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7 out of 10
When elf prince Nuada (Goss) threatens humanity by breaking an ancient agreement between mythical creatures and mankind, it is up to the FBI's worst kept secret, Hellboy (Perlman) to step forward and nullify the threat before the unstoppable Golden Army is awoken. As if that wasn't enough to contend with throw in an overbearing boss, a meticulous new partner and a fiery girlfriend, then it is clear to see that Big Red has got an apocalyptic handful.
With the hype-tastic Batman cleaning up at the box office it was always going to take an otherworldly comic book adaptation to follow in its Batpod tracks. And few come bigger or more devilsome than Hellboy. In the sequel to 2004's sleeper hit, director Guillermo del Toro has upped the action, the animatronics and the antics of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defence (BPRD).
Since the first outing, Hellboy has become less of a secret and more of a celebrity, much to the displeasure of Manning (Tambor) and the FBI, who have responded by sending in their top 'man', Johann Krauss (MacFarlane). Contained in an ecto-plasmic suit, Krauss' Germanic arrogance is very much a match for Big Red's machismo; the duo's sparring generating several of the film's standout scenes. Liz (Blair) and Big Red's relationship has long since passed the honeymoon stage, with Red still very much the bumbling jock to Liz's sensitive sweetheart. These elements go some way to humanising Hellboy, masking the fact that he is potentially more of a threat than the Golden Army he is chasing.
Though these elements flesh out the characters and compliment the plot, what really drives the film is Prince Nuada's campaign to enslave the human race. In a visually stunning opening sequence played out by puppets, John Hurt's Broom tells the story of the feud between man and elf, which was ended by King Balor's indestructible mechanical army. Ashamed of their savagery, the treaty was brokered and the Golden Army banished, never to be used again. Disgusted by humanity's greed & abandonment, Prince Nuada defies his bloodline by breaking the ancient truce and sets out to awaken the Golden Army from their prolonged slumber. Standing in Nuada's way is his twin sister, Princess Nuala (Walton) and the BPRD.
What really make the film stand out are its visuals. Keeping CG effects to a minimum, del Toro's creations are bursting with character, the prosthetics breathing so much more life into the mythical creatures where CGI would leave them, well, like Jar-Jar Binks. None more is this evident than during the Troll Alley sequence, which combines the mythology of Lord of the Rings with the magic of Harry Potter. The comic moments have been significantly upped too, with the relationship between Hellboy & Krauss and Liz & Big Red generating a great number of the laughs.
Del Toro has again weaved his magic on Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Taking inspiration from Pan's Labyrinth he has lifted the characters from the page and galvanised them with depth and soul. The action and laughs will entertain all, including the fan-boys. Based upon this the franchise is definitely worthy of a further sequel, let's just hope that Del Toro stays on board so it doesn't fall foul of the dreaded third outing suffered by its comic book kin.
Movie Website: www.hellboymovie.com
Cast List:
Hellboy: Ron Perlman
Liz Sherman: Selma Blair
Abe Sapien: Doug Jones
Johann Krauss: Seth MacFarlane (voice)
Prince Nuada: Luke Goss
Princess Nuala: Anna Walton
Tom Manning: Jeffrey Tambor
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