Hellboy II

[bsu legato]

I'm actually shocked that nobody is talking about this. I saw it last night, and while I enjoyed the first one Hellboy II is heads and shoulders above it. Del Toro has really grown as a filmmaker in the last few years, and getting sole writing credit really allowed his unique vision to make the transition from page to screen (we never liked you anyway, Peter Briggs). It's essentially "A Few Dollars More" to Hellboy's "A Fistful of Dollars." ie, more of everything that made the first one great, but with much more depth, characterization and emotion. Here's to hoping that, after Hobbit parts 1 & 2, he comes back to give us the Hellboy equivalent of "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly."

I give it a solid 8 out of 10.

[chowyunskinny]

I'm surprised also Bsu, that there was no thread for this or Wanted.

Saw it last night as well and Loved it I thought the first Hellboy was just ok, too much tentacle monsters from what I remember. It was nice to see more character development this time around. Abe and Krauss were awesome! I had no idea

Seth McFarlane

voiced Krauss until the credits. I'm kind of glad I didn't know or I would've just been thinking

Peter Griffin

the whole time which might have taken me out of it Kudos to the actor that played Prince Nuada, I thought his martial arts was pretty damn good.

Del Toro's visual style is friggin amazing. His blend of practical effects and CG is so well done and seamless. The whole time I was just imagining how awesome The Hobbit will be if he continues with the visual palette he's established with Pan's and now The Golden Army. The only way I can describe his visuals is dirty, but clean at the same time. Dirty enough to have it grounded in realism, but not overly clean. I think that's been the problem as of late with effects movies, is that the CG is way too clean looking, the Star Wars prequels are a prime example.

The Golden Army is now at the top of my favorite movies of the summer along with Iron Man, the Hulk and most likely the Dark Knight. What a great summer for comic book adaptations.

[bsu legato]

I had no idea

Seth McFarlane

voiced Krauss until the credits.

I'd heard that beforehand, and was a little worried at first. I love

Family Guy

, but I was worried he'd play Krauss just as broadly. Thankfully he played it fairly straight and allowed the humor to come from Hellboy, where it should.

Kudos to the actor that played Prince Nuada, I thought his martial arts was pretty damn good.

I looked him up while checking on Princess Nuala, and apparently he's in a live-action Tekken for '09. I hadn't even heard of that one.

[chowyunskinny]

I looked him up while checking on Princess Nuala, and apparently he's in a live-action Tekken for '09. I hadn't even heard of that one.

The actress that played Nuala is a little on the skinny side, but pretty hot. She's like a mash up of Calista Flockhart and Saffron Burrows.

I love the Tekken series of games but I don't have high hopes for the movie. Comics to movies = pretty good (at least the ones this summer)

Games to movies in general = not so good

[Bowen]

Heh, as long as it isn't being directed by Uwe Boll... *shudders*

[eriku]

Saw it last night with my wife, we're both pretty big Hellboy fans. Loved the first movie, loved the second one even more. The

Troll Market

scene was like a perfect update of the

Mos Eisley Cantina

scene from Star Wars. Thought there was some solid character development throughout, and the ratio of action, comedy and drama was perfect for this kind of movie. Del Toro has always been a favorite of mine and I am thrilled that he's on board for the Hobbit.

As for

Seth MacFarlane

playing

Johann Kraus

, I unfortunately knew beforehand and all I could think of was the

American Dad character Klaus

. Didn't detract from the movie for me though, it just made his character funnier. He didn't really have any

Seth

-style moments until the end when he said

"Suck my ectoplasmic schvonce!"

[do not disturb]

i liked the first one even though i thought it was going to be whack and i've heard nothing but good things about the second.

i'm heading downtown later today, i'm sure i'll find a copy.

[chowyunskinny]

The

Troll Market

scene was like a perfect update of the

Mos Eisley Cantina

scene from Star Wars.

Yeah

Mos Eisley

and

Jabba's Palace

Seperated at Birth

Wink from Hellboy

Toothface from Episode VI

Rocket Punch wins IMO

[bsu legato]

Seperated at Birth

Holy crap, I didn't even recognize that.

*flogs self while rereading 1983 ROTJ Cinefex magazine*

[eriku]

Ha! I knew Wink looked familiar! The tooth fairies reminded me of the Isz from the Maxx comic book/cartoon.

[eugimon]

got back from it. Pretty good. I liked it a lot better than the first one. Thought the pacing was much better and the acting was more consistent, that is, thank god

Meyers was sent to Antartica

[chowyunskinny]

Ha! I knew Wink looked familiar! The tooth fairies reminded me of the Isz from the Maxx comic book/cartoon.

haha, totally!

I hope they have a making of book so I can check out all the creature designs. Really dug the Angel of Death, the castle head merchant and even the box face gatekeeper and of course the Golden Army.

I though the only weak part effects wise was young Hellboy. Everything else top notch.

Update:

Just checked Amazon and there's an Art of Hellboy II book and a Monsters Of due in December

Edited July 13, 2008 by chowyunskinny

[Keith]

Meh, wasn't big on the first one, dont' see myself bothering with this one.

[Scream Man]

Im pretty psyched to see it. Looks good!

[wolfx]

Then i must be the only one that felt it sux. Liz Sherman did NOT get preggers with Hellboy in the comic book. Del Toro is taking some crazy liberties here. The whole Abe love angle was contrived as well but that's just me. And was that some demon/angel from Pan's Labyrinth that appeared there?

I personally liked the darker tone of the 1st one.

[eriku]

haha, totally!

I hope they have a making of book so I can check out all the creature designs. Really dug the Angel of Death, the castle head merchant and even the box face gatekeeper and of course the Golden Army.

I though the only weak part effects wise was young Hellboy. Everything else top notch.

Update:

Just checked Amazon and there's an Art of Hellboy II book and a Monsters Of due in December

I paged through the Art of Hellboy II book at the local comic book store here and it's pretty cool. There are some critters in there that I don't remember seeing in the film. One of which is called a "Strider" and it looks almost exactly like the Striders from Dark Crystal.

[bsu legato]

Then i must be the only one that felt it sux. Liz Sherman did NOT get preggers with Hellboy in the comic book. Del Toro is taking some crazy liberties here. The whole Abe love angle was contrived as well but that's just me. And was that some demon/angel from Pan's Labyrinth that appeared there?

But it's not supposed to be an adaptation of any particular Hellboy comic. It's a new, separate story from those, and as such is not limited to whatever established continuity the comics have. If Mignola sat down tomorrow and wrote a new "Hellboy: Son of a Bitch" comic about Red & son, would you cry foul because it hadn't been featured in previous comics? Besides, Mignola worked with Del Toro on the picture and he didn't seem to have a problem with it, so I'd rate it as a non-issue.

[bandit29]

Pretty good movie. An improvement over the first film.

[wolfx]

But it's not supposed to be an adaptation of any particular Hellboy comic. It's a new, separate story from those, and as such is not limited to whatever established continuity the comics have. If Mignola sat down tomorrow and wrote a new "Hellboy: Son of a Bitch" comic about Red & son, would you cry foul because it hadn't been featured in previous comics? Besides, Mignola worked with Del Toro on the picture and he didn't seem to have a problem with it, so I'd rate it as a non-issue.

No problem if Mignola even wrote it tomorrow. But point is he did not and making Hellboy a daddy is way out of Hellboy's character in the first place so i doubt it was really Mignola's intent and he's just bowing to corporate types. In fact the whole movie reminded me of some Jet Li movie instead of a hellboy one. But shrug, i guess i'm in the minority of the hellboy fans that actually preferred the 1st movie even if it wasn't 100% accurate to the comics.

And the B.P.R.D became into a sorta like an MIB org. *Sigh* I could rant forever.

[chowyunskinny]

*Sigh* I could rant forever.

was his right hand too small?

[wolfx]

was his right hand too small?

its ok. But the spandex pants.....BLASPHEMYYY!!! And shoes? WTF...he has hooves....wtf he needs shoes for.....*rant rant rant*

[eugimon]

I find it funny that you have more problems with the adaptation than the guy who made it all up in the first place.

[wolfx]

I find it funny that you have more problems with the adaptation than the guy who made it all up in the first place.

I think he just got tired with the hollywood types and gave in to them. Though he does not do it so publicly as Alan Moore. *shrug* Guess he needs the cash.

http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2008/07/q-and-a-hellboy.html

http://video.about.com/movies/Mike-Mignola-on-Hellboy-2.htm

It would seem from interviews and stuff that Mignola had his own ideas which were being overidden by Del Toro's ideas and it seemed Del Toro being director had more say in the production of the film.

Edited July 14, 2008 by wolfx

[eriku]

Mignola: I'd push back a little to show when I had my doubts, but then I'd go: "Del Toro knows what he's doing. I'll get out of his way."

Yeah, sounds like he's pretty upset.

[chowyunskinny]

I think he just got tired with the hollywood types and gave in to them. Though he does not do it so publicly as Alan Moore. *shrug* Guess he needs the cash.

http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2008/07/q-and-a-hellboy.html

thanks for the article Wolfx

I'm sure Mr. Mignola stands to gain more residuals/royalties off of a more commercially viable film, so why not let the director do his thing?

or maybe it was the language barrier. Maybe Mignola didn't know how to say "no" en espanol

on a sidenote, Mignola illustrated one of my favorite comics from my youth...Rocket Raccoon. It was about this planet where they exiled mentally ill people to. They sent domestic pets with them for assisted living, but eventually these pets evolve to be super intelligent and human-like. Chaos ensues.

[wolfx]

on a sidenote, Mignola illustrated one of my favorite comics from my youth...Rocket Raccoon. It was about this planet where they exiled mentally ill people to. They sent domestic pets with them for assisted living, but eventually these pets evolve to be super intelligent and human-like. Chaos ensues.

Sounds awesome....though i've not heard of it.

Anyway regardless of what Mignola thinks, I think Hellboy 2 was terrible. Hellboy 2 would've been awesome if they plugged Artemis Fowl in there and Butler was super-imposed to replace Hellboy. Might even do Irish folklore more justice.

*keeps quiet and runs*

Edited July 14, 2008 by wolfx

[eriku]

Hah, I actually just started reading Artemis Fowl a few days ago as one of those forced lending things (a friend gave it to me saying I had to read it). So far I don't really like it, but I would like to see Del Toro's vision of the Fairy Underground.

[Hoptimus]

I loved Hellboy II.

I look at the Hellboy movies and comics as seperate entities.

Even Mignola has that view on the special features of the Hellboy 1 dvd.

The movies are Del Toro's vision of it with Mikes help and the comics are Mikes vision with help from other artists.

[areaseven]

You know I can't smile without you

I can't cry without you

I can't laugh, and I can't sing

I'm finding it hard to do anything...

What an awesome movie. I loved the first film, but I thought Hellboy II delivered a lot more for the price of admission. Better special effects, better character continuity and an excellent soundtrack to boot.

[mechatek]

I was unimpressed by the Power Rangery creature fights in the first Hellboy. Judging by the many positive reviews I think I'll give this one a chance when it's available for rental.