Rate
‘Hellboy II: The Golden Army' Heck of a film
 |
4 stars
By Norman Mark
Far better and more exciting than the fine first “Hellboy” (2004), a fine example of the director's imagination creating a surfeit of delights, “Hellboy II” is a spellbinding adventure from start to finish.
While this is certainly not an imitative film, it pays many homages to other movies. “Hell-boy II” includes the fish man, a sidekick of Hellboy who re-minded me of C3PO in “Star Wars”; Ron Perl-man's interpretation of Hellboy resembled the cynical, tough Film Noir detectives played by Humph-rey Bogart in the '40s; and the prison/institute for mutants was like the gentler college in “X-Men: Mutant Academy 2.”
There are also references to saving endangered species and to attempting to understand, accept and love those who are quite different from us (a classic comic book reference with which Spider Man would agree). All that, and more, made “Hellboy II” even more fun to watch.
“Hellboy II's” plots refer to Joseph Campbell-type myths, although director/writer Guillermo Del Toro, who gave us the Oscar-winning “Pan's Labryinth” (2006) and who will next direct “Doctor Strange” and “The Hobbit,” is confident enough to make up his original legends.
The Del Toro plot concerns trolls and others who have had a truce with mankind. A Prince, with a magic sword and spidery scars on his face, is angry because we're using too much stuff and ruining the Earth. If he can put together an ancient golden crown, he can awaken a golden army (which the previews promised will also happen in the upcoming “The Mummy 3”), and that army could defeat mankind and make the Prince more powerful than an Imperial President.
Yes, the plot is ridiculous, but the movie works because of funny lines, terrific special effects and the brilliant Ron Perlman, who brings tender emotions to his Hellboy from within in many pounds of red goop. By the way, the punch lines are truly hilarious. When a Teutonic character encased in a deep-sea diving suit visits the Troll Market and mentions that the child a character is carrying is “a lovely baby,” the baby angrily responds, “I'm not a baby. I'm a tumor.”
“Hellboy II” is easily the best computer-generated summer movie of 2008, a classic of its type. It's enjoyable and even memorable.
For me, a scene of uber-delight involved the fish man and Hellboy getting drunk on quantities of Tecate beer (prominently displayed) because their women were so fickle. While half reclining, they sing a brilliant duet of the terminally sappy Barry Manilow song “Can't Smile Without You.” It was, for me, the high point of a movie that effortlessly flowed from one astounding creative scene to the next.
I literally left this adventurous extravaganza singing,
“You came along just like a song
And brightened my day.”
(In the interest of full disclosure, Mark Setrakian, who made the actual [as opposed to computer-generated] monsters, arms, toothy troll faces, gills and Hellboy tails in this film, is my son-in-law. I love his monsters.)
Norman Mark's hilarious detective spoof, “The Lure of the Long-Legged Blond,” is available at www.longleggedblond.com
By Norman Mark
Far better and more exciting than the fine first “Hellboy” (2004), a fine example of the director's imagination creating a surfeit of delights, “Hellboy II” is a spellbinding adventure from start to finish.
While this is certainly not an imitative film, it pays many homages to other movies. “Hell-boy II” includes the fish man, a sidekick of Hellboy who re-minded me of C3PO in “Star Wars”; Ron Perl-man's interpretation of Hellboy resembled the cynical, tough Film Noir detectives played by Humph-rey Bogart in the '40s; and the prison/institute for mutants was like the gentler college in “X-Men: Mutant Academy 2.”
There are also references to saving endangered species and to attempting to understand, accept and love those who are quite different from us (a classic comic book reference with which Spider Man would agree). All that, and more, made “Hellboy II” even more fun to watch.
“Hellboy II's” plots refer to Joseph Campbell-type myths, although director/writer Guillermo Del Toro, who gave us the Oscar-winning “Pan's Labryinth” (2006) and who will next direct “Doctor Strange” and “The Hobbit,” is confident enough to make up his original legends.
The Del Toro plot concerns trolls and others who have had a truce with mankind. A Prince, with a magic sword and spidery scars on his face, is angry because we're using too much stuff and ruining the Earth. If he can put together an ancient golden crown, he can awaken a golden army (which the previews promised will also happen in the upcoming “The Mummy 3”), and that army could defeat mankind and make the Prince more powerful than an Imperial President.
Yes, the plot is ridiculous, but the movie works because of funny lines, terrific special effects and the brilliant Ron Perlman, who brings tender emotions to his Hellboy from within in many pounds of red goop. By the way, the punch lines are truly hilarious. When a Teutonic character encased in a deep-sea diving suit visits the Troll Market and mentions that the child a character is carrying is “a lovely baby,” the baby angrily responds, “I'm not a baby. I'm a tumor.”
“Hellboy II” is easily the best computer-generated summer movie of 2008, a classic of its type. It's enjoyable and even memorable.
For me, a scene of uber-delight involved the fish man and Hellboy getting drunk on quantities of Tecate beer (prominently displayed) because their women were so fickle. While half reclining, they sing a brilliant duet of the terminally sappy Barry Manilow song “Can't Smile Without You.” It was, for me, the high point of a movie that effortlessly flowed from one astounding creative scene to the next.
I literally left this adventurous extravaganza singing,
“You came along just like a song
And brightened my day.”
(In the interest of full disclosure, Mark Setrakian, who made the actual [as opposed to computer-generated] monsters, arms, toothy troll faces, gills and Hellboy tails in this film, is my son-in-law. I love his monsters.)
Norman Mark's hilarious detective spoof, “The Lure of the Long-Legged Blond,” is available at www.longleggedblond.com
 |
 |
|
| ‘Hancock' Super wino hiccups |
‘Young@Heart' Yes, they can, can, can |
