Hellboy II with Spoilers

[TOE]

SPOILERS !!!!!















Just watced it:

Hellboy will have twins.

Poor Liz.

 

[TOE]

no one else seen this tonight?

 

[EVILFACE]

Is it better than the snoozy first one?

 

[TOE]

Yup.

I liked this one better than the first one. Lots of monsters and actions. What not to love?

 

[Gruff Old Bear]

So Toe, you were at the Chinese screening at 7 last night too? Here's my review, for those who've already seen Hellboy.

I have to say I thought this was a letdown with many of the problems common to sequels. I loved the first film, which took me by surprise (I didn't know the comic and only saw the film because of comments here on the board), and I found myself enjoying the company of these characters again. But I'm actually concerned now about Del Toro doing "The Hobbit" -- this really isn't anywhere near the Hellboy-cum-"Pan's Labyrinth" that people have anticipated. Del Toro seems to do well when a limited budget forces him to choose wisely. Given enough money, he forgets the established world he created under more stringent circumstances, like George Lucas tinkering with his "Star Wars" films until they lose their original cheap charm.

I loved the intro with its Hurt cameo and the new portrayal of Kid Hellboy. But the fable Professor Broom reads to Hellboy, besides offering Del Toro a chance to do something akin to puppet theatre, serves mainly to explain in advance everything we are going to see, which is not the most thrilling way for a story to unfold. The first big set piece with the Tooth Fairies is terrific, but when it's over the film plummets into repetition and recycling. There's a brief lift when Del Toro takes us to the imaginative Troll's Market, but after that it starts losing momentum again and wanders to its conclusion.

The super-secret BRPD headquarters, which formerly appeared to be a mysterious archive where everything is kept under lock and key, now has the same intergalactic traffic we saw in the "Men In Black" films; a cameo from Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones would have fit right in. Jeffrey Tambor, so funny in the first film, here is cut off at both knees: first, his character gets his wish to no longer be responsible for Hellboy, and from the introduction of HB's new supervisor Tambor hasn't anything to do except tag along. Second, his character's worst nightmare comes to pass: Hellboy's secret is out, so Tambor can quit fretting. Since all this happens early in the film, Tambor is simply not an antagonist for HB here. And the event that "outs" Hellboy is so similar to the parkour-stomp-through-traffic-pursuit of Sammael and destruction of the museum in the first film, that HB has to announce that the secret is out, or we might not realize it. After all, Manning publicly denied the same sort of antics in the first film. All this does is burn Tambor's Tom Manning. It's a waste of one of the funniest supporting actors on the screen.

Manning's replacement antagonist, Johann Krauss, introduces a new element to the film that it can't afford to depend upon: radio drama. With his one-trick "face," Johann might have made for a funny encounter in those now-crowded halls at BPRD, but as a driver of the action, we were better off with Tambor. Johann is a bit of an empty suit (pun intended), who seems to be there to allow for a cameo voiceover from "Family Guy" creator Seth McFarlane.

Speaking of cameo voiceovers, I had expected to like Abe Sapien better with the actor underneath the makeup, Doug Jones, doing the part without help. As it turns out, even though Jones handles the job just fine, the touch added by David Hyde Pierce is indeed missed. And for all the intention of improving Abe's role with a romantic engagement central to the story, Jones, like Tambor, finally has less to do here than in the first film.

Hellboy's battle with the forest spirit is an uncomfortably obvious recycling of the first film's final battle against another giant whirling monster with whipping tentacles. As the Elf prince, Luke Goss and his stunt double put on a top-notch display of martial arts swordsmanship; unfortunately, we've seen it all many times before, and it doesn't help that Nuada is somewhat sympathetic. The Prince Nuada makeup suggests that Del Toro envisioned Nuada as Legolas if he were a zombie as well as an elf, but he's just not anywhere near as terrifying as Kroenen was. It does matter who the character behind the blade is.

The Golden Army is finally just computer imagery, while the best animatronic puppet in ages, Mr. Wink, can be better viewed in the documentary footage on YouTube than in the film. Perlman, who can probably make bricks out of straw, is still charming and funny, and lacking anything approaching his rooftop surveillance scene in the first film, he makes this film's best moments out of very minor material. The fire effects for Liz are better than before, but with a storyline that has her keeping a secret from HB, there aren't the same sparks between them, and the fireworks for the film just fizzle. Too many supportive elements, like Tom Manning and Abe Sapien, have been tinkered with. Too many central elements that needed to be refreshed, like a Kroenen-esque blade-wielding opponent plus a giant tentacled monster, weren't tinkered with enough.

I hope it makes money, because I'd like to see HB become a trilogy. My enthusiasm for the characters isn't diminished, and I'm eagerly looking forward to the Sideshow PF figure. Johann might make a good 1:6 figure if they can capture a smoke effect in solid clear resin. But I don't think this movie is as satisfying or as funny as the first one, and coming in this particular summer, it will be compared, like every other action picture, to the summer's biggest and best release. And having seen both pictures, I feel safe saying that no one will suggest this is remotely in a league with "The Dark Knight."

 

[Darth Loki]

What a ^^^^ing awesome movie. Just got home and I loved it. Maybe as good as the first.

 

[TOE]

Loki...lol...pretty cool, ha? Which scene was the best part for you?



Gruff...I saw it at the Gaslamp here in SD

 

[leggo_my_ego]

Just saw HellBoy 2 [no spoilers]

Awsome waaaay better then the first it suprised me, tons of action and a good plot to boot. So if your boarder line on wether to see it or not GO SEE IT.

 

[tylerd]

Re: Just saw HellBoy 2 [no spoilers]

i can't go until tomorrow night. i actually have a date and the girl asked if i wanted to see it. how cool is that?

 

[Blackhole]

Re: Just saw HellBoy 2 [no spoilers]

Is Kroenen in it? Like they said he would be? You know, after credits sequence or something...

They did promise...

 

[tylerd]

Re: Just saw HellBoy 2 [no spoilers]

Is Kroenen in it? Like they said he would be? You know, after credits sequence or something...

They did promise...

no mention of him in the credits, but they do have jimmy kimmel, john hurt, seth mcfarlane and a limb vendor.

 

[Darth Loki]

Loki...lol...pretty cool, ha? Which scene was the best part for you?



Gruff...I saw it at the Gaslamp here in SD

Hard to say. I loved all the fight scenes but the final one was probably the most bad ass.

If I had to choose one, it'd be when Hellboy gets into with Krauss. Just ^^^^ing hilarious

I gotta say that Prince Nuada is now one of my favorite movie characters of all time.

 

[Darth Loki]

Re: Just saw HellBoy 2 [no spoilers]

I can't say anything more than it was ^^^^ing great. I already want to see it again.

 

[Blackhole]

Re: Just saw HellBoy 2 [no spoilers]

No one stayed after the credits?

I want my favourite Ninja-Nazi back...

 

[The Josh]

I have to say I thought this was a letdown with many of the problems common to sequels.

I don't know if I was let down but wasn't as stoked coming out as I was going in. So maybe that means I was let down.

But I'm actually concerned now about Del Toro doing "The Hobbit"

I'm not because of PJ and I think Del Toro won't get quite so crazy with someone elses work.

I loved the intro with its Hurt cameo and the new portrayal of Kid Hellboy. But the fable Professor Broom reads to Hellboy, besides offering Del Toro a chance to do something akin to puppet theatre, serves mainly to explain in advance everything we are going to see, which is not the most thrilling way for a story to unfold.

I actually liked it once they got into the story but I kind of felt like we where having a case of Deja Vu with how they started this film. Could have had a different way to introduce it all I imagine.

The first big set piece with the Tooth Fairies is terrific, but when it's over the film plummets into repetition and recycling. There's a brief lift when Del Toro takes us to the imaginative Troll's Market, but after that it starts losing momentum again and wanders to its conclusion.

A lot of moments where it would get going and stall again. Kind of like that old car in your drive way.

The super-secret BRPD headquarters, which formerly appeared to be a mysterious archive where everything is kept under lock and key, now has the same intergalactic traffic we saw in the "Men In Black" films; a cameo from Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones would have fit right in.

I thought the same thing. I mean there wasn't this many freaks there in the first one. I felt like it was lets see how many things we can cram into this place.

Jeffrey Tambor, so funny in the first film, here is cut off at both knees: first, his character gets his wish to no longer be responsible for Hellboy, and from the introduction of HB's new supervisor Tambor hasn't anything to do except tag along.

I know. Early on in the film he's the same as the first movie but then he's just coming along for the ride to be in it.

Manning's replacement antagonist, Johann Krauss, introduces a new element to the film that it can't afford to depend upon: radio drama. With his one-trick "face," Johann might have made for a funny encounter in those now-crowded halls at BPRD, but as a driver of the action, we were better off with Tambor. Johann is a bit of an empty suit (pun intended), who seems to be there to allow for a cameo voiceover from "Family Guy" creator Seth McFarlane.

I didn't care for this guy at all. Well, not until the final battle. There was nothing cool other than the look IMO. When HB punched him in the head I was hoping that was the end of this guy.

And for all the intention of improving Abe's role with a romantic engagement central to the story, Jones, like Tambor, finally has less to do here than in the first film.

I didn't see the need to give Abe a love story in this one unless they wanted to back of HB love story angle. I thought both going full force was a bit much and turned an action flick into a love story.

Hellboy's battle with the forest spirit is an uncomfortably obvious recycling of the first film's final battle against another giant whirling monster with whipping tentacles.

This was one of the scenes where I felt like it was a HB Movie or what it should be.

Perlman, who can probably make bricks out of straw, is still charming and funny, and lacking anything approaching his rooftop surveillance scene in the first film, he makes this film's best moments out of very minor material.

Perlman did great I thought with what he had. He was funny when he was supposed to and action man when he had to be. I liked the scene where he and Abe are singing drunk. He had other moments as well so I was fine with him.

But I don't think this movie is as satisfying or as funny as the first one, and coming in this particular summer, it will be compared, like every other action picture, to the summer's biggest and best release. And having seen both pictures, I feel safe saying that no one will suggest this is remotely in a league with "The Dark Knight."

Its missing something I think compared to the first one. Again, thats not to say I didn't enjoy it because I did and I'll get it on BR but I didn't walk out talking about the film either. I don't expect it will sniff TDK honestly as my expectations for that are really through the roof.

If I had to choose one, it'd be when Hellboy gets into with Krauss. Just ^^^^ing hilarious

I like that scene as well. Like I said I wanted that to be the end of Krauss but I think they stretched that scene a little too long and forced some comedy there.

 

[Buttmunch]

Not going to read through anything because I won't see this until tomorrow, but my local newspaper gave HB2 FOUR stars out of FOUR stars! And our guy isn't easily impressed by stuff, so I'm thrilled!

 

[DarkDaysinVegas]

Nice one Toe...You've out done yourself this time!

 

[DarkDaysinVegas]

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army's Repeat Offenders

I saw this movie last night and it kicked ass!


So I was wondering...


How many of you freaks will be seeing this more than once on the big screen?


I know I'll be going again tonight or tomorrow at the latest!



​

 

[carbo-fation]

Re: Hellboy 2: The Golden Army's Repeat Offenders

There are two threads for this already!

 

[DarkDaysinVegas]

Re: Hellboy 2: The Golden Army's Repeat Offenders

Cool. Thanks. I know.

So Ashad...Have you seen this movie yet?