The cast of Hellboy looks dynamically off camera in Hellboy II: The Golden Army
by Gary Sundt
Last week, Hancock came out, and I was not very kind to the whole affair. The film dressed itself up (and indeed started out) as the funny superhero movie. I wanted to like it; I really did. But the movie just ran out of fresh ideas. Hellboy II: The Golden Army, on the other hand, does not run out of fresh ideas. In fact, I can’t think of a single uninventive or inauthentic moment in this superhero flick.
The film is the latest from Guillermo del Toro, the man who gave us the everything from Cronos to Hellboy (2004) to Pan’s Labyrinth. All of his films are an exploration of the human condition through fantastical worlds and bizarre creations. While it may get slightly caught up in its action sequences, Hellboy II is a phenomenal example of what can be done in a comic book movie with a little do-diligence and imagination.
There is a whole lot of lore in these movies, so let’s run it down real fast. Hellboy (Ron Perlman) is the son of the devil (is that right?), who as a toddler was sucked into our world via Nazi hoopajoop during World War II. He was raised by the late Professor Trevor ‘Broom’ Bruttenholm (John Hurt) in the ways of fighting the things that go bump in the night in order to save humanity. All growed up, Hellboy is one of the kept secrets of the B.P.R.D. (Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense), along with his fish-man pal Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) and fire-starter girlfriend Liz Sherman (Selma Blair). The government feels that these folks should be kept a secret, and it falls to Agent Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor) to clean up the public relations mess every time somebody sneaks a photo of Hellboy and slaps it on the internet. He really hates Youtube.
While all this is happening, an ancient war is about to become the B.P.R.D.’s next assignment. See, a long time ago, a truce was struck between the humans and a mythical demon race. Mankind got the cities, and the other other guys got the forests. But we humans, with the pesky hole in our hearts that will never be filled, have built more and more, from parking lots to shopping malls. Our greed has taken its toll on the planet, and Prince Nuada (Luke Gross) of the mythical demon race is pissed. He is sort of a badass ninja prince, and effectively takes out his father the king and prepares for war with the human race. This includes making use of the dormant Golden Army, an army of indestructible mechanical behemoths that number 70×70. The only one to stand against him (and survive his dethroning process) is his twin sister, Princess Nuala (Anna Walton), who runs away in search for help.
Oh, and there is a new fellow leading the team who goes by the name of Johann Kraus (voiced by Seth McFarland). He is an ectoplasm who stays contained in a suit that would fit right in with those seen in the 1916 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. He obeys the rule-book to the letter, to the chagrin of a certain spawn of Satan.
Also of note: Liz is pregnant. Hellboy, you dog.
There… I think I got it all.
This is the kind of complex nerd lore that we expect and accept from movies like Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings. In truth, understanding such history makes it all the more fun to see these movies. It’s somewhat comforting to master something that isn’t of particular importance, especially when the characters and settings are as rich as those seen in Hellboy II. Hellboy creator Mike Mignola has provided del Toro with an endless array of remarkable things to show and tell. And del Toro is a pretty quick study himself, taking it all in and spinning the whole affair with his equally eerie and beautiful visual style.
Hellboy II one-ups its predecessor in several ways, not least of which is the handling of the ever-growing cast of characters. One of the problems with the first Hellboy was that there was not enough time devoted to developing those not Hellboy. Who was Abe Sapien? And for that matter, who was Liz? And what will they do with the new characters they are adding to the cast for the sequel? The big, red demon may be the showcase, but the screenplay by del Toro and Mignola plays it right by treating this as an ensemble piece. By the end of the flick, we know these characters and care about what happens to them.
What a consistent delight it is to see Del Toro at work. His films, while not all of them masterpieces, are wonderful to behold. Hell, I may not have liked Blade II, but it was never bad to look at. With Pan’s Labyrinth and now Hellboy II, the director has cornered the market on the new and inventive. One can only speculate what he will do with The Hobbit. You knew he was doing that, right?
I hope Hellboy gives Hancock a run for his money. Scratch that: I want a box-office spanking. Will that happen? Maybe, maybe not. Will Smith is a pretty big draw for a lot of people. But I have faith. If there is a Hellboy, there must be a hell, meaning heaven must exist, which in turn means God exists. A just God will grant Hellboy II the power to kick the crap out of Hancock.
Perhaps its a leap, but a man can dream can’t he?
