For years, Mike Mignola’s Hellboy series of comic books have enthralled comic book fans who sought something new and interesting. Now it’s hit the big screen.
In an industry where most of the popular titles, like ones starring X-Men, Superman, Batman or Spider-Man, are the same as they were ten years ago, Hellboy provided a fresh new mythology based around a supernatural crime fighter who was supernatural himself.
A key part of the Hellboy comic books is the art. Mignola’s art makes Hellboy, and as a result it can be difficult for viewers of the film adaptations to recognize Ron Pearlman as the character that fans know and love. This was a problem I had when I watched the first Hellboy movie from 2004. I felt like something was wrong in that movie and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. It was the lack of Mignola.
Since that movie came out, there has been reason to get more used to seeing Hellboy and his supporting characters in other formats. A series of comic books called B.P.R.D. (named after the government agency that Hellboy is the posterboy for) has been sold which is only co-written by Mignola, a series of Hellboy animated movies have been released and very little new art has been seen from Mike Mignola. This helped make Hellboy II easier to enjoy.
Enjoyment was what I did while watching Hellboy II. There was no need to introduce the main characters in this one, so Hellboy and co. were able to unleash in a torrent of action as they were faced with a tsunami of bad guys.
The main villain is Prince Nuada, who is in line to inherit the throne over a kingdom of creatures that remains hidden from humanity. Nuada loathes humanity’s wastefulness, decadence and self-centeredness (the latter of which he has in abundance) and decides to make war on them. In order to do so, he must get a hold of several pieces of an ancient crown that will allow him to command a “Golden Army” that will be supposedly unstoppable.
His sister, Princess Nuala, opposes her brother’s plan and winds up teaming up with Hellboy, his girlfriend Liz (who can turn into and command fire at will) and the fish-like Abe Sapien to stop him.
New to the cast is the character of Johann Kraus, a bureaucratic, anal-retentive mass of energy incased in an empty suit that allows him to move. Kraus, like Darth Vader from Star Wars, is played by two people: James Dodd, who is the man in the costume, and Seth McFarlane, the creator of Family Guy, who does the voice. If you don’t like Family Guy, don’t worry. Hellboy II is probably the most mature thing McFarlane has ever been involved in.
Hellboy II provides a great level of visual creativity that builds off of what director Guillermo Del Toro was doing in his previous film Pan’s Labyrinth. The story of the Golden Army is told to viewers through a unique mix of puppets and CGI, and towards the end there is a creature who is half-living being, half-cart.
Hellboy II is a top notch film, which I would strongly recommend.
Michael O. Powell is a freelance journalist currently based in Northern California. The online journal of his work, entitled Deschamps, can be accessed at http://mopowell.blogspot.com.
In an industry where most of the popular titles, like ones starring X-Men, Superman, Batman or Spider-Man, are the same as they were ten years ago, Hellboy provided a fresh new mythology based around a supernatural crime fighter who was supernatural himself.
A key part of the Hellboy comic books is the art. Mignola’s art makes Hellboy, and as a result it can be difficult for viewers of the film adaptations to recognize Ron Pearlman as the character that fans know and love. This was a problem I had when I watched the first Hellboy movie from 2004. I felt like something was wrong in that movie and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. It was the lack of Mignola.
Since that movie came out, there has been reason to get more used to seeing Hellboy and his supporting characters in other formats. A series of comic books called B.P.R.D. (named after the government agency that Hellboy is the posterboy for) has been sold which is only co-written by Mignola, a series of Hellboy animated movies have been released and very little new art has been seen from Mike Mignola. This helped make Hellboy II easier to enjoy.
Enjoyment was what I did while watching Hellboy II. There was no need to introduce the main characters in this one, so Hellboy and co. were able to unleash in a torrent of action as they were faced with a tsunami of bad guys.
The main villain is Prince Nuada, who is in line to inherit the throne over a kingdom of creatures that remains hidden from humanity. Nuada loathes humanity’s wastefulness, decadence and self-centeredness (the latter of which he has in abundance) and decides to make war on them. In order to do so, he must get a hold of several pieces of an ancient crown that will allow him to command a “Golden Army” that will be supposedly unstoppable.
His sister, Princess Nuala, opposes her brother’s plan and winds up teaming up with Hellboy, his girlfriend Liz (who can turn into and command fire at will) and the fish-like Abe Sapien to stop him.
New to the cast is the character of Johann Kraus, a bureaucratic, anal-retentive mass of energy incased in an empty suit that allows him to move. Kraus, like Darth Vader from Star Wars, is played by two people: James Dodd, who is the man in the costume, and Seth McFarlane, the creator of Family Guy, who does the voice. If you don’t like Family Guy, don’t worry. Hellboy II is probably the most mature thing McFarlane has ever been involved in.
Hellboy II provides a great level of visual creativity that builds off of what director Guillermo Del Toro was doing in his previous film Pan’s Labyrinth. The story of the Golden Army is told to viewers through a unique mix of puppets and CGI, and towards the end there is a creature who is half-living being, half-cart.
Hellboy II is a top notch film, which I would strongly recommend.
Michael O. Powell is a freelance journalist currently based in Northern California. The online journal of his work, entitled Deschamps, can be accessed at http://mopowell.blogspot.com.
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