Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Hellboy Returns and Trades Visuals for Character Depth and Story
Jul 14, 2008
Guillermo del Toro’s Wild Spectacle
The first Hellboy was a film that seemed to come out of left field. While not a financial success per say, it was a refreshing film that introduced to many a different kind of hero. Hellboy is the son of the Devil, brought into the world by Grigori Rasputin and Nazi occultists and raised by a scientist and the U.S. military.
Guillermo del Toro brought to life this creature and his paranormal world in a way that was visually compelling yet intellectually engaging. The sarcastic and arrogant attitude of Hellboy was coupled with messages about differences and accepting loss and responsibility. When the first trailer for Hellboy II: The Golden Army was released, many lovers of the first film were quite excited.
Now that del Toro had garnered praise and financial success with the Spanish-language Pan’s Labyrinth, the brilliant writer, artist, and director would have much more freedom to take Hellboy to the next level. Sadly, something happened along the way and some of the magic and substance of Hellboy was lost. Hellboy II: The Golden Army is a visual feast replete with demonstrations of Guillermo del Toro’s genius. Unfortunately, the film feels like a complete reinvention rather than continuing the direction the first film took.
Hellboy II: The Wasted Opportunities
It is painful to even suggest that this film will disappoint some people. Films like The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth and the first Hellboy were proof positive that Guillermo del Toro can meld breath-taking effects and design with a tight and engaging story and characters.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army is brimming with some of the most amazing visuals put to screen. The Troll Market scene and the titular Golden Army are incredible. However, this time around it is very difficult to care for any of the characters. They all sadly feel flat and completely different than they were in Hellboy.
Take the hero, Hellboy. In the first he is presented as a short tempered hard living man-child. He approaches the bad guys with mockery and immense self-assurance. When things go in a way Hellboy doesn’t expect, he sarcastically states, “Oh crap.”
Behind this façade lies a tormented soul. Hellboy is constantly reminded by the outside world that he is not welcome. Hellboy even trims down his horns with a belt sander to better fit in even though he is not encouraged to show himself to the world at large. Also, Hellboy eventually loses someone very close to him and the pain from that causes him to grow.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army keeps some of the arrogance but loses a lot of the internal conflict in this humble movie watcher’s opinion. Hellboy comes off as selfish when he exposes himself to the outside world. Hellboy and Liz Sherman’s relationship, understated but meaningful in the first film, devolves into a stereotypical bickering of a new couple where Liz “wants her space” and Hellboy just thinks she’s made because the room is dirty. It’s just one example of the missed opportunities of the film. Hellboy does not grow as a character until very late in the film.
Guillermo del Toro’s Vision Run Wild
Guillermo del Toro seems to have gotten lost developing an astounding visual experience at the expense of coherent characters.But the movie is not a total loss. While the character’s are a bit brainless and the tone of the film far lighter than the first, the visual spectacle will engage and there is enough interesting going on to make the film worth seeing.
