Hellboy II: The Golden Army

I wasn't a big fan of the first Hellboy. I really wanted to like it, but it just felt kind of flat to me. So Hellboy II only somewhat interested me. But after Pan's Labyrinth I will go see anything Guillermo del Toro directs.

Hellboy II is an overall better movie than the previous one, but I still left feeling not entirely satisfied. It's got everything going for it - monsters fighting monsters, big guns, exquisitely designed and executed creature effects - but it still somehow managed to feel about thirty minutes longer than it actually is.

I think one of the main problems is that I'm not a huge geek for the Hellboy saga, in general. I read a good portion of the available comics before the first movie came out, and frankly I didn't see what the big fuss was about. Mignola's artwork is top notch, no doubt, but for whatever reason the characters and stories of Hellboy just don't connect with me.

My biggest problem with the movies is Selma Blair. She has all the charisma of a wet stick, so I just can't care about her character's relationship with Hellboy. She's probably the only actress who could make being on fire look boring (which she does throughout Hellboy II). Otherwise, the cast is very strong.

I didn't hate the movie. It was just a let down. It's almost worth watching for the art direction alone. The various creatures (and there are gobs of them) are all stunning and diverse. The forest elemental and an embodiment of Death are particularly awesome. The Abe Sapien love story is genuinely sweet, but it's unfortunately a bit obvious in the way it plays out. Abe as a character is just as successful as in the first movie, which is a testament to Doug Jones' talents. I can't wait to see how del Toro uses him in The Hobbit. The new character, Klauss, is also very inspired and entertaining.

Some people are really going to love this movie. Anyone who is already a Hellboy fan undoubtedly will. Unfortunately Hellboy just doesn't seem to be for me.