Hellboy II: The Golden Army - 4.5/5

I'm not sure what it is about Hellboy, but I'll be fucked if these films don't just hit all the right buttons! The first film was one of those that despite its flaws, I find myself watching again and again and for the most part "Hellboy II" is of the same way (although slightly better than the first).

Is it a great film? By all means no, its cheesy, its ridiculous, the plot moves at the speed of light and defies pretty much all logic...but - and here's the awesome part - none of that matters. In the world of Hellboy, sit back enjoy the riveting characters, the above and beyond absurdity, and the epic story line that defies all of what science teaches.

If you haven't seen "Hellboy" then definitely go back and watch that one before experiencing this one. This one is pulls heavily on the back story and character development from the first film so if you haven't seen it characters and relationships like that of Hellboy and his fiery girlfriend are going to seem pretty confusing. But if you have, hold onto your seat as you are going for a ride.

The story of "Hellboy II" is absolutely absurd in almost every way imaginable. But its cleverness and resistance to seem too serious (as how the film portrays Tooth Fairies for example with their big grins and ferocious appetites) makes up for it and makes every moment enjoyable. As if the awesome story wasn't enough, every character is pretty badass too (including the new villain Prince who gives Deacon Frost a run for his money as one of my favorite comic book villains). New developments for Abe and his love torn heart give the film new areas to explore character and story wise and its a nice addition to an already pretty beefy story.

If there was one complaint about the film it would be how they treated the pregnancy issue of the film. Although it was well played, I could have used a little more reluctance from characters and some of the issues that would have plagued the new mother and her decisions about the pregnancy.

Del Toro does it again and makes a film that is fun to watch with some great tech work from the directing and special effects. This is already a franchise I will follow until the end. Bring on "Hellboy 3". 

Written By Matt Reifschneider