Sunday, July 13, 2008
Movie Reviews: HELLBOY 2 THE GOLDEN ARMY
IN THEATERS
HELLBOY 2 THE GOLDEN ARMY
After an ancient truce existing between humankind and the invisible realm of the fantastic is broken, hell on Earth is ready to erupt. A ruthless leader who treads the world above and the one below defies his bloodline and awakens an unstoppable army of creatures. Now, it's up to the planet's toughest, roughest superhero to battle the merciless dictator and his marauders. He may be red. He may be horned. He may be misunderstood. But when you need the job done right, it's time to call in Hellboy (Ron Perlman). Along with his expanding team in the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense—pyrokinetic girlfriend Liz (Selma Blair), aquatic empath Abe (Doug Jones) and protoplasmic mystic Johann—the BPRD will travel between the surface strata and the unseen magical one, where creatures of fantasy become corporeal. And Hellboy, a creature of two worlds who's accepted by neither, must choose between the life he knows and an unknown destiny that beckons him.
Cast: Ron Perlman,Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Luke Goss, John Alexander
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Opened July 11, 2008
Runtime: 1 hr. 50 min.
PG-13sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and some language
Genres: Comic-Book Superhero Film, Monster Film, Action, Fantasy
Review:
Guillermo del Toro's American works have always been lighter fare when compared to his Spanish language work, Hellboy 2 The Golden Army is no different but it does maintain his uniquely regal visual styling. Del Toro's second crack at the Hellboy world is much richer and a more complete work. He's creates a thoroughly complete fantasy world that is just a joy to watch. It's as if Del Toro just pour a part of his imagination on to celluloid. A sequence that has our gang of heroes traveling through a troll market is just a feast for the eyes. There is a heavier emphasis on action here and Del Toro knows how to shoot it and make it as visually enjoyable as possible. Del Toro's comfort level is matched by his cast especially Ron Perlman. Perlman is so natural as Hellboy that you can see that it's truly a character he was born to play. Doug Jones takes over the Abe Sapien role, now voicing him, and his character is beefed up making him a more fully realized character. Selma Blair plays Liz older and less dour than the first time around making her and Hellboy's feel more naturalistic. Jeffrey Tambor returns as well but his character fell underdeveloped and under utilized a shame since he's a great talent. Plot wise the story is simple and fairly routine bordering on cliché at times. Still it's a marked improvement over the unnecessarily complicated first film. Guillermo del Toro is a director on the rise and his films just continue to improve, Hellboy 2 The Golden Army show off his skill to work with a big budget and make a wonderfully fanciful summer blockbuster.
B+
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