Better than the first

Rating: 7/10 (27 October 2013)

Guillermo del Toro dropped the character John Myers from this one. It's a good thing since he was nothing more than a wet blanket. He added a new character Johann Krauss. He has an interesting look. The rest of the gang is back and they have added some more personal stories. They have to search for a crown that would control an army of indestructible machines before an evil prince can use it to destroy mankind.
The characters are more filled out. They are much better this time around. Their chemistry is much more settled. The del Toro style is still in effect. In fact it looks even better and more beautiful. I like this one much more than the original. And I LOVE the jumping bean elemental. It is one of the most wonderous CG creature ever. It's both beautiful and deadly. What more could you ask for?
The 2 hour running time does drag on, and the evil prince isn't big enough. There is too much of an incestial vibe about the evil prince. He was more creepy than scary. It's a relatively minor problem.