Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Del Toro, 2008) — The Reviews Thread

[scott1598]

Movie:
"Hellboy II: The Golden Army" (Starring: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Jeffrey Tambor)

Release Date:
7/11/2008

Rating:
PG-13

Rotten Tomatoes' Reviews:
Fresh:133 Rotten:18 (88% as of 7/16/08) (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hellboy_2_the_golden_army/)

Info:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0411477/

Trailer:
don't know how to imbed (http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/hellboy2thegoldenarmy/trailer2/)

Poster Art:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/scott1598/1174281.jpg

[Suprmallet]

Hellboy II: The Golden Army is unlike any depiction of Hellboy I've ever seen. Guillermo Del Toro certainly takes several liberties with the characters, which at first feels odd, given how close he stuck to the comic in the first film. Ultimately, the changes feel liberating, as Del Toro firmly brings Hellboy into his personal cinematic universe. There are scenes of breathtaking wonder in the film (the Troll Market, barely seen in the trailers, needs to be watched on the big screen), scenes of outright hilarity, and scenes of heartbreak and pain.

Given that the first film focused so much on Hellboy and his growth from man-child to man, Del Toro wisely spends a lot of his time with the supporting characters in this film. Abe (finally voiced by actor Doug Jones) and Liz in particular get fleshed out to a point that I've never seen in the comics, adding depth that will go a long way towards giving more weight to what I suspect the plot of Hellboy III will be (not that a third film is coming anytime soon, with Del Toro doing The Hobbit and its follow-up). New addition Johann, voiced by Seth MacFarlane, also adds a new dimension to the team, and it was nice to see Jeffrey Tambor back, as well.

I gave it four stars as an initial assessment, but I may end up giving it more on subsequent viewings. It doesn't feel as "heavy" as Pan's Labyrinth or even the first Hellboy, but it's certainly unique and Del Toro took the opportunity to grab the franchise by the balls. At worst, Hellboy II feels like a mix of Blade II, Hellboy, and Pan's Labyrinth, but at its best, it's a delightful new Hellboy adventure that takes the characters and the audience to places they haven't been before.

[Trevor]

Great review Daniel.

I'm thinking public polls are the way to go. I doubt that any professional reviewer with access to an early screening would give the 5 or 0 that people have given this, so they are just troll votes most likely.

[Suprmallet]

By the way, just to give an idea of how much this differs from the comics, at the screening I attended, Del Toro introduced the film by saying, "If you're looking for a panel-by-panel recreation of the comics, there's popcorn outside. You're welcome to go have some, and go fuck yourself." :lol:

Edit: He also referred to the film as a "rephrasing" of Hellboy, and I think that's a good way to put it.

[mdc3000]

Del Toro is awesome...great line! And if at worst it feels like a mix of Pan's, Blade II and Hellboy, then I'm going to love the shit out of it, because I thought all those were wicked (Blade II especially) :)

[Suprmallet]

Oh yeah, I wasn't saying the mix was a bad thing at all.

[Ram]

The movie looks awesome. Is it better than the first one?

[LivingINClip]

I am very excited and can't wait for the movie, but I'm just so confused on why Del Toro decided to stray away from the source material. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this is a bad thing, it just seems odd. Especially when the first one was so tightly connected to Mignola's creation.

[RichC2]

One of the critics stated Del Toro is known for doing a one off thing with his movies, one movie for himself, one for the studio. This is apparently very much a Del Toro movie with studio wrappings. He wanted to do his own thing with characters he liked, I can understand that.

[Suprmallet]

Well, Del Toro and Mignola collaborated on the story, and Mignola was there for the whole production. At the screening I asked what he thought and he said that he liked it, because it's more than just his vision of Hellboy. I think only the most staunch comic purists would find the film objectionable.

As for whether it's better than the first, I don't know. I preferred the pacing of the first film, but I'd need to see this one again before making that decision. I saw the first one so many times, I practically know it by heart, so I'm a little biased in that department.

Edit: In reference to the "one for the studios, one for himself" thing, Del Toro mentioned that last night, saying, "As I get older, the line between one for myself and one for the studios gets blurrier. I think this movie is for the studios and myself."

[scott1598]

Hellboy II: The Golden Army is unlike any depiction of Hellboy I've ever seen. Guillermo Del Toro certainly takes several liberties with the characters, which at first feels odd, given how close he stuck to the comic in the first film. Ultimately, the changes feel liberating, as Del Toro firmly brings Hellboy into his personal cinematic universe. There are scenes of breathtaking wonder in the film (the Troll Market, barely seen in the trailers, needs to be watched on the big screen), scenes of outright hilarity, and scenes of heartbreak and pain.

Given that the first film focused so much on Hellboy and his growth from man-child to man, Del Toro wisely spends a lot of his time with the supporting characters in this film. Abe (finally voiced by actor Doug Jones) and Liz in particular get fleshed out to a point that I've never seen in the comics, adding depth that will go a long way towards giving more weight to what I suspect the plot of Hellboy III will be (not that a third film is coming anytime soon, with Del Toro doing The Hobbit and its follow-up). New addition Johann, voiced by Seth MacFarlane, also adds a new dimension to the team, and it was nice to see Jeffrey Tambor back, as well.

I gave it four stars as an initial assessment, but I may end up giving it more on subsequent viewings. It doesn't feel as "heavy" as Pan's Labyrinth or even the first Hellboy, but it's certainly unique and Del Toro took the opportunity to grab the franchise by the balls. At worst, Hellboy II feels like a mix of Blade II, Hellboy, and Pan's Labyrinth, but at its best, it's a delightful new Hellboy adventure that takes the characters and the audience to places they haven't been before.
i really didn't have a driving urge to see this myself bc it looked really, really over-the-top compared to the first, but after seeing the first again and enjoying it more than i remember and reading this and other great reviews and being a teacher, i got time, i look forward to seeing hopefully on opening day!

[Suprmallet]

You should! I hope the film does well. I've been a Del Toro fan since Cronos, and he's a genuinely awesome guy, so I always support his films. Of course, it helps that almost all of his films are great. :)

[Zodiac_Speaking]

I'm surprised there's no midnight showings for this.

[scott1598]

I'm surprised there's no midnight showings for this.
well, it doesn't come out till next week so perhaps too early.

[Artman]

Has he mentioned anything about a DC or is this his final version?

[Suprmallet]

As far as I know this is his final version, but he didn't specifically mention it. Whereas when he was doing promotions for the first Hellboy I do remember him mentioning a few scenes that he had to cut that he wanted to put back in.

[The Bus]

By the way, just to give an idea of how much this differs from the comics, at the screening I attended, Del Toro introduced the film by saying, "If you're looking for a panel-by-panel recreation of the comics, there's popcorn outside. You're welcome to go have some, and go fuck yourself." :lol:


That's OK. I'll add Hellboy to my list of remakes (along with Jurassic Park) that I will handle when I'm a big-time director. ;)

[scott1598]

Fresh:10 Rotten:0 (100% as of 7/3/08)

[tasha99]

I am looking so forward to this. I may just go to a midnight showing next Thursday if there are any, and take a vacation day on Friday. :banana:

[Goldberg74]

One week to go... CAN'T WAIT!!!!!

[fumanstan]

It feels like i've seen the trailer a million times this summer. I'm interested, but it'll probably be a rental for me and I barely remember the first movie. Releasing this a week before Dark Knight seems to be a mistake though.

[LivingINClip]

It feels like i've seen the trailer a million times this summer. I'm interested, but it'll probably be a rental for me and I barely remember the first movie. Releasing this a week before Dark Knight seems to be a mistake though.

Seems like suicide to me. Then again, I thought releasing The Dark Knight this week would of made perfect sense. Most everyone has a three day weekend .

[mdc3000]

I think it's good timing because frankly, I'm dying for something to see... this week only gave us Hancock and I've already been there and done that... Hellboy II is going to do pretty good next weekend I think...and people who can't get into Dark Knight are probably going to opt for this one...

[Daytripper]

I'm very sad and discouraged they released "Hellboy II" just one week before "The Dark Knight". It is suicide. But, hopefully, it will do o.k. in the long run. I've been looking forward to both films. They both deserve success.

[fumanstan]

The trailer seems to have had a pretty good reaction at most theaters, so I think it'll be a solid first weekend. It's just too bad since it'll probably be forgotten quickly with the Dark Knight out.

[clemente]

It's the Del Toro Russian roulette game again....will it be mind-blowing great or just a great premise with uninspired execution.

[Mr.Briggs]

11 positive reviews at RT. 100% fresh.

[LivingINClip]

It's the Del Toro Russian roulette game again....will it be mind-blowing great or just a great premise with uninspired execution.

Which movie had a "great premise" but was "uninspired"? I have to say, I've loved every single thing that I've watched by the man.

[TomOpus]

Which movie had a "great premise" but was "uninspired"? I have to say, I've loved every single thing that I've watched by the man.Agreed. IMO, he's had a great track record.

[Seantn]

I didn't love "Mimic" (but I didn't hate it, either). That sounds like it was more an issue of studio meddling, though.

[Trevor]

I'm very sad and discouraged they released "Hellboy II" just one week before "The Dark Knight". It is suicide. But, hopefully, it will do o.k. in the long run. I've been looking forward to both films. They both deserve success.

It's tough during the summer. If they released it much earlier it would have been fighting with the Indy franchise, or the more sure-fire Marvel popcorn flicks. Almost every week of the summer there are movies released with much bigger $ potential than Hellboy, so I guess they picked a week without a bigger "blockbuster"?

[clemente]

Which movie had a "great premise" but was "uninspired"? I have to say, I've loved every single thing that I've watched by the man.

Again, this is just my personal take on the movies - I've been lucky enough to be in the room with the man a few times and he's an awesome dude, and the movies of his that have really worked for me, have REALLY worked - but Mimic, Blade 2, and Hellboy all left me feeling uninspired. As if he had all the right ingredients, but took it out of the oven a few minutes too early.

[scott1598]

11 positive reviews at RT. 100% fresh.
14/1 today @ 93%.

[Brent L]

Yeah, and that one rotten review so far is seemingly from a moron:

Del Toro's followup is infused with the creative guru's unique imaginary world blending the fantastical and frightening, but plays out less like an adventure story on steroids, than a mass murderer's wet dream.

:hscratch:

[Daytripper]

Again, this is just my personal take on the movies - I've been lucky enough to be in the room with the man a few times and he's an awesome dude, and the movies of his that have really worked for me, have REALLY worked - but Mimic, Blade 2, and Hellboy all left me feeling uninspired. As if he had all the right ingredients, but took it out of the oven a few minutes too early.

I'm with you 100% on "Mimic" and "Blade 2", but "Hellboy" was just pitch perfect to me on every level.

[scott1598]

22/2 @ 92%.

[Sessa17]

But "Hellboy" was just pitch perfect to me on every level.

Really? There are few films in the history of cinema IMO that are "picture perfect on every level".

You even though the ending was perfect? I couldn't stand the last 30 or so minutes of the film. Especially the big fight at the end with the horrid special effects. You really found that to be perfect?

I had a ton of problems with the first hellboy, but I am beyond psyched for this weekend.

[Daytripper]

Really? There are few films in the history of cinema IMO that are "picture perfect on every level".

You even though the ending was perfect? I couldn't stand the last 30 or so minutes of the film. Especially the big fight at the end with the horrid special effects. You really found that to be perfect?

I had a ton of problems with the first hellboy, but I am beyond psyched for this weekend.

(Scratches head) Horrid special effects!? I rented "Hellboy" knowing zilch about it. But I was immediately hooked. The production was stunning. The film was was funny and clever. And never dragged for a minute. All my opinion of course. I loved it so much, I bought the movie the next day. And just recently purchased a Blu-Ray player and it was the first title I bought. It's a beautiful transfer.

[scott1598]

Rotten Tomatoes' Reviews:
Fresh:40 Rotten:6 (87% as of 7/10/08) (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hellboy_2_the_golden_army/)

[Ronnie Dobbs]

Is David Hyde Pearce no longer Abe Sapien's voice?

[John_Shil]

Doug Jones, the guy in the Abe Sapien suit, is doing the voice in this one.

[chris_sc77]

It sounds like their is an abundance of CG creatures n this film. Is this true?
The only major downfall of the first film (IMO) is the CGI characters like the big thing at the end.
Also is the film really only 110 min.?

[Panda Phil]

Again, this is just my personal take on the movies - I've been lucky enough to be in the room with the man a few times and he's an awesome dude, and the movies of his that have really worked for me, have REALLY worked - but Mimic, Blade 2, and Hellboy all left me feeling uninspired. As if he had all the right ingredients, but took it out of the oven a few minutes too early.



Now just out of curiosity, are we discussing the theatrical version? Del Toro obviously agreed, resulting in the directors cut dvd. It's the only version of Hellboy I've seen and I quite enjoyed it.

[RichC2]

It sounds like their is an abundance of CG creatures n this film. Is this true?
The only major downfall of the first film (IMO) is the CGI characters like the big thing at the end.
Also is the film really only 110 min.?

I've heard conflicting reports on the CGI characters in Hellboy 2, the ones that are there are apparently gorgeously designed and excuted.

I hope it's 110 minutes, a huge failing point for me with Hellboy is that it outstayed its welcome.

[GIjon213]

Going to see this at 10am tomorrow. I, for one, can't wait. I was a huge fan of the original, and this sequel looks like a lot of fun. I agree with it shouldn't have been released so close to the TDK, though.

[tasha99]

I'm going to the midnight showing tonight. (Yes, I know that makes me a huge geek) :banana:

[Catch 21]

There is nothing after the credits.

[slop101]

One of the more positve reviews (http://www.filmfreakcentral.net/screenreviews/hellboyii.htm) also happens to be one of the more insightful, better-written ones too.

[An4h0ny]

this person didn't like it

http://www.the-tempest.net/post/1/40

[RichC2]

some of these people liked it, some didn't:

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hellboy_2_the_golden_army/

[UncleGramps]

I'm excited to see this over the weekend, even though it's only 110 minutes. Assuming an $8.50 ticket price, that's almost 8 cents per minute, which is just too much. If only they had added another 10 minutes. :(

[RichC2]

I know! I mean look at Citizen Kane, it's 119 minutes long, if it were a minute longer somebody out there MIGHT.. might consider it a masterpiece.

Casablanca was similarly 18 minutes away from potential masterpiece.

[Mordred]

:4star:

I liked it a lot but didn't love it. At times it felt a little disjointed and edited strangely, almost like it was moving too fast, particularly at the beginning. There's some brilliant stuff in here though and the creature designs are fantastic. I wasn't a big fan of the professor and I actually preferred David Hyde Pierce's voice... he's just smarter sounding. Good for Doug Jones though, he seems like a great guy. I really hope they do a HBIII. It would be a shame to leave things off like this.

Anyone who's a big fan of the comics care to say how this diverged from Mignola's version?

[Zodiac_Speaking]

I liked it a lot, much like the first one. Characters were better here, no Myers (yay!), but the opening prologue was just too silly to me. GdT could've left this off and the film would've been better for it. "The kid" was too silly looking to take seriously.

I also felt GdT infused too much of his ideas into the film. It's fine, he's extremely imaginative but it felt like something was lost in translation. It also felt at times like GdT was using this at a steping stage for the "Hobbit".

Still a fun film. Recommended.

Grade: B

[Seantn]

I'm excited to see this over the weekend, even though it's only 110 minutes. Assuming an $8.50 ticket price, that's almost 8 cents per minute, which is just too much. If only they had added another 10 minutes. :(

It's NOT 2 hours? FUCK THIS MOVIE! :(

[tasha99]

I liked it a lot, much like the first one. Characters were better here, no Myers (yay!), but the opening prologue was just too silly to me. GdT could've left this off and the film would've been better for it. "The kid" was too silly looking to take seriously.

I also felt GdT infused too much of his ideas into the film. It's fine, he's extremely imaginative but it felt like something was lost in translation. It also felt at times like GdT was using this at a steping stage for the "Hobbit".

Still a fun film. Recommended.

Grade: B

I agree about the kid. I didn't pay enough attention to the dates, and maybe HB would age and mature differently both mentally and physically from a human. He was just so "aw shucks" naive and cute and acted like he was 5, when he looked closer to 12.

I really enjoyed the movie and was never, ever bored (I tend to watch my clock during many movies). I thought the creatures were fantabulous. I did wish for bit more plot, however, and perhaps a more complex, sympathetic villain. I also wish they'd addressed how the Golden Army would fare against modern weapons.

I'd give it a 4 out of 5 and will almost surely buy the dvd.

[UncleGramps]

Anyone who's a big fan of the comics care to say how this diverged from Mignola's version?
I've only dabbled in the Hellboy comics, but I thought I had read somewhere that this movie is fairly far removed from the comics. Supposedly del Toro took more liberties this time around, and apparently Mignola appreciated it since it wasn't just a direct translation of his comic book stories.

[maingon]

I liked it but I got to agree with the one who said it felt disjointed. It felt kind of like a mess. Felt like he was trying to cram too much into one movie. The finale was some what of a let down considering the movie is called "The Golden Army" The Giant Plant being was pretty cool but the end of the battle felt alittle out of place. The other thing that felt very odd and looked alittle wierd was seeing Hellboy as a 10 year old or so. Looked very weird. Also Movie lacks a villian compared to the first one. The first one I think is a superior movie.

There was alot of amazing stuff in this, The creatures are amazing looking and there are tons of them. The designs are amazing. All of them feel original and alive. Some really funny scenes. Including the scene with Hellboy and the "Lockers", Theater cracked up during that scene. The visual effects are top notch. There are some really fun action scenes. I really liked the guy they brought in from the goverment.

Still its a fun movie, but felt like it wasnt focused and the villian was pretty weak, didnt care for him or the princess. the opening prolouge with the kid hellboy isnt done very well and the story sequence feels out of place..Theres Not much of a story here. But some awesome creatures and some great scenes its still worth seeing, Not as good as the original though

7.5/10

[Brack]

I thought it was a lot better than the first movie, and I really liked that one. The visuals are amazing, the story was tight, cool action, and very funny dialogue. I thought the story moved along at a good pace. A fun summer movie (the first one should've been released in the summer as well).

9.5/10

[Daytripper]

I thought it was a lot better than the first movie, and I really liked that one. The visuals are amazing, the story was tight, cool action, and very funny dialogue. I thought the story moved along at a good pace. A fun summer movie (the first one should've been released in the summer as well).

9.5/10

Wow! I can't go until tomorrow morning. How would you rate the first film?

[GIjon213]

After seeing this movie this morning, I came away a little disappointed. As has been said before, the movie was held together by spiffy CGI shots rather then dialog. Though the story had potential, the injected humor that was so often used was, in my opinion, poorly placed. I couldn't help but think that this film most reminded me of MIB2 or Evan Almighty; a comedic sequel that paled in comparison to it's predecessor.

With that said, several scenes were nothing short of mesmerizing. The detail of the set is such that I am sure something new will be seen even after several viewings.

Overall, I would say this was a fun film, but it could have been much more with only a few refinements. The few plot holes not withstanding, I was pleased how they opened up the door for a third one without detracting from the currently movie. Plus, just FYI,
you can be the proud owner of the "Big Baby" shotgun! (http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=SSC10601&mode=retail&picture=out)

[mdc3000]

I thought it was awesome and better than the first but didn't like young Hellboy - it seemed either his lines were dubbed badly or that kid just sucked... and I thought a lot of the emotional beats were just a rehashed reversal from the first film...but the action, comedy and creatures topped the first one, so I had a blast anyhow, despite my small quibbles...and I thought the ending was great.

[Brack]

Wow! I can't go until tomorrow morning. How would you rate the first film?

maybe an 8.0. I've only seen the original once, in theaters, so that's off memory from four years ago (I can't believe I've only seen it once). though I'm a pretty "easy" critic, in that I thought the film achieved what it set out to do, and I felt involved with the movie the whole time. In comparison to the original, it's visually superior, and a better villain (I can't even remember who the villain was in the last movie, I suck), though I really liked that sand dude from the first movie.

[chris_sc77]

I was disappointed as well. I think the first film is great but this one didnt really do it for me. 3 stars. (I'd gve the first one 4.5 stars at least.
Things I liked: Hellboy/Liz stuff, creatures in costumes (Nuada, Nuala, Angel of Death), action sequences between real people.
Things I didnt like: Absense of Myers, Big CGI monsters (The Golden Army, the big plant thing and rock thing: just a waste of time and money. It seriously takes like a minute each time these things are introduced to establish how big and fake they look and it was so pointless.), little Hellboy , Orange fire Liz (Blue fire was much cooler and sexier), not enough character moments in first half of film where the team is just talking or whatever, lack of scenes that have any real dramatic weight (the first film had quite a few of these moments: the Hellboy/Liz stuff was much better in the first film and no real John Hurt stuff I found weak as well.)

So, overall I wish del Toro wasnt given the budget he was given and used a lot less cgi and much more practical effects and a much more realistic story.

[RocShemp]

I really enjoyed this film (I had a blast from start to finish) but I'm not sure if I enjoyed it more than the first. I'm gonna have to see it again.

I was upset by the absense of Myers and didn't like how they explain his absence either. After the first film, I expected him to take on a Prof. Broom role. And, although Jeffrey Tambor is great in this, Manning is very poorly written. At first it seems as if they're picking up from the semi-friendship he and Hellboy developed at the end of the first film but then they totally backpedal on that (just look at the ending).

Still, it's worth watching as it's a whole lot of fun.

[Son of Odin]

very good film. better than the original, even the overwhelming majority of the major film critics agree with that assessment. Guillermo is a master of art direction, settings, and designing. his creatures and settings put to shame anything lucas or spielberg ever did. back to the movie. i know guillermo said recently after the hobbit films he wants to do a third hellboy. that's cool, I hope strausse returns, he was an excellent addition. I don't see this as a comic book movie, but more of a sci-fi creature movie with a badda$$ demon as the hero. which is very good. perlman is sooo underrated. i give it 8.5 of 10. this summer has been the best summer of movies i have witnessed in over 30 years. the action movies have all delivered. one big one left. I would love guillermo to return to the Blade franchise, his sequel was easily the best one.

[Patman]

I thought, tonally, Hellboy 2 was all over the map as it went for laughs, then action, then drama, then comedy, wash rinse, repeat, which made it have this start-stop-start-stop pacing to it that just got a little monotonous for me. Didn't much care for the antagonist Prince Nuada or his sister Princess Nuala, nor how the Golden Army's part in the story developed. Some of the interplay between Hellboy and Abe are so silly, but produce decent laughs, while Hellyboy and Liz run hot and cold, no pun intended. But I will say that Selma Blair (Liz) was smoking hot in this film (pun intended). They do introduce Johann Krauss into the BPRD, and Hellboy is not too happy about it.

Director/writer Del Toro is always money when it comes to creature and production design and world building in his films, but for some reason, there is no real cinematic passion or tension in this film, it's a rather inert piece of filmmaking. Del Toro's Hollywood films seem to feel like he's just coasting, while his native language (Spanish) films have another layer of depth to them that makes you wonder how such a talented guy can be so money in Spanish, but just slightly above average with his English language films.

Is it better than the original Hellboy, maybe by a smidge, but the film passes by briskly as a hodge-podge of super-power action/drama/comedy bits tossed into the mix.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

[Patman]

BTW, how did Hellboy 2 end up at Universal when Hellboy was a Sony/Columbia release?

[Cardiac161]

BTW, how did Hellboy 2 end up at Universal when Hellboy was a Sony/Columbia release?

Sony placed the rights up for sale since they didn't feel confident of Hellboy being a successful franchise. It was Universal that bought it right away.

[Rizor]

Sony didn't want to make it. Universal saw some potential. Don't know exactly what went down. Maybe Universal bought the sequel rights from Sony or the rights lapsed and Universal picked 'em up.

EDIT: Looks like someone answered the question better than I could. :)

[Son of Odin]

The movie did need more liz using her powers though, why does she bother with the handgun. she didn't do nothing against the golden army. she could've cut loose. my only nitpick for an otherwise well made summer movie. guillermo's hellboy 2 should win an oscar for best art direction. maybe even costume and makeup.

[kstublen]

Just got back from seeing the movie. I saw the original Hellboy on opening day four years ago, just out of a morbid curiosity as to what the movie was about. I had never heard of the comics and honestly thought it was going to be a joke of a movie. Boy was I wrong. Since then I have become a devout Hellboy and B.P.R.D. fan and have started accumulating the works of Mignola.

I loved the first movie and have seen it many times since, even watched it yesterday in preparation for tonight.

I thought this was a very good movie, and I think I enjoyed it as much as, if not more than, the original. I thought it was a very visual movie, and found the character designs and scenes to be spectacular; I expected nothing less from del Toro.

Things I liked:

-Myers being gone
-The introduction of Johann Krauss
-Seth McFarlane providing the voice of Johann Krauss
-The developments in Liz and Hellboy's relationship
-Loved the "Tooth Faries"
-The Troll Market was awesome
-Hellboy vs. Mr. Wink
-Prince Nuada fighting all the guards in the beginning
-The humour was spot on for me
-The fight with the "Forest God" and the moral decision Hellboy had to make
-Continued themes of whether or not Hellboy can belong

Things I disliked:

-The explanation of why Myers is gone
-David Hyde Pierce not voicing Abe Sapien (Although I was already used to Doug Jones' voice* as he voiced Abe in Hellboy Animated)
-Childhood Hellboy was a little too goofy with the buck teeth
-The resolution, insofar as Prince Nuada and Princess Nuala are concerned, in general disappointed me a little, but it did make sense and I don't see any other way it could have ended
-I really disliked what happened with the B.P.R.D. at the end
-Prince Nuada not living up to his potential as a villain

Overall, I really liked this movie a lot, and felt it was indeed worth the wait. It lived up to the original and improved and expanded upon the ideas and themes that were brought up in the first movie. I hope we can have at least one, if not a few more Hellboy films. It would be nice to see Roger the Homunculus and/or Captain Daimio introduced. Kate Corrigan appeared in one of the Hellboy Animated films, and I wouldn't mind her appearing on the big screen as well. And I heard talk that del Toro would have liked to have Lobster Johnson in this film, but that he and Mignola wanted to keep in line with his origins so did not ultimately include. Maybe he'll pop up in the third film, but if not it'll be nice to see him in the next Hellboy Animated feature.

I am just disappointed that we'll have to wait through two Hobbit movies for another Hellboy film, let alone another anything by del Toro.

*I thought Jones was good, don't get me wrong, but Pierce's voice brought a superior intellect to the role

[dogmatica]

My wife's a big Pan's Labyrinth fan and I enjoyed Hellboy, so I picked up the $9 3-disc edition at Wal-Mart and we watched it on Thursday. She dug it enough to say yeah, let's see Hellboy II tonight. We both dug it quite a bit. Funny, great mix of computer and practical effects, brilliant creatures, and more realistic fighting (less big punching and body flying, more ho, ha-ha, guard, turn, perry, dodge, spin, ha, thrust).

The really bad adult woman playing young Hellboy's voice at the beginning was terrible, almost as bad as the adult woman playing the Maharaja in Temple of Doom.

[DJariya]

Sony placed the rights up for sale since they didn't feel confident of Hellboy being a successful franchise. It was Universal that bought it right away.

Actually the 1st film was produced by Revolution Studios, which shut down last year. Hence, that probably explains why the rights to the sequel went to Universal.

[Artman]

Enjoyable, but not as good as the first. It basically just felt like everyone was on set having a good time... there's really no narrative drive to it imo. Probably most disappointed in the inconsistency from the first (music, abe's voice, liz's flame color, etc). Cool creatures and stuff, and I'll watch it again on BD...

It's a good warm-up for TDK.

[kstublen]

I've seen a few people post about Liz's flame colour. Perhaps I am looking too much into it, but I do not believe an error has taken place. Rather than inconsistency, I think it can be explained with relative ease, and some basic science.

In the first Hellboy movie Liz cannot control her powers. Whether intentional or otherwise, whenever her powers are unleashed they quickly spiral out of control and cause a wake of destruction. In this case, the hotter (temperature) blue flame is used.

In Hellboy II we are presented with a Liz that has a better understanding and indeed better control of her powers. She can consciously control the flames now, and in this movie she didn't need to unleash the full fury of her power, because the cooler (temperature) flame was sufficient.

[RD1973]

I just got back from watching Hellboy II. The opening scene with the young Hellboy was terrible. Also, the villain was a joke. I kept wishing he would stop doing martial arts tricks and do something...EVIL.

I liked everything else though. Especially Johann Krauss, my favorite character in the movie. However, just like the first Hellboy, I liked this one but I didnt love it. They both leave me a bit cold for some reason.

[freshticles]

I loved it. Thank god David Hyde Pierce's shitty Niles voice was gone. That majorly took me out of Abe's character in the first film. Doug Jones did an amazing job and I'm still trying to figure out why he didn't voice his own character in the first place. Thank god Myers was gone. He wore out his welcome after he was used as a way to introduce the more interesting characters in the first movie. I agree this film seemed a little disjointed in spots, but I'm sure it will all come together with the inevitable Director's cut DVD. One of the more enjoyable films I've seen this year.

[Patman]

For some reason, Doug Jones's performance as Abe reminded me of C3P0.

[Goldberg74]

Abe and HB getting drunk on Mexican beer and singing Barry Manilow songs is worth the price of admission.

Fun movie from start to finish. More of a comic book than the first one.

Hellboy I - 4.5/5
Hellboy II - 4/5

I would welcome HBIII... whenever we can get it.

[Giles]

The movie looks awesome. Is it better than the first one?


I have to say I wasn't all that impressed with the first film, but this one was fun and didn't drag.

[Daytripper]

Just got back from seeing it. 10:00 AM show and my theater was near full. I loved it, it was a lot of fun. But I have to say I loved the first one more. And here's why. I've watched the first one so many times and feel it just gets better with each viewing. I think it's the perfect comic book film and quite possibly my favorite. This had ten times more action and effects, and sometime I felt maybe it was just too "busy". And I kept thinking "HOW is Del Toro going to top THIS if he does another!?". But it's still one of the best movies this summer. I'd give the first "Hellboy" a 10/10 rating and "II" a 9/10. But who knows, that could go up once I buy it and watch regularly like the first one. Which I rated a little lower the first time I saw it. This will be amazing on Blu-Ray.

[scott1598]

well, like many have already said "disjointed" seems the word most appropriate. i had fun going towards the finale, but getting there was not quite as pleasant.

the constant comedy bits and drunken stupor debacle really seemes misplaced. not to mention "Hellchild" scene.

the characters kept wavering in mentality and i remember in "Hellboy", father mentioned that after his death HB would stop being comical and had matured. here- i didn't see any of that. it was smart ass comment here, comedic dialogue there. and i really did miss David Hyde Pierce's voice on Abe.

and when did Liz become this kick-ass FBI agent, holding the flashlight and gun like a pro? and then when HB wants to talk and apologize to Liz in the middle of the investigation at the auction house and Liz stops him and says not now, but then wants to tell him of all thingsshe is pregnant in the middle of the Troll town investigation just didn't make sense.

i just couldn't buy into the over indulgence GdT took with this one. of course the spectacle was awe-inspiring, but characters and storyy was just flat and certainly not as epic as the first.

i had 3/5 fun and makes me look forward to TDK even more!!

[Son of Odin]

I just got back from watching Hellboy II. The opening scene with the young Hellboy was terrible. Also, the villain was a joke. I kept wishing he would stop doing martial arts tricks and do something...EVIL.

I liked everything else though. Especially Johann Krauss, my favorite character in the movie. However, just like the first Hellboy, I liked this one but I didnt love it. They both leave me a bit cold for some reason.

He wasn't supposed to be an "evil" villain. didn't you get the story?
Prince Nuada was just tired of his race getting the shaft, and they were. the humans didn't deserve the planet anymore. his methods might've been a little wrong, but his heart was in the right place. even hellboy saw that in him. I don't like villains that are just evil without knowing why they are. I thought luke goss played that role pretty good. just like his nomak role in blade 2.

[bunkaroo]

ave it 4 out 5. Very enjoyable - definitely liked it more than HB1.

Question:

I just watched HB1 last night. On the establishing shot of the bureau HQ in HB1, doesn't it say Newark? Because in HB2 it says Trenton.

[Boba Fett]

I loved it. Thank god David Hyde Pierce's shitty Niles voice was gone. That majorly took me out of Abe's character in the first film. Doug Jones did an amazing job and I'm still trying to figure out why he didn't voice his own character in the first place. Thank god Myers was gone. He wore out his welcome after he was used as a way to introduce the more interesting characters in the first movie. I agree this film seemed a little disjointed in spots, but I'm sure it will all come together with the inevitable Director's cut DVD. One of the more enjoyable films I've seen this year.
David Hyde Pierce was used because he was a big name and the execs thought they could use him for promotions.

He ended up refusing to do interviews or appearances because he felt Jones was the real star, just from his physical performance.

[majorjoe23]

I enjoyed it, but two things bothered me.

First
There wasn't really any kind of follow-up on Abe's betrayal. Hellboy said something like "We need to talk about this later, but it seemed like a pretty big thing to be left unresolved

Second
Everyone quitting the B.P.R.D. seemed kind of out of nowhere. It seemed like that could have been fleshed out a bit more

[slop101]

I really liked it, save for two things:
"Kid"-Hellboy at the begining
&
the "quitting" scene right after they walk out of the cave

Besides those, it was a thoughtful and beautiful piece of pop entertainment, and far better than the first film.

[RD1973]

He wasn't supposed to be an "evil" villain. didn't you get the story?
Prince Nuada was just tired of his race getting the shaft, and they were. the humans didn't deserve the planet anymore. his methods might've been a little wrong, but his heart was in the right place. even hellboy saw that in him. I don't like villains that are just evil without knowing why they are. I thought luke goss played that role pretty good. just like his nomak role in blade 2.


To me, the villain is the character in the movie you hate and want to see defeated. If you identified with the prince more than with the humans, isn't he actually the hero from your point of view? I'm sick of "misunderstood" villains (Sandman comes to mind). Also, he wasn't menacing to me in any way.

Bring on the Joker!

[Brack]

I enjoyed it, but two things bothered me.

First
There wasn't really any kind of follow-up on Abe's betrayal. Hellboy said something like "We need to talk about this later, but it seemed like a pretty big thing to be left unresolved

Second
Everyone quitting the B.P.R.D. seemed kind of out of nowhere. It seemed like that could have been fleshed out a bit more

Abe said (paraphrasing) "You'd do the same for Liz." I thought that was explanation enough.

yeah, I got why Hellboy and Liz quit, but not the others.

[Suprmallet]

To me, the villain is the character in the movie you hate and want to see defeated. If you identified with the prince more than with the humans, isn't he actually the hero from your point of view?

Some villains work better as the embodiment of pure evil. Others work better as more complex creations. Many of the best villains come from a place where they believe that what they're doing is just and correct. Rasputin from the first Hellboy thinks the world will be a better place when it's remade by his masters. I think Prince Nuada is just more sympathetic in that he's not trying to destroy everything, he's just trying to preserve his way of life.

I'm sick of "misunderstood" villains (Sandman comes to mind). Also, he wasn't menacing to me in any way.

The Sandman wasn't misunderstood. He was just poorly written, as was much of Spider-Man 3.

[Giantrobo]

I liked it. I really enjoyed the Funny parts and to be honest, I felt that they could've edited out some of the big battles and added more humor/Character(BPRD) stuff. I mean how can you not love these characters? I didn't even care about the Prince and his "issues".

I also don't get the hate for the first several minutes of the film. I thought everything was cool, and the young Hellboy was hilarious.

[Giantrobo]

Thank god David Hyde Pierce's shitty Niles voice was gone. That majorly took me out of Abe's character in the first film. Doug Jones did an amazing job and I'm still trying to figure out why he didn't voice his own character in the first place.


The funny thing is in HB2 Abe was acting just like Niles Crane in many many ways. :lol: I thought Jones did a great job and so did DHP in HB1.

[mhg83]

I get to see this movie in two more hours :banana:

[asianxcore]

Saw this movie this past Friday with my girlfriend.

I really liked it. I also had high expectations for it seeing that I loved the first movie, I'm a fan of the comic series and Del Toro is one of my favorite directors.

My only gripes with it were what everyone already mentioned. The opening scene with "kid" Hellboy was pretty lame and would've been the same movie without. The resolution was also kind of "meh". I really enjoyed the last fight but it felt like the whole thing ended abruptly.

The story was enjoyable but even as an "original" Hellboy story it felt like I've seen it before in another form.

I will be seeing it again since I got Hellboy II movie cash with my copy of the Xbox 360 game :)

[mhg83]

Just got back from seeing this movie. The opening scene was pretty unnecessary to the plot.

But that was my only problem with the movie. The rest just kicked all forms of ass. My dad made a comment that it should be an R-rated film. I completely disagree with that. The only thing that would change would be more gory stuff and language. That would just feel out of place for this kind of movie.

I rate this movie :4star: it would've been a five star if they had just taken out the lame opening.

[Suprmallet]

I think people complaining about the opening aren't big fans of the comics. I thought it was a great homage to Hellboy Jr. I kept waiting for him to ask for "Pamcakes." :lol:

[Brack]

I don't understand the hate of kid Hellboy either. Based on how the character acts when he's not pining over Liz or fighting bad guys/doing work stuff, doesn't he act like a big kid?

[Giantrobo]

Plus this Hellboy series has a lot of heart, and showing more of the loving relationship between Hellboy and Father was great. I get that people may not want to see that kinda stuff in a Comic book movie.

I get that people want "Hellboy SMASH!!!". :lol: But that kinda Character stuff works for this series.

[FinkPish]

I saw this today and liked it. It did feel a little cluttered and over-caffeinated, like GDT had so many ideas that he wanted to fit into this movie, so they all made it in. I didn't miss Myers at all; he was a good character for a first movie, but I always felt like his inclusion in the just was the easiest way to introduce the audience to the universe without a lot of hamfisted exposition. Without him though, it's really hard to make human connections with non-human characters, but there were several scenes that worked really well, especially the HB and Abe drinking scene. Visually, it was amazing, almost overwhelming. I really hope there is a detailed look at the Troll Market on the DVD; it was too bad they had to chase through there, I would have liked to have spent much more time looking around.

[Indy Jones Fan]

Why was Abe able to spend so much time without his breathing device in this one? They made a big joke about people thinking it was a toilet seat and then he spent most of the time without it after that. I seem to remember in the first movie he had to wear it whenever he was out of his tank.

[kstublen]

I didn't mind that they had Hellboy as a child, I just think the kid they got wasn't good.

Just got back from seeing this movie. The opening scene was pretty unnecessary to the plot.

The opening was integral to the plot.

It set the stage for the entire movie. It gave background on the Golden Army, and Prince Nuada and his family, the promise with mankind, etc. And also, had Hellboy not been told that story he wouldn't have known to object to Prince Nuada's kingship.

Why was Abe able to spend so much time without his breathing device in this one? They made a big joke about people thinking it was a toilet seat and then he spent most of the time without it after that. I seem to remember in the first movie he had to wear it whenever he was out of his tank.

In the comic book Abe never had a breathing apparatus. In the movie I believe he just needs it for extended periods out of the water or at times where he is going to significantly exert himself. If that is indeed the case, a small amount of time spent out of the water in B.P.R.D. headquarters (where his tank and water are readily available should he need it) wouldn't be a problem.

[mhg83]

I didn't mind that they had Hellboy as a child, I just think the kid they got wasn't good.



The opening was integral to the plot.

It set the stage for the entire movie. It gave background on the Golden Army, and Prince Nuada and his family, the promise with mankind, etc. And also, had Hellboy not been told that story he wouldn't have known to object to Prince Nuada's kingship.

yeah but it could've been done through voice over instead. And hellboy would've just mentioned he heard about Prince Nuanda at a certain point.

[Vipper II]

yeah but it could've been done through voice over instead. And hellboy would've just mentioned he heard about Prince Nuanda at a certain point.

But it was cool to see it.

[RichC2]

The Hell"boy" didn't bother me at all.

Movie meandered a lot, which actually did bug me a little, but was still an entertaining flick for the most part. Didn't care for the actual plot it's wrapped around but with the kind of imagination and characters in the movie, it was a lesser issue.

So yes, I just complained about plot progression in a plot I didn't like.

There was a good amount of sappiness, but the movie establishes that quickly and keeps it consistent. The forest god looked like it was ripped right out of Princess Mononoke (a GDT live action remake of that would be mind bottling). Loved the tooth fairies. 3 out of 4 for me.

[Peep]

I liked the Hellboy part because it gave us a chance to see more of Father.

[Dr Mabuse]

i just saw it...

i wasn't impressed and i wanted to be... i like the first movie a lot more... this wasn't terrible or anything, but it just felt flat... i was never really involved or 'pulled in'... even the "oh crap" lines didn't have any feel to them...

my favorite character was the prince, he delivered the best lines in the film and he had the most depth... and i liked his displays of what a bad ass he was with the lance...

it was entertaining, but not nearly the film i had hoped for, nor the film i expected after seeing so many glowing reviews...

[FinkPish]

I have to add something else here, and unfortunately it's a complaint. I think the score was the most distracting thing about the movie. It was too loud, too present and generally too big and obnoxious. When I looked it up, I was surprised to find that Danny Elfman wrote the score. I know he's known for doing big bombastic stuff, but this didn't feel like his style of writing at all. There were so many moments that took me out of the movie. Stuff that just seemed either too on the nose, with a big dramatic flourish as Hellboy walks on screen, or cloying emotional, with the piano tripping over itself to make sure we understand how deep and stirring this scene should be. So much I wanted the music to just stop once in a while so a scene could play out on its own. I wouldn't be surprised if it was someone ghost writing for him, since he also did Wanted this summer. If it was him, then what the hell happened?

[tasha99]

I'm going again this week, but did anyone understand why they went on to give Prince Nuada the crown piece -after- the lance tip was removed from Hellboy? If it had been me, I'd have just picked up my marbles and gone home at that point.

[FinkPish]

I'm going again this week, but did anyone understand why they went on to give Prince Nuada the crown piece -after- the lance tip was removed from Hellboy? If it had been me, I'd have just picked up my marbles and gone home at that point.
There were several things that didn't make a lot of sense like that. I guess they were still going after him to rescue the princess, but they didn't know that Abe had the last piece with him.

[bee_01]

Enjoyed it a lot.

So, will del Toro bring Luke Goss back for a role in The Hobbit? He was great in this and Blade 2.

[Giantrobo]

I guess they were still going after him to rescue the princess, but they didn't know that Abe had the last piece with him.

Right.



That's pretty much it. It wasn't "they", it was Abe. He hid the fact that he found the crown piece because of his feelings for the Princess. Remember that the Prince used Abe's feelings for her and his friends as a reason for the piece to be found and returned to him.

[toddly6666]

I thought Hellboy 2 was as equally entertaining as Hellboy 1

I liked:
1. MR. WINK
2. KRAUS
3. ABE and the PRINCESS
4. THE PRINCE

I didn't like:
1. Hellboy Jr. was just creepy out of place
2. Action was too sped up

[Shilex]

Ok, just saw it and I'm leaning towards "I liked it". :thumbsup: There are some issues I have with it though.

I watched the first Hellboy right before I saw Hellboy 2, and I really enjoyed David Hyde Pierce's voice and Jones' performance in the first. However, the character felt different this time around. My girlfriend noted that it felt more like a guy in a suit this time, whereas the first time around he felt more legitimate. Like someone said earlier, he seemed like C3PO (comic relief). In the first, he was an intelligent serious character and now he's a bumbling cartoon.

I really loved that mini animated story about the Golden Army, but- like everyone else - hated seeing a Hellboy child. The plot and set pieces felt all over-the-place. The movie couldn't find a pulse. Some moments and character actions would take you right out of this interesting world Del Toro created. I compare it to the Spider-Man 2 "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head" musical sequence. Moments I'm not sure how to take (Hellboy singing w/ Abe, I'm a tumor, the German mechanical man/mist, Hellboy & Liz's relationship).

I'm thinking this movie may require multiple viewings for me to truly appreciate. Overall though, the creatures that Del Toro came up with really made the movie. Even though it felt disjointed with the human world & fantasy underworld, it's still an interesting universe. One that I feel demands more explanation and exploration.

[asianxcore]

I think people complaining about the opening aren't big fans of the comics. I thought it was a great homage to Hellboy Jr. I kept waiting for him to ask for "Pamcakes." :lol:

I'm a big fan of the comics. I think what I had a problem with was what the character looked like.

Though it would look even more odd making him look like he did in the comics, I just didn't like what they did with the final result for the film.

**Example for anyone curious**
http://www.brandonbird.com/photos/pancakes.jpg

[KillerCannibal]

Saw it last night and LOVED it. Del Toro has such a vivid imagination it's unreal. The entire feel transports you into this incredible fantasy universe - I never wanted to leave. If I had any complaint at all it would be that the film feels too short. I wanted to expand many of the scenes to get a better understanding of some of the characters and subplots. There is a lot going on here, but it's all pretty easy to follow if you're well-versed in fantasy epics. JSP might have a hard time keeping up, but the entertainment factor alone will keep most people who get lost from becoming bored. I want to see it again. 4.5/5

[Giles]

someone remind me what's up with all the cats.

[badlieut]

someone remind me what's up with all the cats.

I think this was a creation of the film but keeping w/i the eccentricities of Hellboy (baby ruths, pamcakes). But, if you remember in the first film, he fights Sammael while rescueing a box of kittens in the subway station and he just has cats running around the room.

[freshticles]

I really don't get all the hate for the young Hellboy. I thought he was cool. The kid was obviously hopped up on sugar or cocaine (more than likely due to the hours of makeup he had to go through), and I thought the way he played it out was a little creepy and unsettling, which in my mind, is more memorable than if it was played straight and boring. At least it looks like he had fun in the makeup.

[mdc3000]

someone remind me what's up with all the cats.

Hellboy loves cats. No reason is given as to why, he just does.

[superdeluxe]

Man Abe got kind of screwed, didn't he.

[Trevor]

Saw it last night. Enjoyed it overall, C+, maybe B- -.

Didn't really break new ground, so I'm not sure how anyone could like this one more than the first.

And I agree with many of the above complaints. Much of the humor was out of place, the intro scene was pointless, etc.

[achau9598]

Perhaps the Hellboy Jr. scene would have been better if the boy didn't look like a puppet forcing his mouth to move. It also seemed very badly dubbed.

[Giles]

Hellboy loves cats. No reason is given as to why, he just does.


I like cats too...

http://media3.guzer.com/pictures/cute_kitty2.jpg

[B.A.]

Perhaps the Hellboy Jr. scene would have been better if the boy didn't look like a puppet forcing his mouth to move. It also seemed very badly dubbed.
It was horribly done, especially when you look at costume/special effects work throughout the movie.


Overall, I enjoyed it quite a bit. ***1/2 out of five. I'm not very familiar w/ Mignola's work, but this seemed to be Hellboy in Del Toro's world - much more so than the first film.

[orderandlaw]

Hellboy II - what a film! Exciting, funny, consistently interesting and entertaining. Guillermo del Toro really is a superb, superb filmmaker. The way that his incredible sense of the equally twisted and beautiful nature of fairytale creatures and stories comes through is sensational, and I sat marveling at the film. I'm able to criticize very, very little of it.

Think of it as Pan's Labyrinth with attitude. ;)

[RTisBetter]

I thought it was visceral overkill and really quite boring in parts. The "serious" lovey dovey moments with Red and Liz were overdone and unconvincing. And why does CGI continue to look so fake in all of Del Toro's movies?

[Ketamine]

Just watched it and actually loved this movie. Better than the first. Visually it was one of the better comic book movies out there, I enjoyed the plot and banter, very good action, and I had no issue with the opening of the movie.

[tanman]

Blind buy of the two disc for me. Great great movie. I really wished they opened this in the spring or fall. I think it would have done a whole lot better financially.

The world created for this movie was just so detailed. I really liked the story too, deep enough to be interesting but not so convoluted to really be hard to follow.

I for one did not like the change to abe. I really liked david hyde pierce in the first one and though he did a better job then doug jones. It was just a very jarring change to me as was his color change which didn't seem to serve any purpose.

I actually really loved the music to this one as well. I think it added a lot to the movie. I for one really liked the sequence with the kid hellboy. I thought he was really cute and I really like it when they humanize such a strange looking character. I REALLY liked the opening sequence with the puppets as well. It was really creative and made much more memorable then it would have been if it was just a standard flashback scene. In the extras he said they were actually forced to do it because of budget concerns as they wanted to do a full fledged flashback scene.

[Daytripper]

Blind buy of the two disc for me. Great great movie. I really wished they opened this in the spring or fall. I think it would have done a whole lot better financially.

The world created for this movie was just so detailed. I really liked the story too, deep enough to be interesting but not so convoluted to really be hard to follow.

I for one did not like the change to abe. I really liked david hyde pierce in the first one and though he did a better job then doug jones. It was just a very jarring change to me as was his color change which didn't seem to serve any purpose.

I actually really loved the music to this one as well. I think it added a lot to the movie. I for one really liked the sequence with the kid hellboy. I thought he was really cute and I really like it when they humanize such a strange looking character. I REALLY liked the opening sequence with the puppets as well. It was really creative and made much more memorable then it would have been if it was just a standard flashback scene. In the extras he said they were actually forced to do it because of budget concerns as they wanted to do a full fledged flashback scene.

Yes, huge HUGE mistake releasing this in the summer. Especially right before "The Dark Knight". I mean, what the fuck were they thinking!? Even Del Toro made a comment about this recently. Hell, even if they had waited until an early August release, it would have done a cool 50M more. Whoever approved it's release date needs to be fired.

[Seantn]

Eh, you can only blame a release date so much. The first film was released in the spring time and it only did "okay" in theaters. The 2nd one was released in the summer, and it wasn't huge (but it was successful). So that leaves the fall and the winter. I have a feeling it might have done worse if released in the fall or winter.

At the end of the day (and after 2 films) I don't think that the public is embracing Hellboy as the next big comic book hero. That said, he does have a good amount of fans (I'm one of them).

[Solid Snake PAC]

Well no matter what...the first one had bigger hurdle to jump over. I mean, nobody got the premise of the character and whatnot. DVD sales saved Hellboy and warranted Hellboy's sequel. This one would've made more if it had been in release a bit sooner or a bit after TDK's release. Even I saw it as almost a certain suicide of sorts, well not really but Del Toro's flm warranted a better box office than it got. Hell a lot of critics liked it, I like to think of it as the underdog of Superhero films that could make it.

[The Bus]

Overall, I enjoyed it quite a bit. ***1/2 out of five. I'm not very familiar w/ Mignola's work, but this seemed to be Hellboy in Del Toro's world - much more so than the first film.

This, completely. Mignola's Hellboy and Del Toro's Hellboy inhabit two different universes. I prefer Mignola's more, but Del Toro's is still good.

[tanman]

Eh, you can only blame a release date so much. The first film was released in the spring time and it only did "okay" in theaters. The 2nd one was released in the summer, and it wasn't huge (but it was successful). So that leaves the fall and the winter. I have a feeling it might have done worse if released in the fall or winter.

At the end of the day (and after 2 films) I don't think that the public is embracing Hellboy as the next big comic book hero. That said, he does have a good amount of fans (I'm one of them).

Yeah I agree. But I think that out of all the times studios blame release dates and whatnot that this is actually valid. And oddly enough I didn't here much of a complaint from the studio or anyone else about the release date.

For one Hellboy didn't do that great but really caught on DVD and in the last few years. How many people that liked Hellboy actually watched it in the theaters? Not that many.

Two they released it ONE WEEK before TDK. That gives them one week to make money. A movie like hellboy needs more breathing room to really catch on. I would have watched it. I really wanted to watch it but didn't have any time in between everything else that came out and since I didn't catch it on opening weekend, it kind of got pushed to the back burner since TDK came out.

For an example look at quantum of solace. People doubted the new bond and the box office wasn't that great for casino royale. Especially considering the gangbusters that QOS just did. Again people catching on the previous movie on DVD and going to go watch it in the fall when there is very little else on. Well written and well received action movies especially do well in the off season since most action movies are relegated to the summer.

I think if they released it in the spring or fall it would have easily made 50 million more then it did.

[Baron Of Hell]

Just watched this. I wish I watched it in a theater now. I thought this was going to be more of the same but it was a lot better than the first movie.

[Goldberg74]

Just watched this. I wish I watched it in a theater now. I thought this was going to be more of the same but it was a lot better than the first movie.

Watching HB fight the Golden Army on the big screen was awesome!!!!!

[Solid Snake PAC]

Yeah, I thought it was better than HB 1. Sadly this had to open a week before...The Dark Knight. Way to go Universal...

[RocShemp]

I love this movie and it was great seeing it in theaters, even if the theater set the audio too damn loud.

So did this tank or did it make enough to warrant a third movie?

[Suprmallet]

Even if a sequel is possible, it won't get made until Del Toro finishes The Hobbit and related projects.

[RocShemp]

^ If it's as good or better than Hellboy II, I'll patiently wait. :)

[Suprmallet]

Nice sig, by the way. :)

[Solid Snake PAC]

I love this movie and it was great seeing it in theaters, even if the theater set the audio too damn loud.

So did this tank or did it make enough to warrant a third movie?

Wikipedia says:
Del Toro says that he would like to do a sequel, saying, "I think we would all come back to do a third Hellboy, if they can wait for me to get out of Middle-earth, but we don't know. Ron may want to do it sooner, but I certainly know where we're going with the movie on the third one."

it made $160,328,789 worldwide, budget was $85,000,000 so it did fine. I'm not sure what bank the DVD/Blu-Rays made. Again it released a week before TDK so it's amazing it made that much actually. Domestically it made...$75,986,503, slightly disappointing but not bad. Del Toro has so much on his plate right now with Universal for after when he's done with The Hobbit that it'll be amazing if they let him do another one in all that stack of films they want him to do, and of course he wants to do those projects. So I hope it gets done soon. I'm still wondering how the children angle will work out. Hopefully they can manipulate that part well for HB3.

[RocShemp]

Nice sig, by the way. :)

I thought you'd appreciate it. ;)

Wikipedia says:


it made $160,328,789 worldwide, budget was $85,000,000 so it did fine. I'm not sure what bank the DVD/Blu-Rays made. Again it released a week before TDK so it's amazing it made that much actually. Domestically it made...$75,986,503, slightly disappointing but not bad. Del Toro has so much on his plate right now with Universal for after when he's done with The Hobbit that it'll be amazing if they let him do another one in all that stack of films they want him to do, and of course he wants to do those projects. So I hope it gets done soon. I'm still wondering how the children angle will work out. Hopefully they can manipulate that part well for HB3.

Thanks.

I'm guessing the kids will play into the warning the Angel of Death gave Liz. I'm just wondering if they'll reincorporate the BRPD into the story. If so, I wonder if they can make it organic and not a total about face of their sudden departure from the agency at the end of the second movie.

[Giantrobo]

Nice sig, by the way. :)

Based on the GI Joe thread I honestly think he's in love with you. :p

[Giantrobo]

I thought HBII was "ok" when I saw it in the theaters. But i saw it again on cable the other day and for some reason it grew on me and I like it quite a bit more now.