Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy sequel is a simultaneously exhilarating and underwhelming experience due to the laid-back attitude of its characters, and nebulous sub-plot elements that contrast blankly against del Toro’s trademark of baroquely drawn details.
Hopelessly macho lug Hellboy (exquisitely played by Ron Perlman) lives a clandestine existence with his newly-pregnant pyrokinetic squeeze Liz (Selma Blair) in the guarded confines of New York’s Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense.
Dark Prince Nuada (Luke Goss) escalates from his saber rattling practice routine to go on a violent rampage to obtain the missing part to a crown that will awaken an army of indestructible clockwork soldiers and enable him to rule the world.
Hellboy and his fighting team, that includes a creature-from-the-black-lagoon-styled pal Abe Sapien and a not-so-welcome German gas-bag named Johann, do battle with Nuada’s weird creatures when they aren’t concerned with more mundane chores of romance and marriage.
The super-hero battles aren’t choreographed and edited with enough pizzazz to meet heightened audience expectations raised with every new addition to the comic book movie genre.
Nonetheless, this is a visually delightful movie packed with plenty of goofy character elements that keep it entertaining.
Rated PG-13. 110 mins.
