Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Thanks to Downtown Comics, I was able to watch a sneak preview of Hellboy II: The Golden Army Tuesday night!
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In the opening scene, a young Hellboy is told a story about a long-forgotten time when the mystical creatures were at war against the humans. The Golden Army was forged and given as a gift to the elf king to use against the humans. But after the battle where all humans were slaughtered, the king decided never to use the indestructible Golden Army again. But the king’s son, Prince Nuada disagreed and went into exile. And now, in present day, Prince Nuada has returned to reclaim the Golden Army and wipe humanity off the face of the earth. Hellboy and his fellow BPRD team members must protect humanity against the ruthless prince.

I had high hopes for this sequel, and it actually lived up to my expectations. The cast was, once again, stellar. Luke Gross was particularly chilling as the evil Prince Nuada. Anna Walton plays his twin sister Princess Nuala with abundant grace and beauty. New BPRD leader, Johann Krauss, was a particular treat, voiced by Seth MacFarlane. Krauss exists in a gaseous form, contained in a bulky suit; but has a wonderful personality. His presence dominated each of his scenes. Jeffrey Tambor provided more comic relief in his role as Tom Manning of the BPRD. And, of course, Ron Perlman (Hellboy), Selma Blair (Liz Sherman), and Doug Jones (Abe Sapien) all reprised their roles to perfection. And I’m glad that Jones was able to voice the role this time around. He also has a love connection in the movie that is endearing and emotional. The character interaction is one of the things I love most about the Hellboy movies. They each have their own distinct personalities. And with Hellboy, there’s no wishy-washy. He either likes someone, or he doesn’t. And he’s not afraid to show it. His disagreements with Manning and Krauss are some of the most humorous scenes.

The creatures are in, writer and director, del Toro’s distinct style. No pretty little creatures here. They’re mostly dark and disturbing. And they definitely add to the ambiance and create an uneasy feeling. The action as well as visual effects stepped up a notch in this sequel. Luke Gross is particularly fun to watch has he fights Hellboy. Prince Nuada is all skill and grace, and Hellboy is brute force and muscle. All of this adds to the exciting, fast-paced, and dramatic storyline, making this a must-see hit. Hellboy II: The Golden Army is everything this fangirl could ask for in an action-packed, summer blockbuster.

Go. See. It.