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*** Official HELLBOY 2: The Golden Army Review Thread

post #1 of 12
7/11/08 at 5:05am
Thread Starter 
This thread is now the Official Review Thread for "Hellboy 2: The Golden Army". Please post all HTF member reviews in this thread.

Any other comments, links to other reviews, or discussion items will be deleted from this thread without warning!

If you need to discuss those type of issues then I have designated an Official Discussion Thread.

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post #2 of 12
7/11/08 at 8:11pm

Re: *** Official HELLBOY 2: The Golden Army Review Thread

This is my favourite movie this summer, so far. It's pitch perfect from beginning to end. It was a big improvement over the first movie, which I liked a lot. The creature effects were amazing, especially the Tooth Fairies, they were my favourites. They reminded me of the Cornish Pixies from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets but much cooler. I also loved the green Octopus like monster.

The cast was excellent. Ron Perlman is just perfect as Hellboy, I love the scene between him and Abe talking, drinking then singing the song. Abe Sapien almost steals the show. There were a few real nice character moments in the movie, including the opening sequence with a young Hellboy. Johann Krauss is a great addition, he added a lot of humour, the audience laughed a lot throughout the film, some even clapped at the end. I really liked Luke Goss as Prince Nuada, he didn't play him as an overtly evil person but as a person who felt justified in doing the things he did.

Del Toro really knows how to balance characters and story with Special Effects without the Effects over powering everything. I find his movies to be very interesting visually and Hellboy II has more creatures and Effects than any of his other films I've seen, without losing anything important. I love this movie and can't wait for the DVD.
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post #3 of 12
7/11/08 at 8:22pm

Re: *** Official HELLBOY 2: The Golden Army Review Thread

I enjoyed this film more than anything else I've seen this summer. It has heart. Del Toro imbued the whole production with fun. Great effects. Great performances. Great entertainment.
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post #4 of 12
7/11/08 at 9:19pm

Re: *** Official HELLBOY 2: The Golden Army Review Thread

Absolutely stunning movie. I laughed all the way through it, and was blown away by the production design. Abe and Johann stole the show, and the whole thing between Red and Liz was amusing and very sweet.
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post #5 of 12
7/11/08 at 9:24pm
Thread Starter 

Re: *** Official HELLBOY 2: The Golden Army Review Thread

I thought, tonally, Hellboy 2 was all over the map as it went for laughs, then action, then drama, then comedy, wash rinse, repeat, which made it have this start-stop-start-stop pacing to it that just got a little monotonous for me. Didn't much care for the antagonist Prince Nuada or his sister Princess Nuala, nor how the Golden Army's part in the story developed. Some of the interplay between Hellboy and Abe are so silly, but produce decent laughs, while Hellyboy and Liz run hot and cold, no pun intended. But I will say that Selma Blair (Liz) was smoking hot in this film (pun intended). They do introduce Johann Krauss into the BPRD, and Hellboy is not too happy about it.

Director/writer Del Toro is always money when it comes to creature and production design and world building in his films, but for some reason, there is no real cinematic passion or tension in this film, it's a rather inert piece of filmmaking. Del Toro's Hollywood films seem to feel like he's just coasting, while his native language (Spanish) films have another layer of depth to them that makes you wonder how such a talented guy can be so money in Spanish, but just slightly above average with his English language films.

Is it better than the original Hellboy, maybe by a smidge, but the film passes by briskly as a hodge-podge of super-power action/drama/comedy bits tossed into the mix.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.
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post #6 of 12
7/12/08 at 11:22am

Re: *** Official HELLBOY 2: The Golden Army Review Thread

Tremendous fun. I enjoyed it thoroughly. The Troll Market sequence was great, and I think the critic from the Wall Street Journal got it right when he said it was the best collection of creatures since we all walked into the Star Wars cantina all those years ago. I think that sequence had the same effect: It brought the audience into a full-realized world that co-existed alongside what we knew.

Great fun, as I said. Hoping for HB III.
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post #7 of 12
7/12/08 at 12:36pm

Re: *** Official HELLBOY 2: The Golden Army Review Thread

I really, really enjoyed this film. It's an embarassment of visual riches, and does not skimp on the characters either. It looks like it cost twice what the first film did. It is sumptuous and dense. From the gorgeous opening bit with the puppets (and boy is it spectacular on a small scale), through a much more realized world than the first provided, it's spectacle with heart, through and through.

It's still not quite tonally compatible with the comics (they go more ancient and fringe than freaky and modern), but it really works in the movie.

The actors are better, Selma does look much hotter, and the direction is more unrestrained. The action scenes are exceptional, the villain is worthwhile, and the film manages some decent pathos. Unlike Patrick, I felt a strong directorial hand kept the disparate tones in play throughout.

Whatever they spent on the film, it's onscreen. You certainly get your money's worth.

Can't wait to own this one. Never said that about the original (though I do own it).
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post #8 of 12
7/12/08 at 2:28pm

Re: *** Official HELLBOY 2: The Golden Army Review Thread

Saw it earlier and really liked it. Better than the first film, which had good moments but seemed a bit flat (more than half of the first film was spent hunting those Sammael demons, which have very little to do with the movie's plot and the villains seemed pretty weak). This go around feels much more assured and much more interesting - especially from a visual standpoint. Del Toro really opened up the world of the film and perhaps it's no coincidence that the movie seems like it could easily have been spun from the same world as "Pan's Labyrinth" but only guest starring the BPRD. Also, the movie has some very strong character moments and a healthy dosage of heart.
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post #9 of 12
7/12/08 at 6:59pm

Re: *** Official HELLBOY 2: The Golden Army Review Thread

I guess I'll be in the minority on this one, but I liked the first film better. The villians in number one seemed more dangerous and viler than this film.
Prince Nuada in this film was one ineffectual, useless, and boring villain.

The visuals in the film would have looked fantastic if I actually was able to see them, but the theatrical presentation that I was at was piss-poor. Everything looked dim, washed out and blurry. The sound felt like it was coming from one speaker. I actually thought I was watching a 50' TV with one speaker. I'm just about ready to pull the pin on theatrical viewings if the kind of presentation I saw is the best I can expect.

The visuals in the film are still impressive, even with the crappy presentation; however, the story just really didn't grab me. Sure, it was funny in spots and I got a few good laughs, but it just felt drab and lifeless.

After one viewing, I would rate this film as follows:
C+ for the story.
A for the visual look of the film.

I guess overall a B-.
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post #10 of 12
7/18/08 at 2:31pm

Re: *** Official HELLBOY 2: The Golden Army Review Thread

Loved it. The best assortment of creatures and monsters in any movie since Lord of the Rings. I can't wait to see what Del Toro does with The Hobbit. It will be awesome. The Troll Market scene certainly rivals the Mos Eisley cantina scene from Star Wars.
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post #11 of 12
7/18/08 at 2:38pm

Re: *** Official HELLBOY 2: The Golden Army Review Thread

Liked it, didn't love it. These tongue-in-cheek movies frustrate me. Why go to all that effort in design and effects etc and then undermine the story with cheesy jokes? It kills any sense of tension or dread.

Though I have to admit the Barry Manilow scene had me laughing in tears.

I prefer these type of movies played straight with the humour more organic to the moment. Reminds of the Men In Black movies. I can enjoy and like movies of this ilk but they'll nae make a regular tipple with me.
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post #12 of 12
7/19/08 at 8:00pm

Re: *** Official HELLBOY 2: The Golden Army Review Thread

Patrick Sun captured my view of the movie better than I can. Enjoyed it; better than the first; but herky-jerky in its story telling.
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