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Hellboy II: The Golden Army
2008; directed by Guillermo Del Toro

Hellboy II failed to make much of a splash at the box office, being overshadowed by the juggernaut that was The Dark Knight, but it's a solid sequel to the original. And with Guillermo Del Toro's stylish direction and action scenes helmed by former Jackie Chan Stunt Team member Brad Allan, it's a fine film in its' own right.

For those of you unfamiliar with the first movie or the comic book which it was based on, Hellboy (Ron Perlman) is a demon that was created by the Nazis during World War II, and subsequently "liberated" by American forces. The government places Hellboy in the "Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense". Along with his best friend, Abe (Doug Jones), a fish-man, and his girlfriend, Liz (Selma Blair), a woman that can conjure and control fire, Hellboy battles threats to the earth from the underworld.

This time out, Hellboy is going after Nuada (Luke Goss), a disgraced elven prince who is trying to obtain all of the pieces of a magical crown that allows the wearer to control an army of indestructible golden robots. As the case progresses, Hellboy begins to tire of the way he is being treated by the "normal" citizens, and begins to wonder if he is fighting for the right side.

There has always been a good dose of humor in the Hellboy series -- he's a demon, but enjoys candy and little cats -- and this levity is a nice change of pace from the more somber tones of other recent superhero movies like The Dark Knight and Iron Man. Del Toro does know when to make things serious, though, which helps to keep Hellboy II from falling into the realm of farce. The characters end up having a lot of weight to them, which makes the viewer actually care about what happens to them, instead of just using the movie as an excuse to zone out on some pretty eye candy.

But you really couldn't fault anyone for doing so. Del Toro is one of the most visually innovative directors out there, and Hellboy II is another gorgeous film from him. The set design, for the most part, is stunning, and the look of the characters (especially the film's grotesquely beautiful rendition of the Angel of Death) will stick with you long after the film ends. Combined with some very solid action scenes that successfully meld traditional methods with special effects, Hellboy II offers up pretty much anything one could want from a "popcorn" action movie, and is well worth checking out.

RATING: 7

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