Hellboy II: The Golden Army: Hard-Boiled Beauty In The Holy Fallout-- Written by Jerry Dennis

“Fight with you! Join the team? Be an X-Man? Who the hell do you think you are? You're a mutant. The whole world out there is full of people who hate and fear you and you're wasting your time trying to protect them? I've got better things to do!”
-- Logan from X-Men

“Hell will hold no surprises for us.”
-- Isla Haupstein from Hellboy

“What is it that makes a man a man? Is it his origins, the way things start? Or is it something else, something harder to describe?”
-- Professor Trevor “Broom” Bruttenholm from Hellboy

For the first several months of 2004, I could not breathe the air in the multiplexes or stand the noise in the media. Movies were the prisoners of the op-ed pages, news programs and the chattering noise of the internet. The films were lackluster in quality for the most part. The beautiful leftovers of 2003 could not last forever. The glory of The Return Of The King was fading. The fatalistic beauty of House Of Sand And Fog became a fading memory. Robert McNamara was back in the news thanks to The Fog Of War. Yet, it was The Passion Of The Christ and the controversy surrounding Mel Gibson’s epic that was all over the place. It was everywhere. A film that deserved to be seen by all and each opinion respected because everyone brings their own baggage to a film of this magnitude. I did not need any of the so-called pundits telling me what to think about the film. No one needed to be told what to think of the film. It was not as if Robert Novak was going to join me later and watch The Gospel According To Saint Matthew. The pundits’ talking about film and religion was simply too much. Where was Pier Paolo Pasolini when you need him? I just wanted to escape from it all. If it were not for Jimmy Breslin’s honesty, I would have unplugged for good. If only the zombies of Zach Snyder’s Dawn Of The Dead could have ripped through the screen.

On April 2nd of 2004, I got a cinematic injection of all that is good in life. I went to see Hellboy at the Olney Nine Cinemas-- the multiplex equivalent of the Mos Eisley Spaceport in the original Star Wars film. Modernity has always been an issue with this theater. I swear the same hot dogs have been on that tray for the last fifteen years. Stadium seating is a very alien concept and there is a foul odor that has been there since Family Ties went off the air. Despite the meager accommodations, I was rejuvenated by the story unfolding on the screen. There is something magical about watching a film such as Hellboy for the first time; especially when you are not sure what to expect. I had read a few graphic novels by Mike Mignola in the Nineties, but I was not a Hellboy aficionado, but I was very familiar with Guillermo Del Toro’s films. I had seen Cronos, Mimic, The Devil’s Backbone and Blade II. I knew there was something extraordinary about the way he saw things. I cannot say I knew that Del Toro was a genius back in 1994 when I saw Cronos. It was one of two films recommended to me by my older brother. The other film was The Secret Rapture. Even though they are two totally different films, they are forever joined in my memory just as James Franciscus and Charlton Heston are always joined at the hip to me because of their work together in Beneath the Planet of the Apes. The beauty displayed in Cronos was evident enough; it pops back stronger in The Devil’s Backbone and Blade II. There are some moments of pure Del Toro goodness in Mimic, but not enough for my liking. It was Guillermo Del Toro’s respect for Mike Mignola’s creation that resonated with me strongly as I was watching the film. Del Toro really cares about someone else’s intellectual property. Yet, he never becomes a prisoner to the material or to the fanboy subculture. I saw this respect with Bryan Singer and the X-Men films and I would truly see it with Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2, Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins and Robert Rodriguez’s and Frank Miller’s Sin City. Del Toro had been creating a visual vocabulary since Cronos which fits in splendidly with the characters of Hellboy, Liz Sherman, Abe Sapien, Rasputin, Isla and Kroenen. The director has created a pulp fantasy land where we never question the existence of a red demon baby with an enormous right hand. We never question a secret government agency who battles things that go bump in the night. On that April day, in between the two Kill Bill films, I got my religion back. Hellboy was the beginning of a drastic cinematic reawakening. I was burned out from many of the failures from the previous year. I was burned out by months of failed promises. There were a few bright moments; I do not need to name them. I was tired, but Ron Perlman’s hard boiled demon woke me up for good.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army did not hit me all at once as the first film did. I watched the film last night at the midnight screening. I do wish the son of a bitch in the back row would have shut the fuck up during the film’s prologue. The prologue is a classic bit of Del Toro magic. He uses a bedtime story to give the back story of the mythical Golden Army. It is a clever and very effective opening. It helps that the story is being read to a young Hellboy by his surrogate father, Professor Trevor “Broom” Bruttenholm, a wonderful cameo by John Hurt. It is a clever scene because it is the perfect crossover for attracting the art house fans of his previous film, his classic fable, Pan’s Labyrinth. Before I go any further, we need to talk about Pan’s Labyrinth and its relationship to this film. I am sure there are people who will judge Hellboy II: The Golden Army as a lesser film to Pan’s Labyrinth. No one is expecting Del Toro to top Pan’s Labyrinth. That is a tall order. It was the best film of 2006 as far as I was concerned. It should have gotten a special Oscar. It would be very hard to top Pan’s Labyrinth. I am also sure it is going to be hard for Paul Thomas Anderson to top There Will be Blood for that matter. If anything, Pan’s Labyrinth is the necessary film to come between the two Hellboy films. Because of the success of Pan’s Labyrinth, Del Toro was able to go all out on Hellboy II: The Golden Army. I had to sleep on it. When I woke up this morning, before I drifted into the online haze of the internet, I realized I had just watched something wonderful. It is not that Guillermo Del Toro did not make a better film than Pan’s Labyrinth, but because he did not have to. If Guillermo Del Toro had never made another film after Pan’s Labyrinth, his reputation would be secure. The film is his masterpiece. Yet he did, he made a sequel to another of his beloved films, the results were better than I ever could have imagined.

In a summer that has already witnessed the highly charged battles of Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk and the urban renewal caused by Will Smith’s Hancock, it would seem hard to stay fresh. We have not even gotten to Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, but we are in the middle of the 2008 comic book overload at the box office. There is a beautiful fight sequence that takes place in Hellboy II between Ron Perlman’s Hellboy and a giant oversized plant. Hellboy has just rescued a baby from near death from the plant’s rage. Hellboy battles the plant while holding the baby and using his giant gun. It is a scene straight out of the original Mighty Joe Young mixed with Godzilla Vs. Biollante. The scene is an excellent template of Del Toro’s influences and shows us that he deeply cares about his creations. He creates lifelike anime. He loves monsters. His monsters created by the visual effects team have a lot of heart and soul. The troll market sequence which takes place beneath the streets of New York City is the freshest batch of creatures since the introduction of Mos Eisley’s Cantina in Star Wars: A New Hope. Who knew there was a troll market beneath the east tower of the Brooklyn Bridge? I doubt that it is in the latest Fodor’s guide. Mr. Del Toro’s imagination has gone into hyperactive overdrive as new creatures and gizmos are introduced in practically every film frame. From the hellish tooth fairies to the legendary Golden Army, Mr. Del Toro’s visual flair runs rampant with delirious glee throughout the whole film. With the aide of his equally gifted colleagues, they have created a fully breathing other world. Guillermo Navarro once again returns with his beautiful cinematography. He has worked on almost all of Del Toro’s films. One could not ask for a better pair of eyes to realize one’s vision. Stephen Scott returns as production designer. Mike Elizalde is responsible for the dazzling creature and special effects. He has done work on the Men In Black films and the Blade films-- his make up touch is felt in this film. Danny Elfman brings his unique sound to give the film a memorable soundtrack.

Ron Perlman plays Hellboy more like a film noir grunt than an outcast demon from the underworld. As this film begins, Hellboy and Liz Sherman (Selma Blair) are living together in the secret bunker facilities of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD). They are having relationship problems. When Liz gets angry, she gets hot and catches on fire; she burns everything around her. Hellboy is not easy to live with -- his room is a mess and he has many cats. Meanwhile, he has a problem of his own. He is not supposed to be seen in public, but he cannot stay hidden from the limelight. He wants the attention, but this does not sit well with his superior, Tom Manning, played by the always reliable Jeffrey Tambor. At one point, Manning bribes him to stay out of the public eye with Cuban Cigars. Manning has now taken on the surrogate father role since Broom died in the last film. Selma Blair and Ron Perlman work well off each other; they are given more scenes together in this film. They are kind of like a supernatural version of Nick and Nora Charles from The Thin Man films. Even better, Hellboy is pure one hundred percent hard boiled pulp. He is equal parts Robert Mitchum and Lee Marvin. It seems that Del Toro and Perlman have developed a good working relationship ever since Cronos. Hellboy is the perfect summation of their previous collaborations. Jean-Pierre Jeunot is the only other director who knows how to use Perlman to great effect (in films such as The City Of Lost Children and Alien: Resurrection). The ever versatile Doug Jones returns to play Abe Sapien. This time, Jones does his own voice. Also, Jones does triple duty in this film playing the Chamberlain and the Angel Of Death. He has worked with Del Toro before as Fauno in Pan’s Labyrinth and also in Mimic. He also played the iconic Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four: The Rise Of Silver Surfer. Jones is a marvel as Abe Sapien. His character adds to the melancholy that haunts each of these characters. Each possesses special powers; they are here to help mankind. Yet humanity is not eager to embrace them. The first half of film has echoes of the Men In Black films with the secret government organization that deals with paranormal operations while the second half has a strong X-Men like vibe. Hellboy, Liz and Abe are here to help protect humanity, yet after Hellboy saves the baby and New York City from the plant monster, society is not eager to embrace them. Mutant phobia exists everywhere these days.

There are other wonderful performances in Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Luke Goss is very good as the angry elf prince, Nuada. He breaks a truce between the humans and elves by robbing an auction house of two pieces of the ancient crown that can resurrect the Golden Army. His twin sister, Princess Nuala (Anna Walton) deserves mention as well. She has the last part of the crown and seeks refuge in the BRPD building. Abe falls in love with Nuala-- it is another bonus treat. Yet perhaps the greatest addition to the cast is the character of Dr. Johann Kraus voiced by Seth MacFarlane-- yes that Seth MacFarlane and he does not look anything like Peter Griffin. Kraus is a very by the book authority figure who actually is just gas vapor that walks around in a diving suit. Because of his thick Prussian accent, he reminded me of Billy Wilder. I kept waiting for him to say that no one has let him direct another film since Buddy Buddy. The very straitlaced Kraus and the rule breaking Hellboy come to blows in the best ever locker room fight sequence. The humor variable is thrown up a couple of notches. Whereas the first film was an origin story, this time we have established characters; this allows for some much needed humor. One of the film’s humorous highlights is Hellboy and Abe’s drunken sing along to a Barry Manilow song.

It is no accident that Peter Jackson found Guillermo Del Toro to direct The Hobbit. Besides Peter Jackson, Del Toro may be the ultimate fantasist making films today. Without a doubt, he has proven with the Hellboy films and especially Pan’s Labyrinth that he can bring J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novel to life. Del Toro turned down directing Halo, Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince, I Am Legend and One Missed Call so he could return to direct the Hellboy sequel. His loyalty and respect to the material is commendable and admirable. His love affair with monsters is on full display in this film. In a time of great monster movies such as Cloverfield and The Mist, Hellboy II: The Golden Army delivers the goods on many levels. He is very influenced by the classic horror movie films like The Creature From The Black Lagoon and The Bride Of Frankenstein. There are scenes playing from these films in the background. He is also deeply influenced by the works of Ray Harryhausen and the late Stan Winston. I cannot think of a better tribute to Stan Winston’s legacy than Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Guillermo Del Toro is a master storyteller for our times.