Hellboy faces his greatest challenge..... And choice......

Rating: 9/10 (13 July 2008)

There have been many superheroes Hollywood has chosen to focus on. Batman, Superman, the Incredible Hulk, and even Catwoman have all had films dedicated to their stories and the plots that revolve around them. However, none of these heroes can compare to the conflicts and humor that center directly upon an immature and easily angered red demon who not only loves cats but is also determined to save humanity.
Hellboy (Ron Perlman) has come a long way since his defeat of Rasputin. Though his father, Professor Travis Bruttenholm (John Hurt) is now gone, Hellboy can still count on his team which include the intellectual Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) and Liz Sherman (Selma Blair). Liz has now become his girlfriend (a quirky issue in the last movie) which has brought the usually benefits and problems that such relationships bring no matter the species involved. The BPRD, run with a close leash by director Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor), is still the best option to defeat that which "bumps in the night".
What "bumps in the night" this time is the Elf Prince Nuada (Luke Goss). Long ago the races of man fought that of the elves and ogres for control of the world. When Prince Nuada's father King Balor (Roy Dotrice) accepts a truce with the human world that banishes the elf race to the shadows of the world, Nuada goes into exile in disgust. What infuriates him further is that his father has at his disposal the Golden Army which is an unbeatable army of mechanical men that nearly crushed humanity during the first war. Why his father would throw away such an advantage is something that Nuada will hold onto for centuries.
The control of the Golden Army lays in the hands of whoever holds the three pieces of the golden crown given to King Balor. While one of the pieces were given to the race of men to hold onto, the centuries have seen it passed down until it ends up in an auction one night in New York. Prince Nuada, returning from exile, sees his chance to claim victory over the humans by claiming the piece of the crown. Holding onto one of the pieces, Nuada knows that he must acquire the other two which are held by his father Balor and his twin sister Princess Nuala (Anna Walton).
Hellboy and the BPRD and find themselves facing not only an internal power struggle but also the threat of the Golden Army itself which Prince Nuada is more than willing to use. The addition of Johann Krauss (Seth MacFarlane), an ectoplasmic stickler for the rule book, rounds the team out though of course Hellboy and him will have more than a few clashes over strategy and most of all personality.
Known for his work on Pan's Lybrinth, Guillermo del Toro does not disappoint with his visual and interpretations of the world of Mike Mignola. The secret ogre market of New York, the battles between the BPRD and a swarm of "tooth" fairies, and most of all the final confrontation with the Golden Army in the depths of a long forgotten elf city in Ireland, all support Guillermo del Toro's reign of visual rule in the genre of fantasy. Hellboy 2 is the most visual aesthetic comic movie released this year.
There are several personal issues that confront Hellboy that are worth noting. Besides the change between Hellboy and Liz, he wants to be accepted by a public that otherwise only knows hints and rumors (and Youtube as well) that tell of his existence. This is not uncommon for some superheroes but with Hellboy it is more difficult due to his "evil" appearance and rough edge. An issue that was only hinted at before in the first movie becomes more apparent now as Hellboy realizes that he won't be fully accepted despite his efforts to save humanity from the forces of evil.
The more important issue though is the destiny that Hellboy will force upon the world. As anyone who is familiar with the graphic novels know, Hellboy will destroy the world. Liz, who faces the choice of choosing Hellboy's life even when facing the reality of his "destiny", still decides to save his life. The question will be how her choice will effect not just their relationship but the world. There is also the matter of their children and how that will influence the events that are certain to come.....
Hellboy remains the most intriguing comic character to reach the big screen. Hopefully we will see more of him in the future.
9/10