A Visionary Piece of Entertainment

Rating: 9/10 (21 August 2008)

Hellboy 2 is yet another example of a superhero sequel which surpasses its predecessor. Whilst Hellboy was a fun, heartfelt film, it tended to feel slightly pedestrian in its visual effects and action sequences. These problems, and more, have been fixed in Hellboy 2. Visually, this film is fresh, exciting and imaginative, with some dazzling creature work and smashing action sequences. The story may not be strong enough to boost this up to the same level as recent, blinding superhero movies such as Iron Man and The Dark Knight, but the level of confidence, character and heart on display ensures that it is so much more than your ordinary superhero movie.
If you haven't seen the first movie, then don't worry. This is one of the most accessible superhero sequels that I have seen, diving straight into its own story without any delays.
But just a quick catch-up, anyway. Hellboy is the result of an experiment conducted by the Nazis, who wished to use him for evil purposes. However, the U.S. Army intervened, and Hellboy became the adopted son of Professor Trevor Broom (John Hurt). Soon after these events, the U.S. government formed a secret organisation known as the B.P.R.D. (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defence), and Hellboy became one of their top agents, along with Abraham Sapien (Doug Jones) and Liz Sherman (Selma Blair).
The film opens with the professor telling Hellboy the story of the legendary Golden Army. Whereas other directors may have taken a more traditional approach to a sequence which is ripe with exposition, director Guillermo del Toro takes it as his first opportunity to put his individual stamp on the proceedings, re-imagining the sequence as an epic mix of marvellous puppetry and visual brilliance. The story is that of Elf King Balor, who after enduring much suffering at the hands of men, ordered the creation of an unstoppable force, known as the Golden Army. A special crown was created for him, which controls the Army when whole, and when worn by someone of royal blood. Upon seeing the death and destruction caused by the Army, King Balor called a truce with man and split the crown into three pieces, dividing them between the elves and the humans.
Cut to the present day, and Hellboy (Ron Perlman) is having problems. His relationship with fiery (figuratively and literally) girlfriend Liz has hit a rough patch, and Hellboy longs to be admired by a public uncertain of his existence. When he deliberately uses a mission as a way to introduce himself to the world, desperate handler Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor) introduces a new member to the team in the form of ectoplasmic agent Johann Krauss (voiced hilariously by Seth MacFarlane of Family Guy fame), who immediately gets on Hellboy's bad side. However, Johann isn't the big problem. The son of King Balor, Prince Nuada (Luke Goss), has had enough of man's selfish ways and intends to unleash the Golden Army to destroy his enemies. All that stands in his way are the B.P.R.D. and his sister Nuala (the lovely Anna Walton), who holds the final piece of the crown.
Luckily, whilst Hellboy 2 has made improvements upon Hellboy, the crew and cast have remembered what elevated the original, which is heart. Hellboy is one of the most soulful and sympathetic superheroes to appear on a cinema screen, and Ron Perlman's terrific performance, combined with spot-on writing, are easily the biggest factors behind this point. Thankfully, the rest of the cast are just as good. Selma Blair has turned Liz into one of the most lovably human romantic interests in recent superhero movies. She is tough and witty, yet also vulnerable and loving towards Hellboy. Their relationship is pitch-perfect. Doug Jones is fantastic as Abe Sapien. His body language is top-notch, as is the way that Jones handles Abe's romantic relationship with Princess Nuala. As Nuada, Luke Goss lacks the searing power that Heath Ledger oozed as the Joker in The Dark Knight, but he is still effective enough to convince us that Nuada is fighting for what he believes to be right, instead of just causing havoc for the sake of it. Jeffrey Tambor provides subtly brilliant comedy as the mournful Tom Manning, whilst Seth MacFarlane nearly walks away with the whole show as the eccentric Johann Krauss.
Undoubtedly, Hellboy 2's greatest strength is the visionary power of its visuals. The Troll Market sequence is one of those pieces of film where you must pause the images just to grasp how much commitment and creativity went into its creation, whilst creatures such as Nuada's henchman Mr. Wink and the towering Elemental are simply phenomenal in their design and execution. Much of the credit for the beautiful visuals on display should go to the packed imagination of Guillermo del Toro. Without him behind the camera, things would have been a lot more ordinary. However, this isn't just due to the spell-binding creativity of the visuals, but also the heart and soul that del Toro shows in his direction. It is this which allows us to ignore some of the story's weaker points and just enjoy the ride.
Overall, Hellboy 2 is a fantastic experience which I definitely recommend. Everything, from the action sequences (the face-off between Hellboy and the Elemental is pure gold) to the script (which mixes some hysterical comedy and moving drama to great effect), from the perfect performances to the magical creature effects, is so utterly joyous that it is hard not to be swept into this great adventure story.