Hellboy II: The Golden Army ***

Cast: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, John Alexander, James Donn, Luke Gross, Anna Walton, Jeffrey Tambor, John Hurt
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Running Length: 1:50
MPAA Classification: PG-13

The government has a bunch of freaks working for it in New Jersey. They consist of Hellboy (Pearlman), a large devil-like being who is a wise-guy; Liz (Blair), Hellboy’s girlfriend who has the ability to create flames around her; Abe Sapien (Jones), an amphibian; and Johann Kraus (Dunn), a gas creature stuffed into a human shaped suit. They need to stop Prince Nuada (Gross), who wishes to control the Golden Army, indestructible warriors who he can use to wage war against humanity. Nuada’s twin sister Nuala (Walton) is opposed to him, and steals a piece of the controlling crown and flees to Hellboy and his friends for protection. She might not be a safe as she thinks, as Nuada seeks her out with a vengeance.

“Hellboy II’, like its predecessor, is a strange superhero/fantasy hybrid. That and its quirky characters make this a different moviegoing experience, and raise it above a standard. Also the direction by Guillermo del Toro is top notch. He has fantasy films down pat, and is able to bring all the mythical creatures to life with ease. The acting is good too. All the principals make the characters their own, much like they did in the first film. They all seem to be enjoying themselves, and that translates well to the characters in the film. Story-wise, there are some big plot holes, but the journey is fun enough to make you not think about them. “Hellboy II” is well worth seeing, and I am sure we will be seeing more of Hellboy and friends in the years to come.

Hellboy ***

Cast: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Jeffrey Tambor, Karel Roden, Rupert Evans, John Hurt, Doug Jones, David Hyde Pierce (voice)
Director: Guillermo del Toro

The latest comic book adaptation to hit theaters is Hellboy, a non-conventional super hero played with gusto by the great Ron Pearlman, best known for his role as Beast in the Beauty and the Beast TV show. This time he is the headliner, thanks to del Toro who only wanted him.

Hellboy came to this world as a result of a Nazi plan that was thwarted by the Allies. Raised by American scientist Professor Bruttenholm (Hurt), Hellboy grows up as an agent of the FBI's Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, bumping back against the things that go bump in the night. When the bad guys return to bring evil gods to Earth and start armageddon, Hellboy and his band of "freaks" jump into action.

Filled with action, humor, and special effects, Hellboy is an entertaining experience, even for those who never heard of him before (like me). Great excapist entertainment.