Hell, this film is absolutely golden.

Rating: 8/10 (14 August 2008)

Never before have I witnessed such eye popping visual combined with such in depth character. Del Toro knows his movies. He crafts each and every one of them with the characters in mind. He won't have his Hellboy, for one second; feel out of place in this universe. And just like Christopher Nolan did for Gotham City, Del Toro does for this utopia of trolls, elves and demons. Now as much as I enjoyed the first Hellboy it did have its flaws namely its predictable plotting. And while part two manages to take all of the best parts of its predecessor and magnify it by one hundred it still isn't able to fix its plotting. The story feels a little tired, as if we've been here all before.
All of which very minor grips considering this films main intentions. As an summer action flick Hellboy II really does no wrong. It's a beautifully made, cleverly hilarious characterisation flick that really allows you to connect with (though maybe not all of its characters) most of its characters. You have got to give Del Toro credit for breathing life and soul into these creations making this feel like a living comic book. Trust me fan boys will not be disappointed with the opulent colours that are sure-fire to dazzle you to the very last frame.
Ron Perlman returns to the role of the big red BPRD agent in this sequel to 2004's Hellboy, directed once again by Guillermo del Toro and scripted as before in collaboration with original Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. For centuries, an ancient truce has kept the naïve citizens of the human race safe from the horrors of the invisible realm -- but that's all about to change, and fast. A ruthless leader has emerged in the invisible realm, a tyrant just as comfortable walking the surface realm as he is living in the land of fantasy. When this power-mad ruler defies his bloodline to assemble an unstoppable army of fantastical creatures that he will use to wage a supernatural war on humanity, it begins to appear that humankind's days are numbered.
Suspend you disbelief for two hours and you'll be able to enjoy this ultra silly but good spirit action flick so ingeniously combined with in depth characters all bringing stunningly realism and top notch humour. More than anything, this film makes us eager for Del Toro's next announced project, J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, in which the director's prodigious gifts will be combined with one of the great fantasy franchises of modern times. That should really be something to see.
VERDICT: For fans of the series this film is absolutely golden. Its characters effortlessly taken from the pages of the ever loved comic books. In fact if nobody told you this was a movie it would be very easy to think you were watching a moving comic book. Though Hellboy II is certainly not without its flaws. A lagging plot that seems often muddled in ambition and a Golden Army awakened for a five minute battle sequence are very minor complaints in a film that is made for the cinema. A stunning achievement.