Hellboy 2: The Golden Army Review

Mike Mignola’s Hellboy From Dark Horse Comics Returns

Aug 26, 2008

Ron Perlman and Selma Blair re-unite and are joined by Luke Goss in Guillermo Del Toro's sequel.

The plot: Hellboy (Ron Perlman) is itching to ‘go public’ with his not-so-secretive existence while he and Liz Sherman (Selma Blair) hit a rocky patch in their relationship.

Meanwhile, a royal Elf by the name of Prince Nuada (Luke Goss) has seen enough of the plight inflicted on the world by humanity and seeks to gather the three components of a crown that will give him control over an ancient force known as the Golden Army - consisting of nearly five thousand mechanical warriors who are all but unstoppable.

Hellboy is recruited into the plan to stop Prince Nuada, joined by Liz, Abe Sapien (Doug Jones), and new team-leader Johann Krauss (embodied by James Dodd and voiced by Seth McFarlane). They must also recruit the aid of elven Princess Nuala (Anna Walton) who is opposed to her twin brother’s schemes to destroy mankind.

Hellboy 2 Success and Special Effects

Hellboy 2 is that oh-so-rare breed of film – a sequel that is actually superior to it’s predecessor. It is not, like 2004’s Hellboy, a ‘great’ film, but it is prettier and wittier than the original and highly enjoyable.

The special-effects are heavily reliant on good old-fashioned animatronics and make-up, with high-quality CG providing support for the more difficult set-pieces and creatures. All the characters look superb and the wide variety of other beings and monsters are indicative of Del Toro’s recent work, being imaginatively created and beautifully lit (with particular excellence on the androgynous ‘Angel of Death’ – played also by Doug Jones – which looks magnificent).

Hellboy 2 Cast

The chemistry of the cast is more evident than in the original with a script that gives them a greater scope for character interaction and humour. Besides that, it is clear that Del Toro likes to create an enjoyable atmosphere during production and it shows in the final product.

Ron Perlman is perfect as the displaced demon and is joined ably by Selma Blair’s solemn Liz. Doug Jones as Abe Sapien has a more fully-fledged role to enjoy and the introduction of Johann Krauss – whose outrageous German accent by Seth McFarlane is highly amusing – is a welcome addition.

Anna Walton’s part as Princess Nuala is forcibly limited, which is a shame because she plays it with real elegance and a great deal more might have been made of her relationship with twin brother Nuada.

Luke Goss as Prince Nuada

A special mention must go to Luke Goss. Most people across the US and Canada are probably not familiar with Bros – a sort of ‘primordial boy-band’ in the 80’s before they (boy-bands) spread like the virus they are around the world. So, naturally, when it was announced that Luke Goss of all people would be the villain in Del Toro’s enthralling Blade 2, some of us in the UK could be forgiven for an incredulous reaction (something along the lines of: the same Luke Goss? As in Bros? Oh no).

However, even more surprising was just how brilliantly Goss portrayed the tragic mutant-vampire Jared Nomak and, on that basis, all was forgiven. So when it was announced that he would return to a Del Toro film in Hellboy 2, reactions this time around were very positive.

Again, Goss brings a certain majesty to the character of Prince Nuanda, but the role perhaps needed another 10-15 minutes of screen-time to really come to life. Nuanda, unfortunately, does not compare to the superbly written and visualized part of Nomak. We will not, however, hold that against Luke Goss.

Director Guillermo Del Toro and a Hellboy Trilogy?

It’s good to see Guillermo Del Toro staying loyal to his previous work and having fun with the comic-book genre. He might’ve easily began to consider such things beneath him after making the masterpiece that is Pan’s Labyrinth and the very classy, very creepy, Devil’s Backbone.

Del Toro has stated that a third Hellboy film is a distinct possibility, with the seeds for another installment being sown into many of the sequel’s plot-points. If a third film finishes the series as well as Hellboy 2 follows-up the original, then we will have an accomplished trilogy on our hands.

The copyright of the article Hellboy 2: The Golden Army Review in Fantasy Films is owned by Michael Pantazi. Permission to republish Hellboy 2: The Golden Army Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.