Hellboy 2 is Golden

Rating: 7/10 (13 July 2008)

First off, I loved the first "Hellboy". It turned me onto the fantastic comic books by Mike Mignola as well as the great films of Guillermo del Toro. For me the combination of evil occult-seeking Nazis, monstrous Lovecraftian gods, and a blue-collar, half-demon monster hunter was just too much exciting material too resist. It was funny, exciting, and filled with awesome visuals.
Now, after a dreadful 4 year wait, we finally have the sequel. All the major players in front of and behind the scenes return (except for Rupert Evans's Agent Myers character and composer Marco Beltrami, whose great music from the first has been replaced in this one by a serviceable, but not too memorable, score by Danny Elfman). Ron Perlman, Doug Jones, Jeffrey Tambor, and Selma Blair all return to their roles from the first one with vigor and excitement. There's even a small cameo by John Hurt in the beginning.
The story was a clever turn away from the events of the first one, focusing more on fantasy instead of Lovecraftian tentacled monsters and robot-Nazi zombies. In this one we get the wise-cracking, monster-smashing Hellboy and his team taking on flesh-eating fairies, monstrous trolls, towering forest elementals, and an indestructible robotic army. The story is pretty simple: a power-mad elf prince from the underworld realm has decided that the greedy, wasteful, and destructive behavior of humankind is threatening the realm of fantasy creatures, and decides to strike back by waging war on them. So it is up to Hellboy and his friends to stop him.
Now while the plot itself is nothing new or extraordinary, everything else is pretty impressive. All the actors give good performances and seem to be relishing a return to del Toro's Hellboy world. Ron Perlman is particular is awesome--truly born to play the part of Hellboy. The two love stories--between Hellboy and Liz, and Abe and the evil prince's twin sister--are touching and lead to some humorous bits. The introduction of the ectoplasmic German agent Johann Krauss to the team is an especially memorable and funny character, complete with some amazing effects. The actions scenes are cool, well-choreographed and fun to watch. Something that Del Toro really does well is make these monsters and "freaks" into real characters with real emotions and feelings, making them instantly relate-able.
The main reason to watch this film though is to see the visuals that del Toro conjures. They are among the best in the fantasy/action/superhero genre. His combination of practical make-up effects and amazingly well-done CGI are truly an impressive and beautiful visual feast. The visit to the Troll Market with its hundreds of monster denizens is delightful. The sinister and extremely creepy Angel of Death sequence near the end is powerful in its imagery and the plot threads it sets up for a possible third film. The battle with the Forest Elemental on the Brooklyn Bridge is amazing--as is the gentle, beautiful aftermath. And of course, the appearance of the menacing and powerful Golden Army at the climax, and the following confrontation is awesome!
The film does have a few flaws however. The most notable one is the opening prologue with John Hurt and the young Hellboy. The makeup, acting, and audio synchronization in that scene is absolutely cringe-inducing and the only major misstep in the film. Other than that, though, the other flaws are minor. The psychic/physical link between the evil prince and his sister is a little convenient and leaves a few noticeable plot holes. There are a few comic bits near the beginning that don't gel as well as they should. But once the film gets going it is an exciting adventure.
It's safe to say that if you're a fan of the first "Hellboy" or any of Guillermo del Toro's work, you'll definitely enjoy this one. If you weren't a fan of the first, it's hard to say whether or not this one will be your particular cup of tea. For me, though, I found "Hellboy II" to be a fun, touching, exciting, and visually thrilling experience.
Pros: The Troll Market. The Elemental battle on the Brooklyn Bridge. The character of Johann Krauss. The one-eyed, mechanical-handed monster troll Mr. Wink. Abe Sapien's expanded role. The Angel of Death sequence. Hellboy and Johann's hilarious locker room confrontation. Hellboy and Abe getting drunk and singing along to Barry Manilow (hands down the funniest scene I've seen all year). The Golden Army and the final confrontation.
Cons: The young Hellboy in the prologue. The "twin link" between the Prince and his sister. The fairly generic score by Danny Elfman. (I love Danny Elfman's scores, but this one pales next to the memorable themes that Marco Beltrami created for the first film.)
All in all, "Hellboy II" may be one of the best films of the summer, and definitely one of the most entertaining. Hopefully it will do well enough that we will see a "Hellboy III" within the next 5 years. Del Toro has left open some exciting and ominous plot threads that foreshadow a darker, apocalyptic third chapter. I'm all for another return to del Toro's "Hellboy" world.