Interesting but an ultimately disappointing comic-book adventure

Rating: Null/10 (7 August 2008)

I remember seeing the first one 4 years ago and being entertained by it, so at a preview screening at my local cinema I chose to see the sequel, but I left feeling quite disappointed.
Acting: There were no real standouts for me as most of the actors were adequate with what they were given. I didn't however think the woman playing the princess was that convincing in places. However, Pearlman, Blair, Jones and the villain Goss all play their roles sufficiently.
Pacing: Scenes obviously ended to be followed with expected laughs from the audience but just weren't always funny and the romantic subplots did seem to me to get quite annoying and generic and maybe wasted valuable screen time. The ending with the Golden Army from the title wasn't realised to the extent it could've been and felt too easily over and done with.
Cinematography/SFX: Here's where I give credit to where it's rightly due  the set pieces, especially the throne room with Prince Nuada and his father, the King are beautiful and the CGI looks very solid (maybe it's more animatronics?). I thought the Golden Army's design could've been to made to look more different and original(and menacing), but Del Toro has a good eye for detail for fantastical creatures. The makeup on Goss and the actress playing the princess was also very well done.
Music: The score did get quite OTT some of the time, especially when something romantic or tragic happened. The use of Can't Smile Without You was a bit cheesy to be honest, and could've been replaced with a simple but effective score.
Overall: Not as funny as it thinks it's is, with a lot of one-liners not eliciting laughs from my audience nor getting a real emotional connection when main characters' lives were in danger, it just felt like it could've been so much more. The climax too felt generic and resolved too conveniently and predictably and as aforementioned, the full power of the Golden Army felt on our world would've been cool to see, and it ended like a soap in my opinion. Although it probably has more action than the first, I don't think it's a better sequel. Visuals in my view, don't make a film a masterpiece if it doesn't have enough inventiveness or even takes the time to delve deeper into a characters' conscience and morals. Shame really.