joeravioli Hellboy 2 is an exercise in sheer visual imagination at the expense of depth, emotion and pacing. I mean, in what other film would the main character, a crimson devil who files down his horns to look more human, blow up the head of a nature god with a massive revolver and watch as the nature god's green blood turns everything into a natural paradise? I would hazard to say very few. That's really where the film succeeds. Each monster and set piece in this film is crafted with meticulous innovation and creativity, Del Toro putting a generous dose of creator's love into his work. However, his narrative, while also imaginative, relies too much on clichés and his characters are listless and tiresome. If Del Toro put the same love and innovation he put into crafting the visuals into shaping his characters and his narrative, Hellboy 2 would have been a fine film indeed. But as it stands, Hellboy 2: The Golden Army is limp and forgettable, buoyed by little more than few surprising twists and a stunning visual arsenal.Hellboy (Ron Perlman) is a reluctant government agent who arrived from another world. He loves cats, television, and his wife, Liz (Selma Blair), but is discontent with his sheltered and secretive existence in the basement of some government facility in the middle of nowhere. He wants, as the saying goes, "to fit in". But of course, considering the fact that he happens to be a crimson devil, complete with horns and tail, that isn't going to happen. I did like Perlman's performance. Hellboy is a beer-drinking, gun-toting badass with a surprising outlook on life. He's an irresistible character, if a tad shallow and impulsive. But the other characters are significantly less so. Both love interests in the film are extremely boring, Del Toro seeing it fit to give them the most clichéd and hackneyed lines in the book. The villain is ridiculous, and the other characters simply aren't there enough.The narrative is innovative, but lacks depth and even entertainment value, relying on strange action scenes (most of which lack fluidity) while barely ever giving us a break. I suppose that that could be taken as a pro, but I'm going to put it down as a con, simply because the running time is too short to have all that action without sufficient emotion or character development. I mean, if they could squeeze the character development and emotion into the action, I would have been happy.Hellboy 2 is basically this: Years ago, humans massacred elves, and now, one of them is deciding to bite back by reawakening the "Golden Army", which is literally a massive army of golden cyborgs hidden underground.Sadly, much of the film is forgettable, excluding some neat set pieces and a few solid action moments. But even the action scenes lack fluidity and movement, opting instead for a slow, blow-for-blow which lasts usually about five to ten minutes, making them rather plodding and unspectacular. Some of them are simply senseless, and some of them focus on Hellboy way too much.What I wanted from this film was del Toro to put the same love he did into making his characters into shaping his characters. There is tension, yes, but the tension is often laughably clichéd. The characters develop in tiresome, by-the-book ways. It becomes difficult to care for anybody excluding Hellboy.Creativity alone is enough to designate this film as a good film, as creativity is so often lacking in modern blockbusters. However, this film falls short past the realm of visual creativity, creating a story that is poorly paced and executed, characters that are for the most part tiresome, and action scenes that lack motion. All in all, Hellboy is a fine visual piece, but rather a dull film.

Aqeel_Madhi Hellboy two is an unexpected surprise as it does something rarely done in movie franchises these days and that is to be better than the original;this is the case with Hellboy Two as it takes everything you loved about the original Hellboy and amplifies it.The movie achieves a perfect balance between great directing and great script and boasts fairly decent acting and plot.The movies strong points include awesome CGI and very deep well thought out characters as well as great action and comedy which you cant help but smile at.The movie is not without its flaws though.The plot which is fairly decent is almost predictable and repetitive.The main villain in the film is a let down and never really poses any threat to Hellboy.Hellboy is a watch worth considering, while it does have flaws, it does have some great elements and there is something that appeals to every viewer.In conclusion if you liked the first Hellboy you'll love the second but if not at least you wont be totally bored.

Python Hyena Hellboy 2: The Golden Army (2008): Dir: Guillermo del Toro / Cast: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Seth MacFarlane, Luke Goss: A much heavily marketed film than the original although it does present a much better detailing into the lives of the characters. Its impressive creature effects continue to overwhelm us with a plot regarding a golden army that was created to wage war on mankind but a truce was found. Directed by Guillermo del Toro who made the first Hellboy as well as Pans Labyrinth. The special effects are the norm here but fortunately characters seem broader. Ron Perlman plays the sly and never fearful Hellboy whose relationship with Liz Sherman, played by Selma Blair is shaky. He toys with media attention but soon realizes that responsibility will be needed for a very different future. Liz makes discoveries and will eventually bargain for Hellboy's life. Doug Jones returns as the fish-like Abe Sapien who will discover love and the ability to shed tears. Seth MacFarlane plays Johann Krauss who is brought in to help keep Hellboy from encouraging publicity. The role is effective but somewhat standard. Luke Goss plays the villain Prince Nuada who is skilled at martial arts and being a total sh*t disturber. While visually well made it is still a pointless exercise with an army of screenwriters that were far from golden. Thank goodness for creature personalities. Score: 4 / 10

namashi_1 Based on the fictional character Hellboy created by Mike Mignola and a sequel to the 2004 Hit Hellboy, 'Hellboy II: The Golden Army' is A Power-Packed Sequel, that defeats its prequel by a great measure. Its pure fist-pumping, explosive stuff! 'Hellboy II: The Golden Army' Synopsis: The mythical world starts a rebellion against humanity in order to rule the Earth, so Hellboy and his team must save the world from the rebellious creatures.'Hellboy II: The Golden Army' works big time as an entertainer. The Screenplay is brilliantly complimented by dazzling visuals, sharp direction & efficient performances. Guillermo del Toro's Screenplay & Direction, are top-notch. The narrative flows with an infectious tone, while his Direction is as stylish as it could get. Visual Effects are absolutely dazzling. Cinematography & Editing are neat. Art Design is excellent. Make-Up is superbly done. Action-Sequences are expertly choreographed.Performance-Wise: Ron Perlman as Hellboy, is tough as hell. He nails the part. Selma Blair as Liz Sherman, is super efficient. Doug Jones as Abe Sapien, is super. Seth MacFarlane voices Johann Krauss, flawlessly. Luke Goss as Prince Nuada, leaves an impression, as well.On the whole, 'Hellboy II: The Golden Army' is simply WOW. Two Thumbs Up!