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Hellboy II: The Golden Army
PG-13 (2008)
Dark Horse Entertainment
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones
When an evil prince disobeys his wise father’s wishes and seeks war, Hellboy
(Ron Perlman), and his team rise to battle, fighting off bone-devouring tooth fairies
and trying to solve Love’s age-old riddles along the way.
Hellboy, his human pyro girlfriend Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), and their aquatic
psychic friend Abe Sapien (Doug Jones, who also played two other parts) are
sheltered and employed by the ultra-secret Bureau of Paranormal Research and
Defense.
Hellboy is a cigar-loving demon with a soft spot for kittens, Tecate beer in cans,
and his girl, not always in that order. We’re glad to see him back, and that this
sequel is every bit as good as the original.
The mix of Victorian gadgets and C-Gen is fun to watch, but it’s the characters that
give this franchise depth. These characters are not multimillionaires like the
Fantastic Four or Batman. Instead, they echo the pathos of street kids. Their
strength comes from who they are, not what they bought.
Hellboy and his friends are nuanced, funny, and dedicated to each other. Even the
domestic squabbles, while taking place with superhero intensity, remain at their
core good-natured, human, and all too real.
Fatherhood
Hellboy loves his adopted dad, Professor Broom (John Hurt) a kind, learned man
whose stern countenance can melt into twinkling eyes over repeated requests for
a bedtime story. Broom sees to the lad's nightly routine and reads him the fairy tale
that sets the stage for the film. In that story, a wise king (and father) makes peace
in the world, and a son prepares to disobey.
Fatherhood also becomes an empowering force for good during the course of the
film.
We really like the Hellboy franchise, because he powerfully demonstrates ("demon"
-strates?) all that is good about men and has such a good time doing it. Here is a
guy who can blast through the frivolous and body-slam the bad guys, but can sing
Barry Manilow tunes.
Hellboy's direct approach to problem-solving is all guy. His comical way of
addressing his own shortcomings is boyish and charming.
One dark spot: the film is predicated upon the idea that all men are flawed. We're
going to intentionally overlook the genesis-like fairy tale Broom reads to the young
Hellboy at bedtime, where the story goes that Man was “born with a hole in his
heart” (all males are flawed) and that this is the reason they make wars (as though
their queens are on the record as wanting them to stop, or never made war
themselves).
Final verdict
Hellboy is father friendly, male positive.
Reviews Back to top
PG-13 (2008)
Dark Horse Entertainment
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones
When an evil prince disobeys his wise father’s wishes and seeks war, Hellboy
(Ron Perlman), and his team rise to battle, fighting off bone-devouring tooth fairies
and trying to solve Love’s age-old riddles along the way.
Hellboy, his human pyro girlfriend Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), and their aquatic
psychic friend Abe Sapien (Doug Jones, who also played two other parts) are
sheltered and employed by the ultra-secret Bureau of Paranormal Research and
Defense.
Hellboy is a cigar-loving demon with a soft spot for kittens, Tecate beer in cans,
and his girl, not always in that order. We’re glad to see him back, and that this
sequel is every bit as good as the original.
The mix of Victorian gadgets and C-Gen is fun to watch, but it’s the characters that
give this franchise depth. These characters are not multimillionaires like the
Fantastic Four or Batman. Instead, they echo the pathos of street kids. Their
strength comes from who they are, not what they bought.
Hellboy and his friends are nuanced, funny, and dedicated to each other. Even the
domestic squabbles, while taking place with superhero intensity, remain at their
core good-natured, human, and all too real.
Fatherhood
Hellboy loves his adopted dad, Professor Broom (John Hurt) a kind, learned man
whose stern countenance can melt into twinkling eyes over repeated requests for
a bedtime story. Broom sees to the lad's nightly routine and reads him the fairy tale
that sets the stage for the film. In that story, a wise king (and father) makes peace
in the world, and a son prepares to disobey.
Fatherhood also becomes an empowering force for good during the course of the
film.
We really like the Hellboy franchise, because he powerfully demonstrates ("demon"
-strates?) all that is good about men and has such a good time doing it. Here is a
guy who can blast through the frivolous and body-slam the bad guys, but can sing
Barry Manilow tunes.
Hellboy's direct approach to problem-solving is all guy. His comical way of
addressing his own shortcomings is boyish and charming.
One dark spot: the film is predicated upon the idea that all men are flawed. We're
going to intentionally overlook the genesis-like fairy tale Broom reads to the young
Hellboy at bedtime, where the story goes that Man was “born with a hole in his
heart” (all males are flawed) and that this is the reason they make wars (as though
their queens are on the record as wanting them to stop, or never made war
themselves).
Final verdict
Hellboy is father friendly, male positive.
Reviews Back to top
