Daniel Cann

In true ‘Hellboy’ style he is again a reluctant hero. He would rather enjoy his cigars kick back with a few beers and slob around at home with his cats. This is what endeared audiences to the character in the first film and works again well here. We identify with the hulking red, horned demon with a tail as we see so much of ourselves in him. The script and Perlman’s portrayal make the character enjoyable as he does battle with the bad guys in true world-weary cynical style.

Heading the bad guys this time is the underworld Prince Nuada (Luke Goss of Bros fame but now making a niche for himself as the bad guy in horror and fantasy films). Nuada is sick of centuries of deferring to humankind. He plans to awaken an army of killing machines (the Golden Army of the title) that will restore things to how they were, the consequences of this for the human race will be our destruction and magical creatures roaming the earth again. Only Hellboy and pals can stand in Prince Nuada’s way and thwart his plans.

Agent Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor) is a bureaucrat along for the ride who obviously clashes with the unconventional Hellboy. Manning does not like the way Hellboy allows himself to be seen so openly by the general public.

Another new addition to the cast is Johan Krauss (voiced by ‘Family Guy’s Seth MacFarlane). Krauss is an unusual entity, basically he is pure ectoplasmic energy contained in what looks like a deep-sea divers suit. He has lots of tricks up his sleeve and of course like Manning enjoys a spiky relationship with the brutish Hellboy.

The good thing about this film is that it expands on themes from the first entry. Hellboy’s relationship with Liz is explored more deeply and we learn and see more about the underworld. The troll market looks fantastic and there are plenty of weird and wonderful creatures to feast your eyes on like goblins and The Angel of Death. There is plenty of action of course and eye candy in the form of the sets and special effects but again it is the central characters interaction with each other that makes this so enjoyable. All the elements from the first are present, especially the humour. This film is the perfect way to unwind on a rainy day and will please both its loyal fan-base and provide entertainment to non-initiates as well. Director Guillermo del Toro has produced a worthy sequel and I would not be surprised if we are treated to a third slice of paranormal action in the future.

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