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'Hellboy' Turns Out To Be A Hot Sequel

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By CHRISTY LEMIRE

The Associated Press

Published: July 10, 2008

Words don't really do justice in attempting to describe the wondrous array of misfits and monsters Guillermo del Toro has concocted in "Hellboy II: The Golden Army." Truly, his is a world you have to experience for yourself to appreciate it fully - if you dare, that is.

In following up the original "Hellboy" from 2004 and his Academy Award-winning 2006 masterpiece, "Pan's Labyrinth," the director has outdone himself in both absurd humor and wild imagination. At times, there's almost too much to take in all at once - everything from hulking trolls with thick tusks to tiny tooth fairies that look delicate but actually delight in feasting on human bones.

The visuals are the star, of course. But the sequel, which del Toro scripted from a story he co-wrote with "Hellboy" comic book creator Mike Mignola, wouldn't be nearly as much fun without Ron Perlman returning as its wisecracking, beer-guzzling, kitten-nuzzling hero.

Not only does Perlman completely get del Toro's twisted sense of humor, he thrives on it. As the film's title character - who grows from boy-devil to man-devil to reluctant, noir-style crime fighter - Perlman shows not just perfect comic timing but also an irresistible ability to laugh at himself.

This time, Hellboy and the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense must stop the power-hungry Prince Nuada (Luke Goss) from awakening a dormant army of indestructible golden soldiers. Seems all the underground creatures and the humans forged a pact long ago to keep the peace and keep the Golden Army from causing any more death and destruction between the two races. Nuada has grown tired of that and takes action - even though his twin sister, Princess Nuala (Anna Walton), has begged him to back down. (The two share a psychic bond, as so many twins do; they also share the golden tresses and alabaster skin of the 1990s hair-band duo Nelson.)

For Hellboy, though, the potential obliteration of all humankind is just one more hassle with which to deal. He would rather hang out and enjoy his cigars. Having said that, he's not exactly a shy individual, and he revels in the attention his misadventures draw from the ravenous New York tabloids.

Doug Jones returns as Abe, the turquoise-tinted fish-man with keen intuition and a taste for Vivaldi. Jeffrey Tambor again plays the jittery bureaucrat who runs the operation. And, of course, Selma Blair is back as Liz, Hellboy's (literally) fiery girlfriend.

MOVIE REVIEW

Hellboy II: The Golden Army ***

MOVIE BOARD RATING: PG-13; sequences of sci-fi action and violence and some profanity

STARS: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Jeffrey Tambor and Doug Jones

DIRECTOR: Guillermo del Toro

LOCATION: See movie times, Page 9, for local showtimes.

PLOT SUMMARY: Hellboy and his team must save the world from rebellious creatures

RUNNING TIME: 110 minutes

ON THE WEB: www.hellboymovie.com/

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