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Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready....
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Since 1996 |
Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready....
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Hellboy II: The Golden Army Stars: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones , Luke Goss, Anna Walton, Jeffrey Tambor, and John Hurt Director/Scriptwriter: Guillermo del Toro Universal Pictures/Darkhorse Rating: PG 13 for violence and language Running Length: 105 minutes Hellboy is back for fans. Ron Perlman, under tons of red make-up and rubberized suiting, plays the hero who secretly works for the government (sound familiar?) as part of the U.S. Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. Their headquarters are underground, of course, and rather nice at that. Besides the red-skinned, tailed and horned Hellboy is his lady, Liz (Selma Blair) who fires herself up at will, and their best friend Abram, a blue fish-like man with a cultivated accent. John Hurt is here in yet another scientist-professor role. Director/scriptwriter Guillermo del Toro reigns as the creative person here, and this story continues the adventures of a group of secret crime-fighters from the first film, “Hellboy.” Our guy, Hellboy, is really a pussy cat but don’t call him certain names or he will react with a right hand the size of Delaware. Guns are massive. Jeffrey Tambor is their boss, and forever correcting them about things, but who listens? In this story, a white-faced prince (Luke Goss) wants to raise a Golden Army (statues coming to life) to help him conquer things (of course), but needs a third element which his twin sister (Anna Walton) has. She goes to Hellboy for aid and the chase is on. The prince, an expert in martial arts, has a multitude of strange creatures at his biding, but that doesn’t stop our people including a German professor who consists of smoke. The special effects guys worked overtime here and I’m wondering if this film may even be remembered at Oscar time for make-up. Each time Hellboy goes into action, it is grudgingly and with some kind of sarcastic remark. This is attitude with a capital “A.” I figure if Hellboy were to make an appearance now, the Middle East would be quiet in thirty seconds, about the time it would take him to raise his enormous gun and flex that right hand. The storyline is strictly fantasy and each time things quiet down, there is a new fantasy creature to battle. Imagine a tiny plant that grows to the size of a building in seconds, or creatures the size of butterflies that actually eat teeth (gasp, tooth fairies gone to decay.) People in Hellboy’s city either like him or don’t and this is because of the destruction in his path (think “Hancock” here). The actors must have had a great deal of fun with their characters. Hellboy is likeable and his sidekick Abram a refined gentleman. However, it is Selma Blair’s role as Liz that goes to the background, while the princess comes to the forefront. Luke Goss as the prince gives dashing and slashing new meaning. Fight sequences are great, plus everyone takes a pounding and keeps coming back. Who can ask for more? Copyright 2008 Marie Asner Submitted: 7/9/08 for 7/11/08 
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