Quin GootBIG RED
September 16th 2008 12:13
If you like your super heroes to be all dark and angsty with complex personalities and lots of intrigue not to mention chiselled good looks then leave now........your not welcome here.
If, on the other hand, you like them as big red devils with sawn off horns who chug beer and chew cigars as well as sing Barry Manilow and have a healthy dose of the Homer Simpson outlook on life............then come on in, the waters warm.
The important thing to remember when watching Hellboy 2: The Golden Army is not to over analyse it. Don't try to pick it apart because you propably will.
As those who saw the first cool Hellboy film will know, this is based on a Mike Mignola character from Dark Horse Comics. And while it is a sequel it is possible to watch this one without having seen the first one and not feel lost.
Hellboy (Ron Perlman) is still working with a secret government agency which specialises in the paranormal and supernatural. He is assisted in this by his fiery, needy and pregnant girlfriend Liz (Selma Blair), fish man Abe (Doug Jones), the ectoplasmic Johann Kraus (voice of Seth MacFarlane) and Agent Manning (Jeffrey Tambor). They are thrown into an ancient conflict involving elves, trolls, toothfairies (you won't leave money under your pillow for this lot again) and a golden army of mechanical kinda clockwork thingies. This takes them to a hidden troll market where they encounter Elven Princess Nuala (Anna Walton) who they bring under their protection from her rather pissed off twin bro Prince Nuada (Luke Goss).
After a couple of spectacular fights involving Hellboy and a Troll and Hellboy and a big tree they take her back to their headquarters where her brother tracks her down and takes her, but not before inflicting a potentially fatal wound on a rather drunk Hellboy.
They then track them down to Northern Ireland where they are met by the Goblin that built said golden army who then takes them to meet the Angel of Death (of course) who saves Hellboy. This allows Hellboy to kick Prince Nuada's arse allowing him to dispand the golden army forever.
Are you confused? Well you should be because this film makes no sense.
But that shouldn't deter you one bit. This is still heaps of fun. Director Guillermo del Toro, who directed the brilliant Pan's Labyrinth, seems to be having a ball. Scenes such as the troll market and the final fight are spectacularly done. The thing with the Hellboy films is that they obviously don't take themselves very seriously unlike some superhero films which seem to be so eager to get a message across.Whereas Dark Knight might be the thinking mans superhero film, Hellboy is the brainless mans film (I mean this in the best possible way).
Ron Perlman is great as the title character who is impossible to dislike. The way he chews cigars while shooting his big arse gun makes him one of cinemas coolest characters. Selma Blair is fine as his girl although she doesn't really have much to do (she does look good in leather though). Doug Jones as Abe is a bit lost in all the mayhem but he does have a funny scene where he and Hellboy get pissed while singing Barry Manilow. The Johann Krauss character brought nothing to the film and should be dispensed with before number 3. Jeffrey Tambor is wasted which is a pity because as anyone who has seen Arrested Developement will know he can be quite funny.
Anna Walton as Princess Nuala suffered the same as Selma Blair in that there wasn't a lot for her to work with (shoulda dressed in leather). Luke Goss of Bros (no frickin way!!!) was really good. No no, I'm serious. The only thing wrong with him was that there should have been more of Prince Nuada.
All in all this film was a brainless wonder.
I just can't wait for number 3.
7.5/10
If, on the other hand, you like them as big red devils with sawn off horns who chug beer and chew cigars as well as sing Barry Manilow and have a healthy dose of the Homer Simpson outlook on life............then come on in, the waters warm.
As those who saw the first cool Hellboy film will know, this is based on a Mike Mignola character from Dark Horse Comics. And while it is a sequel it is possible to watch this one without having seen the first one and not feel lost.
Hellboy (Ron Perlman) is still working with a secret government agency which specialises in the paranormal and supernatural. He is assisted in this by his fiery, needy and pregnant girlfriend Liz (Selma Blair), fish man Abe (Doug Jones), the ectoplasmic Johann Kraus (voice of Seth MacFarlane) and Agent Manning (Jeffrey Tambor). They are thrown into an ancient conflict involving elves, trolls, toothfairies (you won't leave money under your pillow for this lot again) and a golden army of mechanical kinda clockwork thingies. This takes them to a hidden troll market where they encounter Elven Princess Nuala (Anna Walton) who they bring under their protection from her rather pissed off twin bro Prince Nuada (Luke Goss).
They then track them down to Northern Ireland where they are met by the Goblin that built said golden army who then takes them to meet the Angel of Death (of course) who saves Hellboy. This allows Hellboy to kick Prince Nuada's arse allowing him to dispand the golden army forever.
Are you confused? Well you should be because this film makes no sense.
But that shouldn't deter you one bit. This is still heaps of fun. Director Guillermo del Toro, who directed the brilliant Pan's Labyrinth, seems to be having a ball. Scenes such as the troll market and the final fight are spectacularly done. The thing with the Hellboy films is that they obviously don't take themselves very seriously unlike some superhero films which seem to be so eager to get a message across.Whereas Dark Knight might be the thinking mans superhero film, Hellboy is the brainless mans film (I mean this in the best possible way).
Ron Perlman is great as the title character who is impossible to dislike. The way he chews cigars while shooting his big arse gun makes him one of cinemas coolest characters. Selma Blair is fine as his girl although she doesn't really have much to do (she does look good in leather though). Doug Jones as Abe is a bit lost in all the mayhem but he does have a funny scene where he and Hellboy get pissed while singing Barry Manilow. The Johann Krauss character brought nothing to the film and should be dispensed with before number 3. Jeffrey Tambor is wasted which is a pity because as anyone who has seen Arrested Developement will know he can be quite funny.
Anna Walton as Princess Nuala suffered the same as Selma Blair in that there wasn't a lot for her to work with (shoulda dressed in leather). Luke Goss of Bros (no frickin way!!!) was really good. No no, I'm serious. The only thing wrong with him was that there should have been more of Prince Nuada.
All in all this film was a brainless wonder.
I just can't wait for number 3.
7.5/10
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