Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
3/4
"Hellboy 2: The Golden Army" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 12/23/2011
The infernal superhero and his team reunite to stop an elfin prince from reawakening a dormant robotic army to wage war on mankind. One thing that you can take for granted when it comes to films by Del Toro is that it IS going to look absolutely fantastic, and so it does. The wonderful art design shares the look of some of his earlier gothic fairytales such as Pan's Labyrinth, as well as the combination of fantasy and eco-message that is the trademark of Myazaki (the most visually extraordinary example being the stunning death of the forest elemental.) The troll's market is also worth a mention, which is akin to a Tim Burton reinvention of Mos Eisley, but as I said, we always knew that the imagery was never going to be in question. The story has a combination of fantastic creatures, epic …
Rating of
3.5/4
World, here I come
gideon43 - wrote on 05/25/2010
The advancement in CGI and the rise and unprecedented success of Marvel studios has led to a whole slew of superhero/comic book movies. Any superhero worth his salt is currently lined up to appear in a special effects blockbuster, even many of the minor and secondary Marvel characters seem to be getting in on the act (Ant Man anyone?). DC are also not resting on their laurels either, The Dark Knight was an absolute smash at the box office and Superman Returns while not entirely super still set the cash tills ringing. One of the more shall we say unusual superheroes to take a shot at the big time was Hellboy, a red skinned devil looking guy with sawn off horns, a tail and a shoot first, ask questions later kinda attitude.
The first Hellboy movie was a disjointed, campy but enjoyable …
Rating of
3/4
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, a Mr. E Movie Review
Mr. E Movie Review - wrote on 09/25/2009
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, a Mr. E Movie Review
(Run time: 120 min. - Directed by: Guillermo del Toro - Starring: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones)
He's Back! Tough as nails Ron Perlman reclaims his role as the super-demon Hellboy. Now, I don't know if I dare say it but, Hellboy 2: The Golden Army in my opinion is better than the original! Yep, I said it and I stand behind it. With awesome, action-filled visuals, and a clean storyline that I say comic fans everywhere will enjoy.
Ok, here's the rundown. A bedtime story that was told to a young Hellboy comes true years later after an ancient pact between humans and people of the mystical realm is broken by the son of the king that originally made the pact. The connecting of three parts of an ancient crown will not only …
Rating of
3/4
*Sarah* - wrote on 12/29/2008
The mythical world starts a rebellion against humanity in order to rule the Earth, so Hellboy and his team must save the world from the rebellious creatures.
It's four years since the first release of Hellboy and watched it aged 16. I absolutly loved the first one, unlike many it seems. Was hoping 2 would be better than the first and it surpassed my expectations on many levels. Most likely in my top 5 of 2008 excellent!
Hellboy 2 already showcased glimpses on Hellboy's passes and 2 opens up with even more. We see John Hurt's character reading Hellboy the tale of the golden Army. Imeadiatly we are shown bits of De Toro's wonderful storytelling and cinematrogarphy, from what he did in Pans Labyrinth and the first film. Hellboy ashowcases some wonderful cinematraphy that is sadly not …
Rating of
3/4
A Good Follow-Up
Franz Patrick - wrote on 11/14/2008
I liked this installment as equally as its predecessor. The script has a nice balance of action and humor, the characters are interesting, and the visual effects are nothing short of magnificent. Guillermo del Toro has once again outdone himself when it comes to giving his audience creatures that are beyond out of this world. Some of the images reminded me of “Pan’s Labyrinth” only without the dark fairytale that drives the story. I’ve also seen del Toro’s “The Orphanage” and I’m often at awe when it comes to his talent. Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, and Doug Jones reprise their roles as Hellboy, Liz Sherman and Abe Sapien, respectively. I felt like four years didn’t go by after the first film because they feel so at home with their characters. Therefore, the pace wasn’t …
Rating of
3/4
A shaky plot but still a fun movie to watch.
Ichabod Crane - wrote on 11/14/2008
A fun and fast film with an outstanding visual design. The visual design is splendid and the characters are well drawn so to speak, but there are problems with the film. That is with the plot. There is an obvious solution to the problem that the characters face it is too obvious for me, and the characters are just a tad too dumb when it comes to the plot. Also the choice Hellboy is given is basically the same as in the first one which is a repetition. The character interactions are good though so for that and the visual design I recommend it.
Pros: Great visual design, interesting characters. Actors are good, and it is fun and funny.
Cons: Goes a little too far with the mythology, and themes are not very compelling. The story is excruciating are parts due to the characters …
Rating of
3/4
The Golden Army is a treasure
goodfellamike - wrote on 07/14/2008
Hellboy 2 is a visual treat from start to finish, with fully-developed characters, good villains, a strong story and solid technical merits. It’s an adventure extravaganza with plenty of humor, endless originality and sturdy entertainment value. One has to appreciate the love and attention that was put into this sequel, which treats its oddball characters like regular people and allows them to have weaknesses as well as superhuman strengths.
About every five or ten minutes, director Guillermo Del Toro pulls another clever, creative trick from his sleeve and manages to never change the tone of the film: a serious, though lighthearted super hero movie. Even though he allows the occassional, forgivable slip-up: like if Liz can melt the crown, why not have her just melt the third …
Rating of
3/4
A Silver Medal for the Golden Army
Chris Kavan - wrote on 07/13/2008
Visually, Hellboy 2 is my favorite film so far this year. Guillermo del Toro has an imagination that takes the best of fantasy and horror and manages to create creature designs that are original and unforgettable. Like Pan's Labyrinth before it, the design is spectacular.
If the story and characters were as interesting as the design, this would be a home run. As it is, the stunning creatures can't make up for roughly the same thing we've seen before. The characters are fleshed out better, but nothing that blew me away. Ron Perlman is still perfect as Hellboy. He's embraced the role and made it his own. Selma Blair is still a literal fireball and Jeffrey Tambor is still the guy in charge who can't control anything. A new German addition - made of gas - adds some humor, but didn't …
