"Hellboy 2: The Golden Army" is flashy but hardly golden. Director Guillermo del Toro's latest feature is a visual marvel, but it succumbs to the same clichés that characterize the comic book genre.
Based on the Dark Horse Comics series, this sequel catches up with Hellboy, a large, red demon played by Ron Perlman, at the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, where he is forced to live in secrecy while fighting supernatural creatures on the streets of Manhattan.
When an elfin prince intends to destroy mankind by raising the indestructible Golden Army, Hellboy, along with his girlfriend, Liz (Selma Blair), and Abe Sapien (Doug Jones), must fight alongside the prince's twin sister to save humanity.
This second theatrical installment of the Hellboy series is certainly more imaginative and coherent than its predecessor.
Whereas the first "Hellboy" seemed rambling and unfocused, "Hellboy 2" establishes its conflict early on, giving a history of the conflict between elves and humans from the beginning.
Plus, it is more visually compelling than the first movie. The first film's bland villain Rasputin has been replaced by a colorful series of wicked elves, trolls and fairies.
The stunning imagery of "Hellboy 2" owes a lot to another Guillermo del Toro film, "Pan's Labyrinth." In both films, mythical creatures take on an earthy quality, a coarseness that does not make them seem any less imaginary.
However, "Hellboy 2" might disappoint those who expect the depth of "Pan's Labyrinth." Part of the film's charm is its immature title character, and the movie is often corny with musical sequences and silly jokes.
This is not where the movie fails though. It is when the film takes itself too seriously that it flounders. After a promising beginning, it degenerates into a series of clichés culminating in a very predictable ending.
Like in most superhero movies, Hellboy is eventually faced with being ostracized from society and is tempted to join the dark side, but the film does not invest enough emotion and time into exploring his inner conflict, making this plot point seem hollow and boring.
Also, when Hellboy becomes injured, the weight of the film is suddenly put on the shoulders of the supporting characters, most of whom lack the energy and light-heartedness of the title character. In this scene especially the dialogue suffers, as unoriginal statements of grief and love suddenly replace Hellboy's usual quips. The action sequences last too long and the enemy's death is unbelievably predictable. While an improvement in the series, "Hellboy 2" eventually falls flat. Its visual creativity simply cannot compensate for the usual flaws of comic book hero films. "Hellboy 2: The Golden Army" is a heavenly spectacle, but when its devilish humor fizzles out, so does its appeal.
