The original Hellboy , upon it release, was a breath of fresh air, in an already crowded comic-book movie market. It was a visual achievement with great action, humour and the odd romance thrown in for good measure. At the same time it was a highly interesting and intelligent film about loss, responsibility and struggling with being different in a world that may never fully understand you. Guillermo del Toro's (Pan's Labyrinth) experience behind the lens ensured there would be at least a second installment, and sure enough, four years after his first outing, Hellboy (Ron Pearlman again) returned to cinema's in Hellboy II: The Golden Army.
The Golden Army Marches Into Theatres
In his sophomore effort we see our titular hero facing off against an ancient demon prince and his seemingly indestructible Golden Army, whilst still trying to juggle his new found public persona, his relationship with Liz Sherman, and his impending father-hood.
For centuries humans and the fantasy world have co-existed in harmony thanks to a truce created by the Elf King Balor, following the intense bloodshed in the battle between his Golden Army, and humans. Following the truce humans would keep to the cities, the creatures, to the forests. So destructive was the Golden Army that Balor took the crown that controlled them, dividing it into three pieces, one for the humans, the other two for him; thus ensuring the army would never be raised again.
Balor's son, Prince Nuada (the marvelous Luke Goss) disagreed with the truce and left in exile, until present day, where, after collecting one piece of the crown, decides he will raise the Golden Army and declare war on humans. However, he fails to bank on the interference of Hellboy and his crack team of paranormal crime-fighters.
Comparisons With The Original Hellboy
Whilst the first Hellboy film was something of an origin story, the second contains already established characters. Hellboy was, at its heart, a film about characters, specifically a big, red one. The first film showed us the origins of the character, his relationship with his mentor/father Professor Bruttenholm and his work for the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense. The film also reveals Hellboy's struggle with being different, his forced anonymity (something which is overcome by the second film), and his relationship with Liz Sherman.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army differs from the original in several ways. The characters have already been developed in the first film, so there is no need for extensive character exploration. Instead, Del Toro wisely uses subtle development of supporting characters, such as Abe Sapien, so the narrative isn't weighed down by an over-abundance of character growth. Another difference between the two films is that The Golden Army contains more spectacular action sequences, possibly due to a probable budget increase between the two films. The film is visually stunning, effects are top notch and the action set pieces are breathtaking, particularly the key scene in the Troll Market, as well as Hellboy's city based "street fight" with an Elemental.
Overall Hellboy II: The Golden Army is a worthy sucessor to it's older brother. it builds well on the foundations of the first film, presenting us with well-observered three dimensional characters, struggling to find their way in the world, whilst at the same time appeasing our hunger for action with breathtaking special effects and brutal fight scenes. Overall the film is great, harmless, comic-style entertainment, which doesn't take itself too seriously, and neither should viewers. Great fun.
Matthew Biggin - Matthew Biggin is currentIy studying a freelance writing course with an organization known as The Writer's Bureau, whereby he completes a ...
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