There are not many superhero films that feature a high level of artistic value. Even within the confines of its original film and comic book series, the character known as Hellboy has never failed to feature a wide array of unnaturally misshapen and strikingly unique characters. Now reaching among the realm of a sequel, this artistic representation has never been more prominent.
From the acclaimed director who brought us the visionary tale of “Pan’s Labyrinth,” “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” carries a highly commercial, but equally artistic perception of a unique fantasy world. Picking up within what seems to be the real-time representation of the original film, “Hellboy II” continues on with the devilishly horned and noticeably red-skinned creature that came to our planet long ago. To help us understand this friendly but powerful creature, his adoptive human father tells us he’s simply a boy who likes eating candy and watching TV.
However, acting like a child is only a small quality of this nearly indestructible character. Having been originally conceived to be the right hand of a powerful demonic spirit, Hellboy’s true purpose was to inevitably bring about the destruction of earth. By learning to harness his energy for good rather than evil, Hellboy now protects the lowly inhabitants of Earth from the ugly clutches of the underworld. By working for a secret branch of the government that investigates and protects the world from paranormal happenings, Hellboy lives mostly in secret, being perceived by the general populace as an urban legend.
The latest mission faced by Hellboy puts him up against a bedtime story about an indestructible army he heard from his human father when he was a young boy. Now, an ancient prince of the mythical world plans to once again use the technology of the Golden Army to wage war against the unworthy inhabitants of Earth. No sooner than the threat arises does Hellboy begin to contemplate his existence and acceptance among the humans.
Faced with choices that have impact on nearly every angle of the idea behind the story, Hellboy represents a character that builds into a driving force unlike most superheroes. Specifically, “Hellboy II” is everything the recent anti-superhero film “Hancock” attempted to be. With this newest sequel bringing together new ideas and visual imagination that show positive life in a long running franchise, “Hellboy” proves to us that you can be a superhero and be creative working above the monotonous normality that so many films fail to conquer.
HELLBOY II
LETTER GRADE: B
RATED: PG-13, for sequences of sci-fi action and violence and some language
STARRING: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair and Doug Jones
DIRECTOR: Guillermo Del Toro
