Hellboy II: The Golden Army reviewed by Craig the Movie Geek!
Dir: Guillermo Del Toro Stars: Ron Pearlman, Selma Blair
Synopsis: The misunderstood demon and his team of weirdo heroes battle an evil supernatural prince who wants to wipe out the human world.
The first Hellboy was a bit of a sleeper hit, full of action and smart-mouthed comedy. It was made by the demented genius director Guillermo Del Toro, who you'd know from the hit Pan's Labyrinth. He's also set to direct The Hobbit --- the new Lord of the Rings prequel --- some say he's the only director that could fill Peter Jackson's boots on that franchise.
As for Hellboy II --- I was a bit split. On one hand there were some amazing visuals --- some of the best CGI I've ever seen. You actually believe that Hellboy is real and fighting a 200 foot tall monster --- it looks that good. As well, Del Toro's imagination seems to be limitless. He has crafted a huge and bizarre world, filled with sympathetic characters (something few CGI heavy movies can seem to muster).
However, for all the genius built into the movie, there are some serious flaws. The story hits lulls in places, and the comedy wasn't quite as even as the first movie. I tricked Jenny into going...I mean, I took Jenny with me, and though she enjoyed some of it, she was squirming in her seat by the end.
I would guess that a lot of people haven't seen the first one, so rather than recommend Hellboy II, I'd urge you to go rent Hellboy. See how you feel from there. If you HAVE TO see the next adventure in the series, then check out The Golden Army. I think fans of the genre and franchise will have the better time at this movie, but Del Toro's brilliance throughout The Golden Army can't be denied, so it gets the slightly above average rating of...
3 and A HALF Dorks out of 5 on the Geek-o-Meter.