations. "The Golden Army" is more fantastical than the first film and is less sci-fi oriented but this is the sort of thing Del Toro does exceptionally well as a writer. He never lets the fantasy become the focus of the film, instead concentrating on characters and delivering action scenes that can only be described as, forgive the crass immaturity, kickass.

As entertaining as many comic book-to-film adaptations are it is a rare event when one can call one of these films a true artistic achievement. I am convinced without a shadow of a doubt that Guillermo Del Toro's entire career has been leading up to this film, particularly regarding his work as screenwriter here. The comedy feels less forced and is worked incredibly well into the script here, so much so that it doesn't feel remotely unnatural when the scene of comic drunken singing leads directly without a break into one of the film's most intensely dramatic sequences. Del Toro's handling of character has never been better, not even with "The Devil's Backbone", which is still my favorite of his films, and his sheer skill and ability when it comes to telling a fairytale-esquire fantasy is astonishing, as proved in the prologue to this film. In short this is Del Toro at the top of his game and providing artistry the likes of which we rarely if ever see in summer blockbusters. It's only fair that an astonishingly brilliant comic like "Hellboy" by an astonishingly brilliant artist like Mike Mignola is adapted this well and by someone as talented at what they do as he is.

How refreshing it is, a week after the release of "Hancock", which to me epitomizes everything wrong with action film-making today, that we get "The Golden Army" which features hands down some of the finest action scenes we have ever seen in this sort of film. Just stunningly beautiful, well-shot, well-crafted, the sort of thing that leaves one wondering how much time and effort went into it and endlessly thankful that some really talented people went to the trouble of making the film.

The film is generally just superb on a technical level. Why am I even saying this? Of course it is. Danny Elfman composing, Guillermo Navarro serving as cinematographer, top-notch editors, fantastic special effects wizards. It's a world-class crew that made this film. I shouldn't be surprised at its quality but "The Golden Army" really just floored and astonished me with how good it is. The cast is also excellent, proving once again that you don't need 'big names' to carry a movie. Just about everyone here is excellent, particularly Perlman with another excellent turn as Hellboy and the underrated Selma Blair as Liz Sherman.

"Hellboy II: The Golden Army" provides essentially everything a Del Toro or Mignola fan would want. I imagine it will entertain and charm many outside those circles as well with its fantastic action sequences, engaging characters, and wonderful sense of humor. I would personally go as far as calling "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" one of the top five or so comic book movies ever made.

A pretty good sequel

[Keyan-the-Eagle144 · 7/10 · 16 September 2018]

I was excited when I heard that the first Hellboy film was getting a sequel. And considering Guillermo Del Toro and Ron Perlman were returning, it was guaranteed to be a hit. More supernatural elements, more Abe Sapien, and more weirdness. I don't know how this movie fared at the box office or the critics, but I enjoyed it and I wouldn't mind seeing it again.

A mere shadow of the first

[LazySod · 6/10 · 2 September 2008]

Our red anti-hero is back. Together with the agency he's out to save the world again. And this time he's all gentle and careful about it. No, I'm kidding, he's just as rude and crude as he was the first time around.

Where the first film worked because of the new "hero" this second one has nothing like that to start it off. So instead of being able to rely on the newness of things it has to come with something extra and quite sadly the one thing new it does bring takes the film away from what it should be. For me the added creatures just did not belong in a film like this and actually made it a lot worse than it should have been.

It's still a fun film, for the most of it, but it could have done a lot better if it had stuck a little closer to the tale of the original one (and as far as I've heard, the comic books the first film was based on). If there is going to be a third one I for one hope they return to the original style.

6 out of 10 big hearted bad guys

Hellboy II

[girlskiier · 7/10 · 7 July 2008]

I went to a screening of Hellboy II and loved it. I did not see the first movie, nor have I read the comic book. In fact, I knew nothing before getting the invitation. The movie is very smart, very comical and very well done in my opinion. I found myself laughing a lot, something the rest the audience was not doing. Either they just didn't get it or I didn't. There were quite a few subliminal messages and the subtext was heavy. Environmental issues, man versus nature and how we treat the planet. Political issues, world dominance and who really deserves to live or die or rule. Love and how much a person is willing to do to get it and keep it. I liked Hellboy II so much I am going to see the first one and hopefully the third.

A Christmas Fantasy/Action Movie

[Angelus2 · 10/10 · 7 December 2008]

Its Christmas and we find Hellboy with his dad as they wait for Father Christmas and then Hellboy is captivated by a story about a long lost empire, a hidden army and a exiled prince.

Years later Hellboy is fighting the creatures of darkness and finally the story from his childhood is about to become a reality.

This film was surprisingly better then the first and was more funnier and much more action packed; I watched it yesterday and as its December the Christmas spirit lurks in my heart and this film for some reasons feels perfect at this time of the year. I loved the scenes with Abe and the princess....And I was glad Abe was given more screen time...Krauss was a brilliant bonus, he made you laugh out loud at his miss-pronunciation. However I think the strength lies in the dark world that Torro brings to life, it beautiful and like something out of your wildest dreams... you can see the magic that lies within this mysterious world.

Prince Nauda is an amazing villain he balances the innocence and evil with brilliance and his fighting skills are just outstanding. Hellboy is funnier in this film.......Lastly the fighting choreography is amazing, simply put.

More Fun Than The Original!

[Dan1863Sickles · 7/10 · 13 August 2021]

A lot more fun than the original, though unlike many reviewers I kind of miss the darker, real-life villains. (Is anything hotter than Rasputin the Russian mystic making love to a stunning blonde Valkyrie of the SS?) Anyway, the cute elf princess and the fish-like Abe make a surprisingly romantic pair, the fight scenes rock, and the dialogue is sharp and funny almost all the time.

Only one regret: I do wish they could have yanked "Can't Smile Without You" by Barry Manilow, and replaced it with a song with a bit more soul. I would suggest "When A Man Loves A Woman" by Percy Sledge. Or "Hello Stranger" by Barbara Lewis. Or "Walk Like A Man" by the Four Seasons. Or just about anything but Barry Manilow!

Simply put, a well deserved sequel to its fans

[sam_smithreview · 9/10 · 25 April 2016]

Let me start of by saying that Del Toro had one message to the fans, and it was "I will not disappoint"

I have long felt that the first Hellboy installment is one of the most underrated films of the 2000's. The first thing you notice about both the first film and this more than worthy successor is the passion. Everything is simply beautiful (not in the typical beautiful sense, but in that you appreciate the art that it is), and it should come as no surprise as the film's director, Guillermo Del Toro, is a long time fan of the comic stories on which the movie is based. Del Toro turned down multiple high profile projects, including multiple Harry Potter films, so he could work on the Hellboy series, which we all know will not gross as much money. Del Toro's passion for excellence is evident in this wonderful sequel, which is better than the first, and cements Del Toro's place as one of the top filmmakers of today.

The first thing I liked about the movie: the easy transition from the first to the second movie. Though I don't remember exact plot details, it was very easy for me to get back into the story, world, and especially our three main characters. I'd reckon that you could watch this movie without having seen the first and still have a great time (though, it helps). A great cast with great chemistry more than sets the tone and makes this one very watchable.

First, you've got Ron Perlman. For those of you who don't know this terribly underrated actor, he's one you can't afford to miss as Hellboy. Even though he's covered in make-up and prosthetic's, Perlman does a great job of making us love him as a hero, and a man. This is something most of the superhero performers do not (or perhaps cannot) do. The just-as-passionate-as-Del-Toro Doug Jones leaves a HUGE mark on the viewer here, not just for his performance as Abe Sapien, but for his remarkable range as a couple of other characters in the movie. Luke Goss is the film's villain, and I really saw the dedication in his performance as well, something required for his character, who is of course a dedicated man. He's not necessarily the typical 'evil' character, but a somewhat misguided one, and I think Goss got that across to me very well. A fact often ignored by critics in the comic book/superhero realm of films is the supporting heroine. Most times, without the audience knowing it, this character makes or breaks the movie. Selma Blair, boy does she make it. Not only does she look absolutely stunning as Liz Sherman, she takes the final act into her hands and does wonders with it. Definitely the best performance I've ever seen from Ms. Blair. Add in a hilarious and great performance from Seth MacFarlane (yes, the voice of multiple Family Guy characters, I know I looked it up too!! Have to give it to him) as Johann Kraus's voice, and Anna Walton as Princess Nuala, and you've got the best ensemble of the year thus far.

As for the action, it's stunning. Hellboy has a LOT more to work with than the traditional superhero film, and Del Toro more than takes advantage of it. With action ranging from lighting fast and well shot sword fighting and hand to hand combat to Hellboy versus a giant plant (the Last forest Elder) and what a fight it was, it's a sight to behold as we watch a legendary director in the making perfect his craft once again. There were multiple times where I found myself saying "holy crap", or "wow". Del Toro also keeps some humor in there to balance the much darker tone of the film.

The film has also an incredible awesome version of the song lovesick. but that's for you to find out.

The demon superhero fights dark forces, monsters and an evil prince who wants to free the golden army to rule the Earth

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 26 July 2019]

Thrilling sequel based on Mike Mignola favorite cult comic book creation in which Hellboy has to face again dark forces and weird creatures. Hellboy works for the US military at the Bureau Parnormal Research whose chief is John Hurt alonside the sympathetic Agente Jeffrey Tambor, the fish-monster Abe Sapien, Doug Jones, and Hellboy's love interest, Selma Blair, and other courageous agents . And he was crawled into this world in Nazi time from another dimension and battling eternally evil monsters , and chilling cyborgs. Here he takes on a nasty Elf with extraordinary power , a prince called Nuada, Luke Goss, who in order to rule the Earth breaks an ancient spell and a covenant between humans and creatures, it results in releasing the Golden Army by opening a sinister portal . The prince kills his king father, Roy Dotrice, while his twin sister Nuala, Anna Walton, flees and joins the strange and valiant team.Then Hellboy and his brave squad set out to defeat the heinous prince Nuada.

Again the central figure Hellboy, a wise-cracking, gun-toting, cigar-chomping, trenchcoated half-human with a giant right arm alongside his pregnant lover, an aquatic being and other bizarre creatures. Heartfelt horror vision by Del Toro's stock in trade. But it is really a Ron Perlman film giving panache, sympathy and bravura to his peculiar role . All in red and larger than life, he burns up the screen along with his sweetheart, Selma Blair, as the firing heroine. This action-packed, nail-biting, high-octane movie being well starred by Ron Perlman who results to be a crossover between Humphrey Bogart, A team's Hannibal Smith and Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry. Relishing these absurdities, Del Toro gets on with the business of furious amusement, fast entertainment, racking up a sequence of coruscating set pieces against elaborate, occult backdrops.

The motion picture was well directed by Guillermo del Toro, he brings nicely to life the notorious comic book, though it is inferior than the previous entry and it has excessive and overwhelming digital effects by 3D computer generator. Guillermo is a very good director who has written, produced and made a lot of films, most of them in Fantastic genre such as the Oscarized : The shape of water, Pacific Rim, Crimson peak, Blade 2 , Pan labyrinth, Mimic, Devil'S backbone, Cronos. He also has directed some episodes from successful teleseries as Troll hunters, The strain and Arcadia tales.This movie is specially appointed for comic books aficionados, being extremely necessary to see it for Guillermo del Toro enthusiasts.

The first rendition by Guillermo del Toro was made in 2004 with Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Rupert Evans, Jeffrey Tambor, John Hurt, Brian Steele. And another recent version in 2018 with David Harbour and Milla Jovovich

Del Toro cements his place as a contemporary visionary. Brilliant, stylish, hilarious, and great.

[The_Amazing_Spy_Rises · 9/10 · 11 July 2008]

I have long felt that the first Hellboy installment is one of the most underrated films of the 2000's. The first thing you notice about both the first film and this more than worthy successor is the passion. Everything is simply beautiful (not in the typical beautiful sense, but in that you appreciate the art that it is), and it should come as no surprise as the film's director, Guillermo Del Toro, is a long time fan of the comic stories on which the movie is based. Del Toro turned down multiple high profile projects, including multiple Harry Potter films, so he could work on the Hellboy series, which we all know will not gross as much money. Del Toro's passion for excellence is evident in this wonderful sequel, which is better than the first, and cements Del Toro's place as one of the top filmmakers of today.

The first thing I liked about the movie: the easy transition from the first to the second movie. Though I don't remember exact plot details, it was very easy for me to get back into the story, world, and especially our three main characters. I'd reckon that you could watch this movie without having seen the first and still have a great time (though, it helps). A great cast with great chemistry more than sets the tone and makes this one very watchable.

First, you've got Ron Perlman. For those of you who don't know this terribly underrated actor, he's one you can't afford to miss as Hellboy. Even though he's covered in make-up and prosthetics, Perlman does a great job of making us love him as a hero, and a man. This is something most of the superhero performers do not (or perhaps cannot) do. The just-as-passionate-as-Del-Toro Doug Jones leaves a HUGE mark on the viewer here, not just for his performance as Abe Sapien, but for his remarkable range as a couple of other characters in the movie. Luke Goss is the film's villain, and I really saw the dedication in his performance as well, something required for his character, who is of course a dedicated man. He's not necessarily the typical 'evil' character, but a somewhat misguided one, and I think Goss got that across to me very well. A fact often ignored by critics in the comic book/superhero realm of films is the supporting heroine. Most times, without the audience knowing it, this character makes or breaks the movie. Selma Blair, boy does she make it. Not only does she look absolutely stunning as Liz Sherman, she takes the final act into her hands and does wonders with it. Definitely the best performance I've ever seen from Ms. Blair. Add in a hilarious and great performance from Seth MacFarlane (yes, the voice of multiple Family Guy characters) as Johann Kraus's voice, and Anna Walton as Princess Nuala, and you've got the best ensemble of the year thusfar. Yes, this cast is better than Iron Man.

As for the action, it's stunning. Hellboy has a LOT more to work with than the traditional superhero film, and Del Toro more than takes advantage of it. With action ranging from lighting fast and well shot sword fighting and hand to hand combat to Hellboy versus a giant plant, it's a sight to behold as we watch a legendary director in the making perfect his craft. There were multiple times where I found myself saying "holy crap", or "wow". Del Toro also keeps some humor in there to balance the much darker tone of the film. This includes one of the most hilarious scenes I've ever seen about being lovesick.

I sadly feel that many will not see this movie and it will become a diamond in the rough, much like its predecessor. Hopefully that doesn't happen, and it becomes the blockbuster it deserves to be. Though the ending is a tad predictable (not too much, but it is the one thing that keeps it from a 10), I found Hellboy to be one of the most pleasing adventures at the movies I've had this year. It's a shame that it comes out between Will Smith and Batman, because this film deserves its own day in the spotlight. You know what they say...Every demon has his day...

P.S. I can't wait to see a third one.

Think of it as a Spin off

[olesd · 6/10 · 13 November 2008]

This is not Hellboy 2. Much like Spiderman 3 is very difficult to accept as having originated from the same director and writer, Hellboy 2 plays out more like a made for TV movie adaptation of the Hellboy series with an incredible budget. The pacing is not the same, I don't recognize any of the characters even though they're played by the same actors, every interesting and subtle idea has been scrapped or dumbed down, the music is more annoyingly bombastic, the atmosphere is shot to hell and where once was moody shades of blue and deep shadows have been replaced with garish lights. This is to Hellboy 1 what Tim Burton's Batman was the Batman Forever. And oddly enough, it holds together more then it falls apart. This is some...no...this IS the most inventive, realistic, and gorgeous creature work I've ever seen in a film. I just wish it had been in another film where the 'heroes' weren't all arrogant, pugilistic, drunken jerks, the story had some semblance of progression, and the character moments and fantastic sequences were investigated for real emotion and power, not played for laughs or melodrama. Characters don't make stupid decisions in this film because they're stupid. They make them because they're greedy, lustful, lazy, or prideful; not the ingredients for heroes I can care enough about to watch them all the way through without hoping for the way more interesting and emotional villain to cut them into equal thirds so they'd stop whining. This film is spectacle against all reason or logic, a film that literally breaks the rules because it will say one thing, then contradict itself moments afterward. Sacrificing the world for love is alright? Well, not when you do it the WRONG way. Watch this movie once and you'll soon pick out the gorgeous, flabbergasting, magnificent scenes that are unique to this film and wonders to behold. You'll also find the scenes of contrived emotion, blatant unfunny humor, truly weird in jokes that take center stage, characters acting out of character, illogical occurrences, and the surprisingly mean spirited bits of this film which haven't gotten any better with repeated viewing. Once those are found you can fast foreword and rewind to taste to enjoy all the imagination and innovation this movie has to offer, and wish like me it had been pledged to a better story and a better film.

Pan's Labyrinth feat. Hellboy

[orangejuliusevola · 5/10 · 11 July 2008]

While not the worst movie you'll spend your money to see, Hellboy 2 completely lacks the charm, grit, and vitality that made the original such a success.

Personally, my major gripe is with the poorly conceived script and ham-fisted direction of all but the action sequences and creature shots. Now, I know that this is not a study of deep human drama, but I DO ask any movie, no matter how ridiculous the premise, to at least attempt to establish an environment conducive to immersion. Unlike the first, this movie abandons any attempt at consistency and believable interactions between characters, a problem compounded by some bad voice-work (Doug Jones, Seth MacFarlane), strained performances (Jeffrey Tambor ... damn, he was great in the first, what happened here?), and, most importantly, a terrible, terrible script.

The movie starts out by shoving this glaring problem right into your face. The relationship between Liz and Hellboy is muddled and unconvincing. "Yes, yes, I know you're wandering the mythical and never-before-witnessed Troll Market, but you know, I have something really important to tell you about our relationship that is exceptionally private but is best shared over an open radio frequency" or "Hey, I know, let's have a gigantic fight that results in me blowing a reinforced vault door off it's hinges with sheer pyrokinetic force, but then play it off as me just needing my space." It's ridiculous, distracting, and cheapens what could have been a viable subplot.

Tied to this is the fact that Liz Sherman, although she can literally obliterate just about anything, spends much of the movie shooting with a sidearm on those rare occasions she chooses to engage in non-relationship babble and actually hurt an evil faerie monster/robot/whatever. When it suits the plot she is capable of focusing and controlling her powers to the necessary end, but for the most part she just stands around on fire, then pulls out a gun to deal with the bad guys. Part of what made her character so interesting in the first movie was the sheer destructive force she commands; in this, she is virtually neutered unless something very very important and seemingly indestructible (hint hint) needs to be somehow done away with. How convenient, and yet how disappointing.

The overall feeling of the movie is best summed up by the nausea-inducing tagline running on various banners and prefacing every trailer: "BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE VISIONARY DIRECTOR OF PAN'S LABYRINTH". The whole movie is an excuse for Del Toro to show you how wonderfully creative he is, to make you forget about the cheesy dialog, giant plot holes, and some less-than-credible performances. That's fine - it's what made Pan's Labyrinth successful and worthwhile. Unfortunately, I didn't pay to see Pan's Labyrinth 2 - I wanted to see the sequel to Hellboy.

More importantly, unlike Pan's Labyrinth, the movie keeps yanking you away from the visual splendor and makes you focus on other, more unsavory elements. The movie cannot stand alone as either a fantasy, a superhero/action movie, or a comedy, but rather tries to bridge all three genres. This schizophrenic, inconsistent approach ruins those things the film does well - action, one-liners, and mind- boggling special effects. One of many examples: watching Johann Krauss flow around and take control of objects and creatures is a really cool premise and leads to some great scenes; unfortunately, Seth McFarlane's voice work is far too over the top. As soon as you think to yourself "damn, this is pretty cool", the scene/fight ends and you get to hear a voice-over that sounds like the Germanophile orphan of a mating between Stewie from Family Guy and C3PO from Star Wars.

In short, every time you begin to feel immersed in this fantasy/occult setting, you're unnecessarily distracted by poor voice-work, bad writing, or yawning chasms in continuity (Spoiler: The Golden Army is indestructible, but the crown controlling it is really THAT easy to destroy??? Why not just melt the damn thing in the first 15 minutes and be done with it?). Watching the movie, I couldn't help but feel that Del Toro jumped the shark - that he was so enraptured with the size of his budget and the scope of the film that he completely forgot all the great things that made the original so enjoyable.

If you, like me, enjoy sci-fi, fantasy, superhero/action summer popcorn movies ... eh, it's OK. The visuals are impressive, the action is consistent, and the creatures are mostly interesting. Unfortunately, all of those elements are undermined by the complete lack of immersion, with the film being ridiculously over-the-top, plagued by horrific consistency and plot holes you could throw a tractor through. The sad thing is that I really wanted to like this movie, but even I - an apologist who can overlook the warts in just about any film of the genre - just couldn't hang in there with Hellboy 2.

Can't Smile Without You

[FosterBreadford · 11 July 2008]

okay, I'll start out simple. This movie is not Gone With the Wind. It isn't Ben Hur, not even Pan's Labyrinth. it is no fantastic achievement in film that will go down in the history books. But really, it's Hellboy - does it really need to be a classic? Honestly, I loved this movie. It was pure fun. I found the first Hellboy movie to be a fun movie. . .but it lacked that certain something that was keeping it from being a great movie. This one introduces all new mythology into the series, which allows director Guillermo Del Toro to invent all sorts of new creatures that all look amazing. The visual aspect of this film is classic, nothing short of amazing. The movie has some flaws, a few strange possible plot holes, but by the end of the day, the humor rules the day, and the humor hit spot on, to make a very funny film. I can't get the song "I can't Smile Without You" now after seeing this film. That segment was hilarious. Hellboy succeeds in being a film with a decent story, good visual work, and great characters with great humor, all to make just an overall FUN movie where Indiana Jones couldn't. (I only mean Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) For someone who believes any film that doesn't win 11 Oscars isn't worth watching, I'll be honest, you'll hate Hellboy 2. For someone who goes in expecting only to be entertained, just to have a fun time, I 100% recommend this film to that kind of person. Go see it, it's very worth it.

Nice visuals but very little excitement

[C-Younkin · 6/10 · 12 July 2008]

"Hellboy 2" comes in the middle of a superhero sandwich, what with last weeks "Hancock" and next week's already proclaimed king of summer "The Dark Knight". I'm curious as to the legs this movie will have. The first one did OK, though I seem to recall a mixed reaction to it. The first one came out in April though, away from all the summer blockbusters. Since that first film, director Guillermo Del Torro has made somewhat of a name for himself with Pan's Labyrinth (tho I was one of the few who thought it was overrated) and he seems to be primed to become the next big thing in Hollywood. A mainstream hit would do wonders for him. I'm also interested in Ron Perlman, the man behind the Hellboy mask. He was the best thing about the first movie, sympathetic and cynically funny, and I feel this franchise should turn him into a star, or at least a better known name. All this was going through my mind this weekend as I entered the doors to see "Hellboy 2".

This second installment begins with an ancient tale of truce between humans and fantasy creatures. King Balor of the fantasy creatures created a golden army controlled by his crown but he was so ashamed at the result that he had the army hidden away, the crown destroyed into three pieces, and a peaceful resolution was settled. Jumping ahead to present day, his son, Prince Nuada (Luke Goss), is appalled at what the humans have done to his father's land and he seeks the pieces of the crown to control the army and take the land back. This is a job for the team at the "Bureau for Paranormal Research", the amphibious Abe (Doug Jones), pyrokinetic Liz (Selma Blair), and big red, i.e Hellboy (Ron Perlman). Just they have problems of their own. No longer sure that Agent Manning (Jeffrey Tambor) can control the team, Washington has sent by-the-book Special Agent Johann Krauss (Seth McFarlane), who I'll describe to the best of my ability as white steam in a Scuba suit (he's also apart of the creature world if you haven't already guessed). With the help of Nuada's sister (Anna Walton), the team seeks to stop the Prince before he can get his hands on the army.

"Hellboy 2" is a minor entry in a big budget summer slot. It has its moments but it just doesn't have the overall gravitas of your usual big bang popcorn flick. There are a few things I liked, the biggest is that it's thankfully never boring. Like the first movie, this doesn't take itself too seriously. There are a few really funny tongue-in cheek moments, some of the best come from a scene in a troll market ("I'm not a baby, I'm a tumor" is a great line by the way) and visually Del Toro proves himself a talent as well, showing us evil looking trolls, demonic looking angels, and a whole slew of mechanical soldiers.

Just even with all this going for it, I can't think of one scene that excited or thrilled me, and I can think of a few, including a gigantic plant-like creature, that actually turned into gigantic let-downs. The villain is introduced as very quick and agile and he actually excited me at first but the movie gives him very little to do until the finale, and when that finally does come, it seems like he's being held back. And the other fights just seem like stuff you would find in any standard creature feature. A lot of clobbering but nothing especially cool. The plot on this one is a little by the numbers, sort of a CSI: Paranormal, and there are two romantic sub-plots involving Hellboy and Abe which, other than a funny scene where the two drink beer and sing Barry Manilow, don't really add much. But I'm an action guy and the lack of "wow" is no-doubt the films biggest flaw.

The actors don't seem to be having as much fun this time around either. Ron Perlman does the bad-ass thing and quips well, Seth McFarlane (yes from Family Guy) gives a very comical German accent for Krauss, and Jeffrey Tambor offers a few comedic bits but the rest of the cast is pretty wooden, Selma Blair being the biggest perpetrator as she holds a glum and bored look on her face through the entire movie. It's too bad that they didn't have David Hyde Pierce back for this one because Doug Jones' voice really threw me off. And while I enjoyed most of the movie's overall cheesiness, the opening scene featuring boy-hood Hellboy just made me cringe and hope that he would go away soon.

He thankfully does, but all for the purpose of presenting a mixed bag of impressive visuals, some funny moments, but overall no real excitement. In looking back at my review for the first movie, I noticed I said the same thing. "Hellboy 2" paves the way for a third installment and I'm sure I'd be interested in seeing it but by this point I'm wondering if I'll ever be truly impressed by these movies as a whole.

Great fantasy and imagery, numb story and dumb humor

[Mihnea_aka_Pitbull · 6/10 · 13 October 2008]

It deserves to be seen first and foremost for del Toro's unleashed imagination - the Golden Army rulz indeed, by contrast with the terracotta cohorts from the unwatchable "Mummy 3". Some of the characters are pretty inspired - mainly Krauss, with his "ectoplasmic schwanshtucker", the trio composed by the versatile Doug Jones, and the elven twins - still, I can't not wonder: what will Guillermo do, when the world will grow bored with his thread-thin chinless, nose-less and palm-eyed (or, as here, wing-eyed) humanoids? Will he invent something original, or will go on like this to no end?

The weak points lay in the formulaic script (a narrative structure mathematically well-behaved, but with no ineffable at all) to the point of numbness, and the cheap humor, stiff to the point of dumbness. Plus, of course, the same old warmed-up soup of the fantastic heroes living among us as if it was the most natural thing on Earth - it works well in he Marvel series, since there it's been part of the pulp conception since its inception, in "Hancock" it was also tolerable, due to the witty humor, but it's already too much to show AGAIN AND AGAIN all kind of cyclops, godzillas and Ganymede vestals being interviewed live at C.N.N.

And, of course, the Hellboy himself. Ron Perlman has as much acting acumen as a wardrobe - fortunately, the filled-down stumps of his horns, too big for such a never used facial appendage, distract the attention from his irritating frown; at least, most of the time!

Pretty good

[darknight12 · 7/10 · 26 June 2008]

I saw this last night at an advanced screening in NYC. I wasn't as good as the original but I enjoyed it a lot. I felt like there wasn't that much action in it but it was still very entertaining. They spent to much time on the romances in the film. The most impressive thing about the film were the creatures. They look like they are right out of pan's labyrinth. If you liked the first one you will most likely like this one it is worth watching. I will probably see it again some time. This wasn't better then Iron man but I enjoyed it more then the incredible hulk.

7 out of 10 stars

Hellboy II - Back And Better Than Ever!

[brechtbug · 10/10 · 30 June 2008]

I just got back from a preview screening of "Hellboy II And The Golden Army" and of all the films I've seen so far this summer Hellboy is the ONLY one to exceed my expectations. I love the second films of a super hero franchise (Superman II, Spiderman II, The Incredible Hulk) because the heroes have been introduced and the origins are out of the way so the story can begin from the start unfettered. This film is not just about Action, Action, Action but about character development and their interaction. I liked "Pan's Labrynth" but felt a little bit let down when the creature's personalities were not explored enough. This film takes the time to establish who Abe Sapien is beyond being defined as a fish man. Johann Krauss is a great uptight Teutonic addition to the old team with a few tricks up his sleeve and Hellboy & Liz's professional and personal relationship get more play in this film. The detail in the troll market is amazing and the story rings true to the Mike Mignola comics without having to lift a story arc from any one specific past issue. Bravo! Guillermo del Toro! I can't wait for Hellboy III.

Artistically this is on par with Pan's Labyrinth. Too bad everything else failed because of this.

[TOMNEL · 6/10 · 12 July 2008]

Going into a Guillermo del Toro movie, you should know that the visuals are going to be the highlight of the film. The first Hellboy film had great visuals, though not quite as great as this. But with that said, the first Hellboy achieved so much more than this did. It was funnier, less corny and clichéd, and the villains were much more menacing than the villain here, who's no more than a guy with a spear, and an army of unnecessary robots. The first was pretty good in every way, this one had the eye candy, but offered very little else.

After botching a secret operation, Hellboy (Ron Perlman) and the crew are finally noticed, and this secret group of "freaks" is no longer a secret, and they are known to the public. Liz is also pregnant but doesn't want to tell Hellboy. Meanwhile, Prince Nuada (Luke Goss), is trying to claim his right to be king. In order to be, he needs the three pieces of this crown, one that his sister has, one that he stole from a museum, and one his father, who he killed, had. Hellboy, Abe Sapien (Doug Jones), Liz (Selma Blair), and Johann Krauss (John Alexander, James Dodd and Seth MacFarlane), a man's soul trapped in a robot who was brought in to keep Hellboy under control, must stop Nuada from retrieving all three pieces of the crown, which allows him to control the Golden Army, and eventually take over the world. Abe Sapien meanwhile has fallen in love with Nuada's sister, who has an odd connection to her brother...what physically happens to him, happens to her. They must stop him and save the world.

The first negative for me was the villain here. It's just an elf, who has the same build as a human, and could die just as easily. He was no threat ever. Even when he had his Golden Army, it never was a threat. The Golden Army was just a bunch of braindead robots who liked to smash the ground. There was never a moment where I thought someone could be in harms way. The characters have been dumbed down a level and turned into comedians. Abe has been made more human and was even dumbed down, one of the dumbest scenes being where Hellboy and Abe sing Barry Mannilow together. It wasn't cute, it wasn't funny, it was just really stupid.

The story was bad. Mr. del Toro went for an all out visual feast and because of this he compromised the story. Elements didn't make sense, and parts of the movie that felt like they should have some impact didn't. They were all there for the audience to say, "Wow! Look at that!", but I found myself saying "Huh?" more than anything else. Hellboy fights these imaginative creatures. Instead of making a movie on this, maybe Guillermo should have written a book with all these fantastical creatures he thinks up. At least it would have made more sense.

Now, onto what I did like. I've said it all throughout, this was a lovely looking film. The direction was stellar, the action scenes were well choreographed, the creatures, though pointless to the story, were very cool to look at. The CGI wasn't amazing, but luckily most of the creatures are puppets, costumed characters, and lots of make up. The musical score was also really beautiful. I had just re-watched the first Hellboy prior to watching this, and the first film's music was not that great, where this one had some fantastic music, that should've been saved for a better flick. I wasn't surprised to see Danny Elfman's name in the end credits, and the music did add to the movie, and made it a small step better than it would have been.

Anyone who says this is director Guillermo del Toro's greatest accomplishment in film making, probably hasn't seen Pan's Labyrinth. Where del Toro failed here in the writing department he succeeded in the direction, and he can write good screenplays. Too bad his sole purpose in writing this was to go wild with the visuals.

My rating: ** 1/2 out of ****. 120 mins. PG-13 for violence.

*Final complaint. Why did they make Hellboy such an ugly kid? Geez, was he stupid looking.

Surprisingly on par with Hellboy

[Dragoneyed363 · 9/10 · 16 November 2008]

This is something special; when a second film in a series is able to surpass or equal to it's predecessor. It's not just because the first Hellboy was so excellent, which it was, but they handled this second film with such care and pizazz, it's almost better, in ways, than the first.

It's very rare in a saga that the second films rises over the first, which is why when I say that Hellboy II: The Golden Army was almost in every way better than Hellboy, I mean it, and for me to love Hellboy like I do, that's saying a lot. Hellboy II had everything the first had, but with bigger and better qualities. The action was superb, story line was great, and acting, directing, etc. was just as perfect.

I was entertained through the entire film and I enjoyed every minute and in the end I was left with a big smile on my face for how great this sequel turned out to be, but here again, I still think it is on par with the first because of how the first was so perfect at setting up the story from the comics and how amazingly entertaining it was as well, with all the great performances that the second had and just when I put the two films together, I honestly can not decide which is better. All I have left to say is that if you loved Hellboy, this is no disappointment whatsoever, and you need to see it right away!

i could have waited.

[neuman-lauren · 6/10 · 12 July 2008]

i was shocked when i read all of the glowing reviews. did we all see the same movie? did i miss something? my vote: rental > theater. the creatures of del toro will forever be pan's labyrinth reincarnated. i thought the 1st hellboy was a great blend of action flick, romantic comedy and one-liners. a perfect date movie. as with most sequels, i (shouldn't have) expected this again. instead, i waded through a multi-tasking and far reaching movie. dumbed down characters, blah "love story" dragged though great action with lord of the rings fantasy. in the end, even seeing selma blair in boy shorts couldn't resurrect this one for me.

A labour of love, and it shows

[Leofwine_draca · 8/10 · 2 September 2012]

HELLBOY II threatens to be nothing more than your latest CGI-laden braindead Hollywood action movie, and yet it's not, thanks to the presence of director Guillermo del Toro. Del Toro has to possess one of the most imaginative minds in Hollywood and he brings a level of creativity to the movie that's sorely lacking in most genre fare getting released these days. Del Toro's imagination comes to the fore in the myriad creatures he creates for this movie, bringing to life monster upon monster with no end to the creativity in sight.

Even better, the producers have the budget to match the vivid creations coming out of the minds of this film's makers, and the special effects do not disappoint. The CGI in this movie is phenomenal, with not a single effect out of place. Having just sat through the dodgy, odd-looking chimpanzees of RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, I'm doubly impressed by the quality of the CGI in this movie (which was made with a lower budget than the ape film, it has to be said). It's an entirely visual film, one which never disappoints.

The plot, of course, is secondary to the effects, but that doesn't matter so much this time around. As usual, there's a bad guy (Luke Goss, returning as a del Toro villain after BLADE II) who wants to take over the world and who has all manner of mean and wild creations to help him in the process. Up against him is Hellboy and his companions. The return of welcome old faces is great (and kudos to the writers for giving the excellent Abe Sapien a bigger part this time around) and the new character of Johann Krauss is similarly a work of genius. Hellboy is his usual wisecracking self and Perlman brings plenty of laconic humour to the part.

The narrative pretty much leads from one wild set-piece to the next, with some more effective than others. Hellboy's encounter with the nature god is my favourite part of the film, although the run-in with the titular army at the movie's climax is also fairly exhilarating. Okay, so this isn't a great movie – the story doesn't hold up to a great deal of scrutiny, after all is told – but it looks the part and I can't dislike any movie with this level of sheer inventiveness behind it.

A bit too edible, but a good dating movie

[poebelsmurfen · 6/10 · 24 August 2008]

Dating movie? Yes, me and my fiancée ended up seeing this movie on a date night. And it actually worked as a date movie! There were several songs in it that you could hum along to, and quite a few romantic and funny moments.

But when I say too edible, I mean TOO EDIBLE. I watched the first one when it came out, and then once more before we went to see the new one. I quite liked the first movie, and was really looking forward to see if they had used and expanded the potential that was put in the first movie. BUT NOOO. They had made a "let's attract as wide an audience as possible"-movie. The main characters were less interesting than in the first one, there were a lot of unnecessary pop songs in the movie (kind of like in Spider-Man), and WAY too much of Toro's monsters in there. The movie had a very interesting view on elves, though. As in, they weren't just tall humans with pointy ears like in LOTR.

So, to sum it all up: if you're going with the expectation of seeing a movie with the same qualities as the first movie, only better, you'll be DISAPPOINTED. But if you're going to the movie with a date, you've picked one that both you and your girl (or vice versa) will like.

Deeply disappointed

[barbertj23 · 3/10 · 14 July 2008]

This is my first comment on IMDb and I'm sad it has to be a harsh criticism of this movie. I wanted this movie to be good so much, and I can only say that from the opening sequence with young hell boy that I was shocked and the poor directing and slapstick that was used throughout the entire movie. I felt like I was watching men in black for most of the movie, the cheesy way that we are introduced to characters, the outrageous overacting and the severe lack of funny of the jokes. Did anyone laugh when hell boy is beat up by the mist guy with lockers? did you not feel uncomfortable and like you went to the wrong movie with the stupid love stories involved? For instance Abe falls the princess in .01 seconds and we are expected to just let it slide because the have a psychic connection. When Liz is pregnant and she has to tell hell boy to bring him back to life I decided I would never see this movie again. I waited that long in to get to that point, because I just wanted it to be good so much. outside of the plot holes and cliché beyond cliché twists the characters are just unlikeable in this one and the music score is an abomination, compared to the score of the first. I felt embarrassed taking my friends to see this and felt like I should apologize to them after it.