Hellboy 2: Comic Action, Fantasy Creatures, and B-Movie Style

Hellboy was a comic book most of us (and by us I mean us) weren't too familiar with, probably. The first movie was enjoyable for many, yet failed to really grip the masses enough to make Sony and its sub-studios want to back a sequel. However, Universal Studios decided that the heat off of director Guillermo de Toro's booming career was more than enough to trust the man who seemed to have a passion for wanting to bring Hellboy back for a second round.

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army was written and directed by Guillermo del Toro who has cut a niche for himself in bringing fantasy to the big screen, having made Pan's Labyrinth and chosen to direct The Hobbit movie. Hellboy is played by Ron Pearlman and the supporting cast of odd characters include: Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Luke Goss, John Hurt, Anna Walton, and Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane does a voice for a character made of ectoplasm.

The plot this time around involves an elf come out of exile to wage war on the humans because apparently his world which is home to things like elves, trolls, and tooth fairies is dying and/or has been insulted by humans. I put in the and/or because it was made to seem like the other world of fantasy creatures was dying in an early set-up scene, but that theme wasn't really backed for the entire movie or explained.

What you get with Hellboy 2: The Golden Army is comic book action with huge fantasy world set pieces and creatures that make the movie look like the most expensive B-movie ever made. Yep, the B-movie monster flick sentimentality is fully present in the corny dialog spouted by many throughout, which is actually very enjoyable and hits the funny bone more often than not.

Hellboy 2 is bigger than the first movie and doesn't just feel like a mindless action movie thanks to Guillermo del Toro's knack for stunning visuals. He paints a rich fantasy tapestry and splatters fun and chaos all over it, and vice versa. Good movie!