Hellboy II: The Golden Army

One thing you really can't deny Guillermo del Toro is his utterly limitless imagination in the field of supernatural monsters and creatures, which makes his films uniquely fabulous and dark and terrifying at the same time. While it's true that at times Hellboy 2 slid down the slide due to its bland one-liners and moments, and that at times the dark action fantasy turned (almost literally) into a family drama, somehow the director still pulled it off in the end, and overall it turned out to be a pretty good and, more importantly, visually and imaginatively rich fantasy film. There were moments where I could feel the atmosphere from Pan's Labyrinth within reach, which is just as well. (25/05/2011)

It may hold together less than part one, on the other hand Hellboy II is full of enthusiasm and enough fantasy for another ten movies. Guillermo gives the movie the heart and playfulness of a young child who loved old fairytales and fantasy stories. I used to be like that too and maybe that’s why I gave The Golden Army a full set of stars. In fact, I’m rather disappointed that del Toro signed up for Tolkien’s Hobbit because he’s need elsewhere. Because of him we are going to have to wait longer for the third Hellboy than I would like. I’m going to miss this red guy’s world and I won’t even mention the shelving of the adaptation of Lovecraft’s ‘At the Mountains of Madness’. (03/10/2008)

Perhaps the best possible sequel I could have hoped for! The Golden Army surpasses the previous adventure in every respect, whether in its straightforward and spectacular execution, its stylish story, or its approach to the main characters, which is perhaps even more human and distinctive. Del Toro again literally revels in his work, getting the absolute most out of his characters, and his world full of diverse monsters is portrayed as breathtakingly as only a certain gentleman named George Lucas could. His direction is much more assured and less cluttered than in the first one, the action scenes are more imaginative and better structured, and Ron Perlman is still in top form, churning out one wisecrack after another, and his Red is slowly becoming one of my favourite comic book characters. Too bad we probably won't see a sequel. (29/08/2012)

For having a budget of eighty-five million, del Toro delivers an incredible piece of theatre, but the plot itself gets somewhat lost. Gone is the flamboyance of the first film, when the in-love "red man" was spouting dry catchphrases, and in the dark alleys he would fight other monsters from time to time. It does go into some of the depth of the mythology, but del Toro would have had to take an extra half hour to really get the whole colossus rolling and not just jump from place to place to blow it all away in two hours. Fortunately, it's still done with that passionate creative love for the comics and it's enjoyable all the way through. I give it a weaker four stars. PS: I believe that under Jackson's patronage, The Hobbit will be a smash hit. (19/09/2008)

Hellboy II is the most fantastic and beautiful fantasy movie since The Return of the King. Guillermo del Toro loves these monsters and you can feel it from this movie’s every pore. The Forest Elemental made me fall on my knees. There is not one but two love motifs, a ton of cool humor and colorful visuals tastefully blended with the fantasy world without a single tacky shot. And the film is NOT overstuffed or chaotic as some accuse it of being. Del Toro is a true magician with a clear vision, who is able to execute it with perfectionism. (22/09/2008)