Why It Sucked, And Why It Didn't

Rating: 7/10 (13 July 2008)

I like "HellBoy" a lot. I still kick myself for missing it on the big screen. For a special effects-heavy monster/sci-fi/fantasy movie, it had tons of warmth, humanity and heart. This was what I was expecting from "HellBoy 2: The Golden Army". Didn't get much warmth, and very little humanity. Sure, some could argue that a movie about demons and goblins and elves wouldn't HAVE any humanity. But it can have heart. This sequel simply falls short in what makes the first one so endearing. It certainly was photographed beautifully, and yes, the effects were wowie-wow-wow impressive. But what movie since "Jurassic Park" doesn't boast uber-realistic, "in your face" sound and visual effects?
With all that said, here's why it sucked: It didn't have David Hyde-Pierce as the voice of Abe Sapien, Jeffrey Tambor's character was unnecessarily weaker than in the first movie, the character voiced by Seth McFarlan was annoying as all get out, and the switch from humanity's "Yay, good monsters are saving us from bad monsters" to "Booo, the good monsters are bad too" sentiment was way too abrupt.
Why it didn't suck: It had Selma Blair.
Hopefully if Guillermo del Toro does another "HellBoy" movie, he'll avoid the gratuitous overload of "Pan's Labyrinth" and "HellBoy 2", and get back the same kindheartedness of the first "HellBoy".