Hellboy 2: The Golden Army

Rating: 7/10 (27 September 2008)

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army
Prince Nauda, an exiled elf, tries to take control of the human world by controlling the Golden Army. To do this, he will need all three sections of the crown that controls the Golden Army. He steals the first from an auction, kills his father to get the second, and must hunt down his sister to get the third. Hellboy and his team of outcasts have to clean up the monsters that Nauda leaves behind, while tracking down Nauda before he controls the indestructible Golden Army.
Hellboy 2 has a decently interesting story, but it could've been better. We're given a reason why a bad guy should fight a good guy, and then the action takes off. The inventive creatures do make it more original. One problem with it is that most of the fights are won too easily. Either the bad guys win without breaking a sweat, or Hellboy wins while cracking jokes and getting angry that he lost his cigar. The movie is clichéd at times, most notable when Hellboy saves the city, but everyone hates him just because he's different. The subplots with the relationships of Hellboy/Liz and Abe/The Princess are interesting because of the men's bad relationship skills. Hellboy 2 has a decent ending, but there's nothing that separates it from the rest of summer blockbusters.
Hellboy 2 has good character development. Hellboy is a like able bad ass, but he doesn't come across as a stereotype. Hellboy ranks on the same level with other heroes like Hancock and The Hulk, but isn't quite as interesting as Iron Man or Indiana Jones. Prince Nauda is one of the best developed villains we've had in a long time. He's a very classy villain, and has redeemable qualities. All of Hellboy's supporting heroes are well developed. They all act very distinctly in action and have their individual quirks.
Hellboy 2's dialogue is acceptable most of the time, but screws up sometimes when the character's try to make jokes. There is some subtext with it, and it rarely states the obvious. Some of the jokes are funny, but most of them fall flat on their face.
Hellboy 2 has very unique settings. The station for the Golden Army is very unique with its grand scale and its entrance way. The troll market is interesting as well, and it is cool how much resemble real world markets, but just with different creatures and much weirder merchandise. The headquarters for the U.S. paranormal defense is much more interesting than most government buildings, with its luxurious rooms and aqua tanks for Abe.
Guillermo Del Toro is a good director and doesn't fail. He uses the right shots to emphasize certain moments or to use the setting to their full potential. He evokes the right atmosphere all the time. He never screws up with the lighting. The cinematography is great. It takes away the feeling that we're watching a film.
The music helps enhance the film sometimes, but fails some of the time. It's usually over the top when it tries to be dramatic in one on one conversations. The sound editing is OK, but never fails like the music. The creature designs are the best part of the movie. All of the creatures are very original. The tooth fairies are creepy little things, and the Earth element monster is menacing in its own way. The creatures are never ridiculous or go over the top with trying to be different. The special effects are amazing and you never once doubt that they are fake.
The acting is acceptable. The cast doesn't give good performances, but they never go wrong. Ron Perlman does a good job of capturing the attitude of his character, but doesn't have too much chemistry with the rest of the cast. No one in the film gives a bad performance, and I think that's good enough for an action flick.
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army is one of the better films of 2008 so far. You could skip it, but it is a better movie than Get Smart or Prince Caspian.
BAKED FRESH FILM BOTTOM LINE 7/10
Pros: Character Development Creature Designs Settings Special Effects Directing and Cinematography
Cons: Fights too easily won Clichéd some of the time Music Some of the jokes fall flat on their face
Rating Information PG-13 1. Sci-Fi action and violence A. Fighting 2. Some Language A. Cursing, but it never gets dirty.
Cast
Ron Perlman - Hellboy
Selma Blair - Liz
Luke Goss - Prince Nauda
Doug Jones- Abe Sapien
Directed by: Guillermo Del Toro
Review Written by: Kenneth Stice