Hellboy 2: The Golden Army - Universal

More Visuals, less Story

...is the Impression I got when I saw this movie. It has many truly beautyful Scenes. It got the same likable Charakters and even managed to expand some of them - a bit. The Problem for me was, that with the Introductions and general premises out of the way (in Hellboy 1) this film could have taken the Ironies and the non-stereotypical characters and followed this through. It didnt. What we have here ist great popcorn Kino with awesome CGI and dramatic battles, with the aforementioned Depth shining through here and there. The Addition of the ectoplasmic Investigator was an especially tough one (at least for me) to swallow. He seemed to be there merely for comic relief and did not develop much of a characer at all. Even the "Change of Heart" near the end seemed forced and contrived.

All in all this may sound very negative for a 4 star Rating. But this is only the case because the actors/characters and regisseur have so much potential. The Film is NOT bad. And it is very entertaining. But that is also part of the problem- it aims too much to entertain. And so delivers a little less storytelling.

WOW!

I have just finished watching this and I can truly say WOW! This is much better than the original even though the first Hellboy rocked. This film takes us deeper into the world of Hellboy with all its fantastic demons, trolls and hulking gold robots that are just awesome. There are great little funny quips here keeping this sequel edgy, funny and scary. The FX are some of the best I have seen in years, the CGI use is kept at a minimum for many of the hundreds of creatures within this film. I do hope they make a 3rd as this really did make me pine for more.

Big Red is back

No-one should expect the 'Hellboy' franchise to be an Oscar-winner. It's a comic-book adaptation, and all that goes with it. In that respect it is unashamedly big, brash colourful and loud. In addition, Del Toro brings to it his own unique style, a style that is unparalleled. Indeed, he has been called a genuine visionary and in 'Hellboy 2' one can see why, although one would be forgiven for seeing inevitable similarities between it, 'Pan's Labyrinth', and the original 'Hellboy', but that's simply Del Toro's sensibility.

In regards to 'Hellboy 2' itself, I have mixed feelings. While it is unquestionably visually stunning which is to be expected from Del Toro (the part with the Forest God rampaging through the street is just extraordinary) it falls a bit flat on storyline and dialogue. I can't quite put my finger on it, it just lacks something. Having said that, I still enjoyed it because I liked the first 'Hellboy' and can forgive the fact that rarely does a sequel live up to expectations. I'm also developing an appreciation for Del Toro's direction and vision as a whole, and am beginning to realise that he rarely puts a foot wrong. In fact I don't think any other director could have taken 'Hellboy' in the direction Del Toro did.

Wow, I liked it!

I don't like comic book movies and hadn't expected much from this, particularly after all the fanboy hype in movie magazines, so Hellboy 2 turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

Good strong plot, fantastic visuals and imaginative creatures and worlds. Actually, I never thought I'd here myself say this, but I liked it better than Pan's Labyrinth [2006]

Too many set pieces, not enough narrative

My husband LOVED this film, and I quite enjoyed it, but I found myself becoming rather bored with the relentless set pieces which dominated. The characters were necessarily two dimensional - there was no time for anything else, as it was one flashy fight sequence after another. What's wrong with that? I hear you ask. Well, nothing if that's all you're looking for. Visually the film is great, but I would have preferred a slightly better developed story and more attention to characterisation. That notwithstanding I enjoyed watching it, and would recommend it to anyone looking for an untaxing evening in front of the telly.

Hell, Boy was I impressed!!!

I usually say that sequels are never as good as the original - I would be wrong on this occasion. The original was very enjoyable and told the story very well with a cute 'Hell Baby' to boot. However, Hellboy 2 is even better! I thoroughly enjoyed this film from beginning to end and was not bored for a moment. It's funny, it's sad and the overall look of the film is absolutely superb! The colours and images are amazing - such a contrast to Bat Man Dark Knight which was actually very dark in it's look - the first thing I said when we finished the film was that I had really enjoyed it, the second was what amazing colours!! OK so the story isn't gonna tax your brain but it's just fabulously entertaining and Selma Blair looks great in this too!!! What's not to like - hence 5 out of 5

The quirkiest blockbuster of 2008

Do you ever find yourself saying, just as the credits roll: "I wish that film had been a bit longer..."? No? Me neither, but I did here. I really enjoyed the first film, and there's no denying that this one came at things from the same off-centre, quirky angle. But I felt it was all a bit rushed. It looked great but the story seemed to just...slip by too un-noticed.

Am I the only one to feel that the whole elements were simply not given enough time to come to a full flowering? Abe's little romance, the story of the legendary figures being forgotten, it was all there but somehow not clear enough. I really wouldn't have minded another 20 minutes or so to round things off properly. Was Del Toro forced to trim the time down? The emergence (or not) of a directors cut will answer that I suppose.

In short, a good sequel with some GREAT ideas, but not used to their fullest advantage. And fair play to Luke Goss - I was ready to laugh him off the screen (I remember BROS!) but his scary, white skinned, evil-eyed monster guy shut me right up. Again, I would like to have seen more of him. In a way, Hellboy is almost like a TV character - I would love to be able to see him more frenquently in varied stories (the comics will have to do for now.)

Also, Del Toro's love of the weird mechanical machines shines through again - you either love that or your don't. And finally...some sort of prize for best ever use of a Barry Manilow song?

More Visuals, less Story

...is the Impression I got when I saw this movie. It has many truly beautyful Scenes. It got the same likable Charakters and even managed to expand some of them - a bit. The Problem for me was, that with the Introductions and general premises out of the way (in Hellboy 1) this film could have taken the Ironies and the non-stereotypical characters and followed this through. It didnt. What we have here ist great popcorn Kino with awesome CGI and dramatic battles, with the aforementioned Depth shining through here and there. The Addition of the ectoplasmic Investigator was an especially tough one (at least for me) to swallow. He seemed to be there merely for comic relief and did not develop much of a characer at all. Even the "Change of Heart" near the end seemed forced and contrived.

All in all this may sound very negative for a 4 star Rating. But this is only the case because the actors/characters and regisseur have so much potential. The Film is NOT bad. And it is very entertaining. But that is also part of the problem- it aims too much to entertain. And so delivers a little less storytelling.

WOW!

I have just finished watching this and I can truly say WOW! This is much better than the original even though the first Hellboy rocked. This film takes us deeper into the world of Hellboy with all its fantastic demons, trolls and hulking gold robots that are just awesome. There are great little funny quips here keeping this sequel edgy, funny and scary. The FX are some of the best I have seen in years, the CGI use is kept at a minimum for many of the hundreds of creatures within this film. I do hope they make a 3rd as this really did make me pine for more.

Big Red is back

No-one should expect the 'Hellboy' franchise to be an Oscar-winner. It's a comic-book adaptation, and all that goes with it. In that respect it is unashamedly big, brash colourful and loud. In addition, Del Toro brings to it his own unique style, a style that is unparalleled. Indeed, he has been called a genuine visionary and in 'Hellboy 2' one can see why, although one would be forgiven for seeing inevitable similarities between it, 'Pan's Labyrinth', and the original 'Hellboy', but that's simply Del Toro's sensibility.

In regards to 'Hellboy 2' itself, I have mixed feelings. While it is unquestionably visually stunning which is to be expected from Del Toro (the part with the Forest God rampaging through the street is just extraordinary) it falls a bit flat on storyline and dialogue. I can't quite put my finger on it, it just lacks something. Having said that, I still enjoyed it because I liked the first 'Hellboy' and can forgive the fact that rarely does a sequel live up to expectations. I'm also developing an appreciation for Del Toro's direction and vision as a whole, and am beginning to realise that he rarely puts a foot wrong. In fact I don't think any other director could have taken 'Hellboy' in the direction Del Toro did.

Hell, Boy was I impressed!!!

I usually say that sequels are never as good as the original - I would be wrong on this occasion. The original was very enjoyable and told the story very well with a cute 'Hell Baby' to boot. However, Hellboy 2 is even better! I thoroughly enjoyed this film from beginning to end and was not bored for a moment. It's funny, it's sad and the overall look of the film is absolutely superb! The colours and images are amazing - such a contrast to Bat Man Dark Knight which was actually very dark in it's look - the first thing I said when we finished the film was that I had really enjoyed it, the second was what amazing colours!! OK so the story isn't gonna tax your brain but it's just fabulously entertaining and Selma Blair looks great in this too!!! What's not to like - hence 5 out of 5

The quirkiest blockbuster of 2008

Do you ever find yourself saying, just as the credits roll: "I wish that film had been a bit longer..."? No? Me neither, but I did here. I really enjoyed the first film, and there's no denying that this one came at things from the same off-centre, quirky angle. But I felt it was all a bit rushed. It looked great but the story seemed to just...slip by too un-noticed.

Am I the only one to feel that the whole elements were simply not given enough time to come to a full flowering? Abe's little romance, the story of the legendary figures being forgotten, it was all there but somehow not clear enough. I really wouldn't have minded another 20 minutes or so to round things off properly. Was Del Toro forced to trim the time down? The emergence (or not) of a directors cut will answer that I suppose.

In short, a good sequel with some GREAT ideas, but not used to their fullest advantage. And fair play to Luke Goss - I was ready to laugh him off the screen (I remember BROS!) but his scary, white skinned, evil-eyed monster guy shut me right up. Again, I would like to have seen more of him. In a way, Hellboy is almost like a TV character - I would love to be able to see him more frenquently in varied stories (the comics will have to do for now.)

Also, Del Toro's love of the weird mechanical machines shines through again - you either love that or your don't. And finally...some sort of prize for best ever use of a Barry Manilow song?

More Visuals, less Story

...is the Impression I got when I saw this movie. It has many truly beautyful Scenes. It got the same likable Charakters and even managed to expand some of them - a bit. The Problem for me was, that with the Introductions and general premises out of the way (in Hellboy 1) this film could have taken the Ironies and the non-stereotypical characters and followed this through. It didnt. What we have here ist great popcorn Kino with awesome CGI and dramatic battles, with the aforementioned Depth shining through here and there. The Addition of the ectoplasmic Investigator was an especially tough one (at least for me) to swallow. He seemed to be there merely for comic relief and did not develop much of a characer at all. Even the "Change of Heart" near the end seemed forced and contrived.

All in all this may sound very negative for a 4 star Rating. But this is only the case because the actors/characters and regisseur have so much potential. The Film is NOT bad. And it is very entertaining. But that is also part of the problem- it aims too much to entertain. And so delivers a little less storytelling.

WOW!

I have just finished watching this and I can truly say WOW! This is much better than the original even though the first Hellboy rocked. This film takes us deeper into the world of Hellboy with all its fantastic demons, trolls and hulking gold robots that are just awesome. There are great little funny quips here keeping this sequel edgy, funny and scary. The FX are some of the best I have seen in years, the CGI use is kept at a minimum for many of the hundreds of creatures within this film. I do hope they make a 3rd as this really did make me pine for more.

Big Red is back

No-one should expect the 'Hellboy' franchise to be an Oscar-winner. It's a comic-book adaptation, and all that goes with it. In that respect it is unashamedly big, brash colourful and loud. In addition, Del Toro brings to it his own unique style, a style that is unparalleled. Indeed, he has been called a genuine visionary and in 'Hellboy 2' one can see why, although one would be forgiven for seeing inevitable similarities between it, 'Pan's Labyrinth', and the original 'Hellboy', but that's simply Del Toro's sensibility.

In regards to 'Hellboy 2' itself, I have mixed feelings. While it is unquestionably visually stunning which is to be expected from Del Toro (the part with the Forest God rampaging through the street is just extraordinary) it falls a bit flat on storyline and dialogue. I can't quite put my finger on it, it just lacks something. Having said that, I still enjoyed it because I liked the first 'Hellboy' and can forgive the fact that rarely does a sequel live up to expectations. I'm also developing an appreciation for Del Toro's direction and vision as a whole, and am beginning to realise that he rarely puts a foot wrong. In fact I don't think any other director could have taken 'Hellboy' in the direction Del Toro did.

Hell, Boy was I impressed!!!

I usually say that sequels are never as good as the original - I would be wrong on this occasion. The original was very enjoyable and told the story very well with a cute 'Hell Baby' to boot. However, Hellboy 2 is even better! I thoroughly enjoyed this film from beginning to end and was not bored for a moment. It's funny, it's sad and the overall look of the film is absolutely superb! The colours and images are amazing - such a contrast to Bat Man Dark Knight which was actually very dark in it's look - the first thing I said when we finished the film was that I had really enjoyed it, the second was what amazing colours!! OK so the story isn't gonna tax your brain but it's just fabulously entertaining and Selma Blair looks great in this too!!! What's not to like - hence 5 out of 5

The quirkiest blockbuster of 2008

Do you ever find yourself saying, just as the credits roll: "I wish that film had been a bit longer..."? No? Me neither, but I did here. I really enjoyed the first film, and there's no denying that this one came at things from the same off-centre, quirky angle. But I felt it was all a bit rushed. It looked great but the story seemed to just...slip by too un-noticed.

Am I the only one to feel that the whole elements were simply not given enough time to come to a full flowering? Abe's little romance, the story of the legendary figures being forgotten, it was all there but somehow not clear enough. I really wouldn't have minded another 20 minutes or so to round things off properly. Was Del Toro forced to trim the time down? The emergence (or not) of a directors cut will answer that I suppose.

In short, a good sequel with some GREAT ideas, but not used to their fullest advantage. And fair play to Luke Goss - I was ready to laugh him off the screen (I remember BROS!) but his scary, white skinned, evil-eyed monster guy shut me right up. Again, I would like to have seen more of him. In a way, Hellboy is almost like a TV character - I would love to be able to see him more frenquently in varied stories (the comics will have to do for now.)

Also, Del Toro's love of the weird mechanical machines shines through again - you either love that or your don't. And finally...some sort of prize for best ever use of a Barry Manilow song?

More Visuals, less Story

...is the Impression I got when I saw this movie. It has many truly beautyful Scenes. It got the same likable Charakters and even managed to expand some of them - a bit. The Problem for me was, that with the Introductions and general premises out of the way (in Hellboy 1) this film could have taken the Ironies and the non-stereotypical characters and followed this through. It didnt. What we have here ist great popcorn Kino with awesome CGI and dramatic battles, with the aforementioned Depth shining through here and there. The Addition of the ectoplasmic Investigator was an especially tough one (at least for me) to swallow. He seemed to be there merely for comic relief and did not develop much of a characer at all. Even the "Change of Heart" near the end seemed forced and contrived.

All in all this may sound very negative for a 4 star Rating. But this is only the case because the actors/characters and regisseur have so much potential. The Film is NOT bad. And it is very entertaining. But that is also part of the problem- it aims too much to entertain. And so delivers a little less storytelling.

WOW!

I have just finished watching this and I can truly say WOW! This is much better than the original even though the first Hellboy rocked. This film takes us deeper into the world of Hellboy with all its fantastic demons, trolls and hulking gold robots that are just awesome. There are great little funny quips here keeping this sequel edgy, funny and scary. The FX are some of the best I have seen in years, the CGI use is kept at a minimum for many of the hundreds of creatures within this film. I do hope they make a 3rd as this really did make me pine for more.

Big Red is back

No-one should expect the 'Hellboy' franchise to be an Oscar-winner. It's a comic-book adaptation, and all that goes with it. In that respect it is unashamedly big, brash colourful and loud. In addition, Del Toro brings to it his own unique style, a style that is unparalleled. Indeed, he has been called a genuine visionary and in 'Hellboy 2' one can see why, although one would be forgiven for seeing inevitable similarities between it, 'Pan's Labyrinth', and the original 'Hellboy', but that's simply Del Toro's sensibility.

In regards to 'Hellboy 2' itself, I have mixed feelings. While it is unquestionably visually stunning which is to be expected from Del Toro (the part with the Forest God rampaging through the street is just extraordinary) it falls a bit flat on storyline and dialogue. I can't quite put my finger on it, it just lacks something. Having said that, I still enjoyed it because I liked the first 'Hellboy' and can forgive the fact that rarely does a sequel live up to expectations. I'm also developing an appreciation for Del Toro's direction and vision as a whole, and am beginning to realise that he rarely puts a foot wrong. In fact I don't think any other director could have taken 'Hellboy' in the direction Del Toro did.

Hell, Boy was I impressed!!!

I usually say that sequels are never as good as the original - I would be wrong on this occasion. The original was very enjoyable and told the story very well with a cute 'Hell Baby' to boot. However, Hellboy 2 is even better! I thoroughly enjoyed this film from beginning to end and was not bored for a moment. It's funny, it's sad and the overall look of the film is absolutely superb! The colours and images are amazing - such a contrast to Bat Man Dark Knight which was actually very dark in it's look - the first thing I said when we finished the film was that I had really enjoyed it, the second was what amazing colours!! OK so the story isn't gonna tax your brain but it's just fabulously entertaining and Selma Blair looks great in this too!!! What's not to like - hence 5 out of 5

The quirkiest blockbuster of 2008

Do you ever find yourself saying, just as the credits roll: "I wish that film had been a bit longer..."? No? Me neither, but I did here. I really enjoyed the first film, and there's no denying that this one came at things from the same off-centre, quirky angle. But I felt it was all a bit rushed. It looked great but the story seemed to just...slip by too un-noticed.

Am I the only one to feel that the whole elements were simply not given enough time to come to a full flowering? Abe's little romance, the story of the legendary figures being forgotten, it was all there but somehow not clear enough. I really wouldn't have minded another 20 minutes or so to round things off properly. Was Del Toro forced to trim the time down? The emergence (or not) of a directors cut will answer that I suppose.

In short, a good sequel with some GREAT ideas, but not used to their fullest advantage. And fair play to Luke Goss - I was ready to laugh him off the screen (I remember BROS!) but his scary, white skinned, evil-eyed monster guy shut me right up. Again, I would like to have seen more of him. In a way, Hellboy is almost like a TV character - I would love to be able to see him more frenquently in varied stories (the comics will have to do for now.)

Also, Del Toro's love of the weird mechanical machines shines through again - you either love that or your don't. And finally...some sort of prize for best ever use of a Barry Manilow song?

More Visuals, less Story

...is the Impression I got when I saw this movie. It has many truly beautyful Scenes. It got the same likable Charakters and even managed to expand some of them - a bit. The Problem for me was, that with the Introductions and general premises out of the way (in Hellboy 1) this film could have taken the Ironies and the non-stereotypical characters and followed this through. It didnt. What we have here ist great popcorn Kino with awesome CGI and dramatic battles, with the aforementioned Depth shining through here and there. The Addition of the ectoplasmic Investigator was an especially tough one (at least for me) to swallow. He seemed to be there merely for comic relief and did not develop much of a characer at all. Even the "Change of Heart" near the end seemed forced and contrived.

All in all this may sound very negative for a 4 star Rating. But this is only the case because the actors/characters and regisseur have so much potential. The Film is NOT bad. And it is very entertaining. But that is also part of the problem- it aims too much to entertain. And so delivers a little less storytelling.

WOW!

I have just finished watching this and I can truly say WOW! This is much better than the original even though the first Hellboy rocked. This film takes us deeper into the world of Hellboy with all its fantastic demons, trolls and hulking gold robots that are just awesome. There are great little funny quips here keeping this sequel edgy, funny and scary. The FX are some of the best I have seen in years, the CGI use is kept at a minimum for many of the hundreds of creatures within this film. I do hope they make a 3rd as this really did make me pine for more.

Big Red is back

No-one should expect the 'Hellboy' franchise to be an Oscar-winner. It's a comic-book adaptation, and all that goes with it. In that respect it is unashamedly big, brash colourful and loud. In addition, Del Toro brings to it his own unique style, a style that is unparalleled. Indeed, he has been called a genuine visionary and in 'Hellboy 2' one can see why, although one would be forgiven for seeing inevitable similarities between it, 'Pan's Labyrinth', and the original 'Hellboy', but that's simply Del Toro's sensibility.

In regards to 'Hellboy 2' itself, I have mixed feelings. While it is unquestionably visually stunning which is to be expected from Del Toro (the part with the Forest God rampaging through the street is just extraordinary) it falls a bit flat on storyline and dialogue. I can't quite put my finger on it, it just lacks something. Having said that, I still enjoyed it because I liked the first 'Hellboy' and can forgive the fact that rarely does a sequel live up to expectations. I'm also developing an appreciation for Del Toro's direction and vision as a whole, and am beginning to realise that he rarely puts a foot wrong. In fact I don't think any other director could have taken 'Hellboy' in the direction Del Toro did.