I’ve read a lot of comic books in my day, though ‘my day’ was pretty much about 20 years ago. Since that time, I’ve picked up the occasional comic or two and have found them to be quite different. Some say they are more adult, but I don’t like the connotation that implies. I prefer to say they have matured. Those few comics I’ve read are usually familiar ones, Superman or Spider-Man. Recently I had a friend give me a set of Batman comics for a story called, “Hush.” It was quite good and has revived in me a need to read more. Indeed, most comics aren’t really for children anymore and some have gotten so good as to be considered quality literature. There was one comic hero rolling around for the past few years that I had heard of, but never seen. Hellboy was his name, and I had been told time and time again that his was a comic not to be missed. The character was a demon that fought for the side of good against all things paranormal.

He was described to me as having bright red skin, a hand that seemed to be made from solid rock and two stumps on his forehead where his horns used to be. I was told that he would grind them down so he was able to… fit in.

Though I would often look for the comics, I guess I never looked hard enough because to this day they have eluded me. So I was quite intrigued last year when I heard that Guillermo del Toro, the director behind “Blade II” and the highly stylistic “Cronos”, was going to helm a big budget theatrical film based on the character. I started checking out the Internet for pictures of Hellboy, which I found easily. I immediately wondered who he would choose to play the role. A character like this could not be played by just anyone.

When it was announced that Ron Perlman, the man behind the Beast in “TV’s Beauty and the Beast” was going to be Hellboy, there was a collective jump for joy from fans of the comic series. Though I was not yet a fan, I too was ecstatic. Perlman was perfect. He had the physique and already had the somewhat unique features that would make the job a little easier for the makeup department.

Then as weeks went by, more and more news came out about the production, and every tidbit was a gem. One day we would hear that the comic books hero’s creator Mike Mignola was on board, working side by side with del Toro to make sure the movie would be true to the vision of the comic. Then we learned that master special effects artist Rick Baker was going to design the makeup for “Hellboy.” Everything pointed to a movie that couldn’t lose, even though the character was only familiar to a few scattered comic book fans.

Soon the film became a juggernaut of sorts, with all manner of marketing making sure that the opening weekend would be a big one. All the trailers and all the clips made “Hellboy” look like it was the second coming, and that it was guaranteed to blow movie goers out of their seats. Would it deliver, I wondered? Could this movie actually be that good? Well...uhhh… yes. As a matter of act it was.

Once the film opened, it played to huge crowds and seemed to please both fans and non-fans alike. Sure there were detractors nit-picking little details, there always will be, but the movie was actually good enough to withstand the onslaught. “Hellboy” was fun (as well as funny), scary and quite an adventure. I personally thought Ron Perlman delivered one of the most human performances of his career, in spite of the fact that his character was decidedly inhuman. The storyline, which perfectly mixed the supernatural, Nazi Germany and the mad monk Rasputin, was inspired. “Hellboy” wasn’t just a good movie, it was a great movie.

The fact that there was going to be a sequel was no secret. After all, “Hellboy” screamed for a sequel, even though it took nearly 4 years to surface. A few months back, “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” hit theatres running and again the turnout was amazing. Aside from the fans that had waited so long, the simple fact that del Toro was back behind the lens added to the film’s attraction. As badly as I wanted to see it in theatres, it was not meant to be, so instead I waited for the eventual DVD release. No wait… make that the BluRay release. I had only recently been introduced to BluRay and one of the first titles I checked out was the original “Hellboy”, so I was pretty much chomping at the bit to see the new on in all its BluRay glory.

Now that I have… my jaw still hasn’t quite lifted back up from the floor. “Hellboy II The Golden Army” is not a perfect film, and in some ways it is not even quite as good as the first. However, under del Toro’s creative eye, it’s still far better than most films I’ve seen this year. The story surrounds an Elf Prince who has taken it upon himself to break the treaty between the underworld and humans. He feels that it is time to take back and live in the world as opposed to hiding in dark alleys and under bridges. His ultimate goal is to re-animate the Golden Army… made up of 777 mechanical warrior… in order to wipe out the human race.

The Prince is initially opposed by his father, then his sister and finally… Hellboy. He is a whirling dervish of a fighter and one wonders in watching his many battles throughout the film whether or not anyone could ever actually touch him. The fight sequences are dizzying and stunning. I’d go into more detail about the plot, but honestly, do you really want to know more before you see it? Just trust me that the plot is BIG!

What really sells me on the movie though is del Toro’s vision. He brings things to his films that are innovative and often breathtaking, and this is no less true with “Hellboy II.” I was especially blown away by the Troll Market which is an amazing set piece… just how amazing brought to the forefront by del Toro’s tour in one of the BluRay’s many features. The details are incredible, to the point that one wonders if it was all really necessary.

Speaking of extras, the BluRay release offers up U-Control, which features angle comparisons, behind-the-scenes footage and concept art that you can access while watching the film. There is also a two-hour making-of feature called "Hellboy: In Service of the Demon", a look at that intro puppet sequence; some deleted scenes with optional commentary from del Toro, two feature commentaries with the cast and del Toro, the aforementioned Troll Market tour with del Toro, a virtual comic book, and a BD-Live equipped comic-book builder. For those who can enjoy a tiny picture on your Ipod, ther is also a digital copy disc that allows you to download a copy of the film into your Itunes.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” but I do have to mention a few nitpicks. I was rather disappointed by Selma Blair’s return as Hellboy’s love… Liz. I adore Selma Blair, but she seemed to be sleepwalking through most of her scenes. Her character was very introspective I guess, but it didn’t really come across that way onscreen. On the other hand, I was glad to see Doug Jones take the forefront as Abe Sapien. In the first film, his voice was dubbed by David Hyde Pierce, but here he gets to use his own, and he does a phenomenal job. And while I hesitate to mention it here, any shortcomings the film might have had were overshadowed by a scene involving a drunken sing-along… which has to be seen (and heard) to be believed. Oh, and the addition of the character Professor Krauss (voiced by the awesome Seth McFarlane) is yet antoher treat

I was glad to see the movie “Hellboy II” live up to all the expectations the marketing was selling, and am now equally blown away by Universal’s awesome Blu-Ray release.

Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
Starring: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Jeffrey Tambor,
Extras:
Specifications: Widescreen (1.85:1), Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Universal
Release Date: 11/11/2008
Region 1
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Sci Fi Action and Frightening Images)
Website

We'll give Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Blu-ray) an A.