Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

For all the franchises like Hellraiser or Leprechaun that overstayed their welcome there are those that never got a fair shake.  The original Hellboy was an okay movie.  It had a lot of imagination and heart, in large part due to Guillermo del Toro's involvement and Ron Pearlman's love of the source material, but it was far from del Toro's best film.  It also didn't do as well at the box office as the studio had intended so, even though a sequel had been greenlit, it took four years for Hellboy II: The Golden Army to reach theaters.  

During that time Universal picked it up and CGI got better, although this still used plenty of practical effects.  Also, like many great superhero sequels, the second movie is not burdened with an origin story.  That was taken care of in the original which allows for Hellboy II to concentrate on worldbuilding and an interesting story.  It also allowed del Toro a bit more freedom to do the film his way even if the character's creator Mike Mignola didn't always approve. 

Despite efforts by Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor) to keep Hellboy (Pearlman) a secret the big red guy just likes to go out for photo ops.  He is also having difficulties with his girlfriend Liz (Selma Blair) who is constantly questioning their relationship.  Along with Abe Sapian (Doug Jones) the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense manages to keep threats to humanity in check.  However, an older enemy has arisen in the form of Prince Nuada (Luke Goss), an Elf and son of King Balor (Roy Dotrice).  Balor had once used a Golden Army against the humans and regretted it, breaking his crown into three pieces.  Nuada, angry at what humans have done to the world, seeks to reunite the three pieces and destroy them.

His sister, Princess Nuala (Anna Walton), tries to hide the last piece of the crown from her brother and eventually enlists the help of the B.P.R.D. to do so.  Due to the issues with Hellboy making frequent public appearances the organization is given over to Johann Krauss (James Dodd / Seth McFarlane), an expert on ectoplasm who, himself, happens to be a ghost in a containment suit.  Together they work to find the location of the Golden Army and once again save the world.

I always appreciate Guillermo del Toro's style and imagination and, though many of these characters were initially Mignola's, del Toro makes them his own.  Thus, although the original was a good film, Hellboy II outshines in it in every way.  The villains are better, our heroes are more relatable and Jones is used to just as great effect as Pearlman, playing not only Abe but also a mapmaker called Cathedral Head and the very Angel of Death itself.  In most instances the combination of CGI and practical effects in seamless.  

Best of all Prince Nuada is not portrayed as being completely evil.  He does lose some of his more nuanced features as the conclusion approaches but in reality he is a being who has live for thousands of years under a peace imposed by his father, watching a race that has forgotten he exists ravage his world.  

On the hero side the chemistry between Pearlman, Blair and Jones is quite palpable despite the gap between the films and Seth McFarlane gets to do something outside of his usual comfort zone even if it is just voicing Krauss.  What is unfortunate is that this ends with some major plot points left hanging as, at the time, it was expected that there would be a third movie.  Like the first Hellboy II did decent business - in truth, much better than many recent big-budget superhero films - but not good enough.  Instead, we received reboots with diminishing returns, much like many other franchises that never got a chance to complete their story. 

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

Time: 120 minutes

Starring: Ron Pearlman, Doug Jones, Selma Blair, Seth McFarlane, Luke Goss, Anna Walton

Director: Guillermo del Toro