Where Hellboy 1 was a broad, stodgy and obvious and slightly shoddy inevitable origin story...

Rating: 9/10 (10 February 2020)

...Hellboy 2 is a bristling, brisk, fun and highly creative event. It's still rough around the edges, mostly in editing and some story decisions and logic, but it brings in the magnificent Johann Krauss, the Star Warsian Troll Market, the Ghibli-esque fight with the Last Elemental and the incredible (best in a decade) soundtrack by Danny Elfman. It's cheesy but hard not to love and it feels both innovative and like a comfortable old blanket. Mr Mike Mignola might not have liked Mr Del Toro's Hellboy, but I for one, am very happy with it. Plus Hellboy fights a ton of brass robots. Awesome.