HELLBOY II: The Golden Army


Hellboy is a damn good comic-book film. The characters are fun, the plot is intriguing, and the action and imagination are incredible. So, as you can probably tell, I loved Hellboy and its sequel was one of my most anticipated films of the year. I walked out of that movie opening night and was surprised how damn good it was. I had already built up quite a bit of hype and was fearing this would somehow diminish some of the enjoyment, but I was dead wrong. The characters this time around are more fun and developed. It's just a blast watching Hellboy and Abe getting drunk together. You get a sense that their friendship is real, that their love is real, and that they'll do anything for one another. HB2 also has some pretty hefty romance connections too. Hellboy is still with Liz and expresses her importance to him quite a few times during the movie. Abe also finds an unlikely partner, but I wont ruin that for you. The plot this time around deals with a broken truce and a pissed off Elf that wants to destroy humanity. Hellboy and the others are confronted with morals and the movie closes everything up perfectly. I never really felt like the main villian was a, well villian. He had a purpose for what he was doing, he was pissed off for a reason, and Hellboy saw that. The movie puts the viewer in the same situation as the characters. Some critics have complained that theres too much in HB2, but I disagree, I think everything was essential to not only the plot, but the characters too. The imagination in HB2 quite easily stumps the originals. Guillermo del Toro was given complete artistic freedom, and it really shows. The movie is literally seeping with originality. The action will get alot of people pumped up too. It's a real spectacle watching Hellboy and the others fight off against the Golden Army. Theres also a new addition to the team, his name is Johann Kraus, a ghost fitted inside a suit. He's one of my favorite aspects of the entire film. He's instantly loved by the entire crew except Hellboy, which really leads to some hilarious scenes. The humor works perfectly, I found myself laughing during this movie more than alot of top-rate comedies. So in the end, I'm left with my favorite comic-book movie to date. I couldn't have asked for anything more!


9/10