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Dir. Guillermo del Toro

Rating: 3.8  |  0 User Reviews  |  Send to Friend

By Sam Benesby

In the mood for some freaky interspecial relations intertwined with vicious environmentalism and apocalyptic intimations? Then this bit of saucy fantasia from Guillermo del Toro is the flick for you. The movie concerns a demonic hero named Hellboy, discovered by the U.S. military during World War II, complete with red skin and his trademark filed-down horns. His objective is to protect the planet from the forces of paranormal evil, aided by his sidekicks Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) -- think Aquaman, but worse because he’s actually a fish -- and his girlfriend, Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), who possesses the ability explode in flames. The world is endangered when the elf Prince Nuada (Luke Gross) attempts to awaken the long dormant and indestructible Golden Army and eradicate humanity. If you’re looking for a quality film with creative depth and artistry, then you should consider Pixar's WALL-E. Any hopes that del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) would infuse the banality of the genre with some character depth are dashed by poor acting and shoddy dialogue, begging the question of whether del Toro, who wrote the screenplay, should stick to his native language. A scene with some potential personal conflict -- a great device with which to build character -- between Hellboy and Liz gets brushed off as "feminine issues" and a blown opportunity to inject some needed emotion into the proceedings. In fact, vague feminine downgrading appears to be one of the central themes of the flick: At one point, the hideous Abe falls for the compromising sister of Nuada, Princess Nuala (Anna Walton), after an extremely unconvincing and awkward flirtation. Overall the film is so fraught with inconsistencies and oversights that it's difficult to watch, even with low Summer Blockbuster expectations. I know it’s a comic book movie, but comic fanboys have had plenty more worthwhile options this summer, from Ironman and The Hulk to the promising-looking new Batman flick. Trust me, Hellboy II is scraping at the bottom of the superhero barrel.

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