Hellboy II: The Golden Army: Difference between revisions
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==Production== |
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In May 2004, following the release of [[Guillermo del Toro]]'s ''[[Hellboy (film)|Hellboy]]'' the previous month, a sequel was announced by [[Revolution Studios]] with del Toro returning to direct and [[Ron Perlman]] reprising his lead role as the [[Hellboy| |
In May 2004, following the release of [[Guillermo del Toro]]'s ''[[Hellboy (film)|Hellboy]]'' the previous month, a sequel was announced by [[Revolution Studios]] with del Toro returning to direct and [[Ron Perlman]] reprising his lead role as the [[Hellboy|title character]].<ref>{{cite news | author=Stax | url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/515/515970p1.html | title=''Hellboy II'' Confirmed! | work=[[IGN]] | publisher=[[News Corporation]] | date=2004-05-14 | accessdate=2008-07-08 }}</ref> The director sought to create a film trilogy with the first sequel anticipated for release in 2006.<ref>{{cite news | first=Brian | last=Linder | url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/544/544125p1.html | title=Guillermo, Blair Talk ''Hellboy'' Sequel | work=[[IGN]] | publisher=[[News Corporation]] | date=2004-09-02 | accessdate=2008-07-08 }}</ref> Revolution Studios planned to produce the film and distribute it through a deal with [[Columbia Pictures]], but by 2006, Revolution had gone out of business. In August 2006, [[Universal Studios|Universal Pictures]] acquired the project with the intent to finance and distribute the sequel, which was newly scheduled to be released in summer of 2008. Production was scheduled to begin in April 2007 in [[Etyek]], Hungary (near Budapest) and London, England.<ref>{{cite journal | first=Michael | last=Fleming | url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117947953.html?categoryid=1350&cs=1 | title='Hellboy' in U turn | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=2006-08-03 | accessdate=2008-07-08 }}</ref> |
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Director Guillermo del Toro explored several concepts for the sequel, initially planning to recreate the classic versions of [[Frankenstein's monster|Frankenstein]], [[Count Dracula|Dracula]] and [[The Wolf Man (1941 film)|The Wolf Man]].<ref>{{cite news | first=Scott | last=Collura | url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/739/739203p1.html | title=Exclusive: Hellboy vs. the Universal Monsters? | work=[[IGN]] | publisher=[[News Corporation]] | date=2006-10-16 | accessdate=2008-07-08 }}</ref> He and comic book creator [[Mike Mignola]] also spent a few days adapting the ''Almost Colossus'' story, featuring [[Roger (Hellboy)|Roger]] the [[Homunculus]]. They then found it easier to create an original story based on folklore, because del Toro was planning ''Pan's Labyrinth'', and Mignola's comics were becoming increasingly based on mythology.<ref>{{cite news|first=Jesse|last=Schedeen|title=Mignola On The Hellboy Juggernaut|work=[[IGN]]|publisher=[[News Corporation]]|date=2008-07-09|url=http://uk.comics.ign.com/articles/887/887545p1.html|accessdate=2008-07-10}}</ref> Later, del Toro pitched a premise to Revolution Studios that involved four Titans from the four corners of Earth—Wind, Water, Fire, and Earth—before he replaced the Titans with a Golden Army.<ref name=set>{{cite news | first=Edward | last=Douglas | url=http://www.superherohype.com/news/featuresnews.php?id=6764 | title= Guillermo del Toro from the Set of ''Hellboy II'' | work=[[Superhero Hype!]] | publisher=Coming Soon Media, L.P | date=2008-02-08 | accessdate=2008-07-08 }}</ref> Mignola described the theme of the sequel, "The focus is more on the folklore and fairy tale aspect of ''Hellboy''. It's not Nazis, machines and mad scientists but the old gods and characters who have been kind of shoved out of our world."<ref>{{cite news | first=Richard | last=George | url=http://comics.ign.com/articles/765/765210p3.html | title=Interview: Hellboy's Mike Mignola | work=[[IGN]] | publisher=[[News Corporation]] | date=2007-02-15 | accessdate=2008-07-08 }}</ref> |
Director Guillermo del Toro explored several concepts for the sequel, initially planning to recreate the classic versions of [[Frankenstein's monster|Frankenstein]], [[Count Dracula|Dracula]] and [[The Wolf Man (1941 film)|The Wolf Man]].<ref>{{cite news | first=Scott | last=Collura | url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/739/739203p1.html | title=Exclusive: Hellboy vs. the Universal Monsters? | work=[[IGN]] | publisher=[[News Corporation]] | date=2006-10-16 | accessdate=2008-07-08 }}</ref> He and comic book creator [[Mike Mignola]] also spent a few days adapting the ''Almost Colossus'' story, featuring [[Roger (Hellboy)|Roger]] the [[Homunculus]]. They then found it easier to create an original story based on folklore, because del Toro was planning ''Pan's Labyrinth'', and Mignola's comics were becoming increasingly based on mythology.<ref>{{cite news|first=Jesse|last=Schedeen|title=Mignola On The Hellboy Juggernaut|work=[[IGN]]|publisher=[[News Corporation]]|date=2008-07-09|url=http://uk.comics.ign.com/articles/887/887545p1.html|accessdate=2008-07-10}}</ref> Later, del Toro pitched a premise to Revolution Studios that involved four Titans from the four corners of Earth—Wind, Water, Fire, and Earth—before he replaced the Titans with a Golden Army.<ref name=set>{{cite news | first=Edward | last=Douglas | url=http://www.superherohype.com/news/featuresnews.php?id=6764 | title= Guillermo del Toro from the Set of ''Hellboy II'' | work=[[Superhero Hype!]] | publisher=Coming Soon Media, L.P | date=2008-02-08 | accessdate=2008-07-08 }}</ref> Mignola described the theme of the sequel, "The focus is more on the folklore and fairy tale aspect of ''Hellboy''. It's not Nazis, machines and mad scientists but the old gods and characters who have been kind of shoved out of our world."<ref>{{cite news | first=Richard | last=George | url=http://comics.ign.com/articles/765/765210p3.html | title=Interview: Hellboy's Mike Mignola | work=[[IGN]] | publisher=[[News Corporation]] | date=2007-02-15 | accessdate=2008-07-08 }}</ref> |
Revision as of 19:25, 3 October 2012
Hellboy II: The Golden Army | |
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Directed by | Guillermo del Toro |
Screenplay by | Guillermo del Toro |
Story by |
|
Produced by | Lawrence Gordon Lloyd Levin Mike Richardson Joe Roth |
Starring | Ron Perlman Selma Blair Doug Jones Jeffrey Tambor Luke Goss Anna Walton John Hurt Seth MacFarlane |
Cinematography | Guillermo Navarro |
Edited by | Bernat Vilaplana |
Music by | Danny Elfman |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 120 minutes |
Countries | United States Germany |
Language | English |
Budget | $85 million |
Box office | $160,388,063[1] |
Hellboy II: The Golden Army is a 2008 American supernatural superhero film based on the fictional Dark Horse Comics character Hellboy, starring Ron Perlman and Selma Blair. The movie was written and directed by Guillermo del Toro and is a sequel to the 2004 film Hellboy, which del Toro also directed. Perlman reprises his role as the eponymous character. The film was commercially released on July 11, 2008 in the United States and Canada by Universal Pictures.
Plot
In Christmas of 1955, a young Hellboy is told a bedtime story by his adoptive father, Trevor Broom, involving an ancient war between Man and magical creatures, started by Man's greed. After years of battle and defeat of the magical creatures' forces, the master of the goblin blacksmiths offers to build an indestructible golden mechanical army for King Balor, the one-armed king of the elves. Influenced by his son Prince Nuada, Balor orders the building of this Golden Army. Soon the humans attack again but the Golden Army devastates them; Balor creates a truce with the humans to stop the bloodshed: Man will keep his cities and the magical creatures will keep their forests. Nuada does not agree with the truce, and leaves in exile. The magical crown controlling the army is broken into three pieces, one piece going to the humans and the other two kept by the elves, so the Golden Army can never be used again.
In the present, Nuada declares war on the humans. He collects the first piece of the crown from an auction, massacring everyone at the site by unleashing tooth fairies, and kills his father for the second piece of the crown. His twin sister, Princess Nuala, escapes with the final piece. Meanwhile, Hellboy is having issues with his girlfriend Liz, and trouble accepting that their organization, the B.P.R.D., must remain undercover. While investigating the massacre at the auction, Hellboy allows himself to be revealed to the world. In the commotion, Abe Sapien discovers that Liz is pregnant. Furious about the public unveiling, the Bureau's superiors send a new B.P.R.D. agent, the ectoplasmic medium Johann Krauss, to take command. With Krauss in charge, the team tracks the tooth fairies to the troll market, an enormous merchant city hidden under the Brooklyn Bridge, to search for clues. Abe stumbles onto Nuala, who has obtained a map leading to the Golden Army, and quickly falls in love with her. She is brought under B.P.R.D. protection following an attack by Nuada's sidekick, the troll Wink, and an elemental forest god, both of which Hellboy kills. During the elemental fight, Hellboy is questioned by Nuada whether it is right to fight for the humans when he too is considered a monster.
Nuada tracks his sister to B.P.R.D. headquarters using their magical bond, which causes them to share wounds and read each other's thoughts to an extent. Nuala, sensing her brother's arrival, throws the map, along with the canister in which it came, into a fire and hides the final piece of the crown within one of Abe's books. However, the real map is on the canister. Nuada kidnaps his sister and critically wounds Hellboy with his spear. Unable to remove the spear shard, Liz, Abe and Krauss take Hellboy to the location of the Golden Army in The Giants Causeway County Antrim, Northern Ireland. They encounter a Bethmoora goblin, and he brings them before the Angel of Death, who has been awaiting their arrival. Though warned that Hellboy will doom humanity if he lives, and that she will suffer the most from it, Liz pleads for Hellboy's life. The Angel removes the shard from Hellboy's chest and tells Liz to give him a reason to live. She reveals to Hellboy that he is going to be a father, and he recovers.
The goblin leads the team to the resting place of the Golden Army, where Nuada awaits them. In exchange for Nuala, Abe gives him the last piece of the crown. With the crown reformed, Nuada awakens the Golden Army, ordering them to kill the team. The group is unable to defeat the soldiers as they magically repair themselves. Hellboy challenges Nuada for the right to the crown, and Nuada is forced to accept, since Hellboy's father was a Prince of Sheol. Hellboy defeats Nuada and spares his life, but Nuada tries stabbing him. Nuala commits suicide to stop her brother: the dying Nuada tells Hellboy he will have to choose whether humanity or the magical beings must die. Abe psychically tells Nuala his feelings for her before she and her brother die. Liz melts the crown, shutting down the Golden Army. As the team leaves the underground compound, Tom Manning reprimands them. Hellboy, Liz, Abe and Krauss resign from the B.P.R.D. Hellboy contemplates his future life with Liz and their baby. Liz corrects him, saying "babies", surprising him with the fact that she is pregnant with twins.
Cast
- Ron Perlman as Hellboy: The protagonist of the movie. A super-strong demon who works for the government organization Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (B.P.R.D.). Guillermo del Toro described the character's dilemma in the sequel, "[He] has always fought on the side of humans, but this [destruction of fantasy] pushes his buttons to reconsider."[2] In the sequel, Hellboy is armed with an enormous new gun called "The Big Baby", which fires flare-like bullets.[3] Montse Ribé plays a young version of Hellboy in an opening flashback.[4]
- Selma Blair as Liz Sherman: A pyrokinetic member of BPRD and Hellboy's girlfriend. Blair described her character as more engaging in the sequel, "In the first one she was afraid to take a step. She was completely a zombie, not wanting to own up to her power and having the memory of what she'd created in her life... I was really eager to come and play Liz with a little more vibrancy." Blair also had short hair for her role, avoiding long hair from her portrayal in the first film, which she felt "brought her face down". The actress emphasized Liz Sherman's growth in the sequel, "She's looking to the future much more, and things are happening in this one that she has to buck up... I think you're dealing with a lot knowing this young girl that we last saw as very damaged, and now she's with this guy, and all these people around her, I think, we've really had to step up a strength, and a confidence in her so that I don't look like the little baby kid sister tagging along."[5]
- Doug Jones as Abe Sapien: An aquatic empath who works for BPRD with Hellboy. Jones said of his return to the role after the first film, "He's been an absolute treat for me to play this time. He's written with so many different colours and levels and there's a love interest... And his buddy time with Hellboy is more concrete and his brother/sister time with Liz is even better." Jones believed that Abe Sapien became "the brains, the intellect of the team" while Hellboy protects his character because he is still "kind of innocent". The actor pointed to his character's adolescence with love,[6] "His love life is something that's never been tapped into before... So just like a 13-year-old with his first crush, this is how you're going to see Abe this time. A portion of him. Will this affect his decision-making powers?"[7] Unlike the first movie, where Abe's voice was dubbed by David Hyde Pierce, Doug Jones provided the voice himself. In addition to Abe, Jones also portrayed two more characters in the film.
- Angel of Death: A female angel with androgynous characteristics. Jones explained his portrayal, "The script refers to the angel as a her and that's what I do. I think she has feminine qualities, but she's not totally a woman either. And that's okay. I like characters that keep you guessing."[6]
- Chamberlain: The door keeper for King Balor.[8] The creature is long, gangly, eight feet tall and wears silk and velvet robes. It also has long, spindly fingers, which filmmakers mobilized with servos and which Jones wore as extensions of his own hands.[9]
- John Alexander and James Dodd as Johann Krauss: Krauss is a German psychic whose ectoplasmic being is contained in a suit after a botched séance. Originally, filmmakers planned to create a computer-generated version of the glass fishbowl helmet, but with the cost being prohibitive, they created an actual helmet. To ensure the invisibility of the actor's head under the glass, perspective and mirror tricks were used. The helmet was controlled by two puppeteers, so the heavy contraption had to be shared between Alexander and Dodd.[9] John Alexander also plays:
- Bethmoora Goblin: A legless goblin who helps Hellboy and the team find the Angel of Death. He is the master goblin smith who forged the Golden Army.
- Seth MacFarlane voices Johann Krauss: MacFarlane took over voicing duties from Thomas Kretschmann, after del Toro decided that Kretschmann's voice and the mechanical sound FX to Johann's suit did not mesh well.[10]
- Luke Goss as Prince Nuada: The main antagonist of the movie. He is King Balor's son and a martial art expert of extraordinary proficiency. Goss was previously cast as the mutant vampire Jared Nomak in del Toro's 2002 film Blade II, and the director approached the actor to be cast in Hellboy II. The only other actor considered for the part was Charlie Hunnam.[11] Goss trained with action director and former-Jackie Chan Stunt Team member, Brad Allan, learning sword and spear skills for six to seven months for his role.[12] He and Anna Walton also learned ancient Gaelic from a dialog coach for their lines.[13] Goss did not perceive Nuada as evil, explaining, "It's issues, his people, he's part of what he truly believes. I don't think, really, he's so deluded... [He] is driven by an ethic that was instilled by the person he has problems [with; that is,] his father, and inevitably, that leads into the conflict with him and Hellboy." Goss also noted that his character admired and revered his twin sister, portrayed by Anna Walton. He said of the prince and the princess, "There is an incestuous relationship that's not maybe overly obvious to everybody, but some people hopefully will pick up on the fact, certainly from my direction towards her."[12]
- Anna Walton as Princess Nuala: King Balor's daughter and Nuada's twin sister. She is described as "very light" while Nuada is "very dark", creating a yin and yang dynamic.[3] She elaborated on the incestuous tones between her character and Prince Nuada, "He's the dark side and she's the light side and they're pulled apart and pulled back together again, and she's trying to get away because she knows there is something she has to do. He can't let that go and they can't really do anything without each other so it's a really interesting thing." Her character also forms a relationship with Abe Sapien, and Walton noted their similarities, "They are both slightly lost souls and they understand each other." Walton spoke of her character's sense of purpose, "She feels very strongly about what she has to do in the film, and then her absolute connection and love for the Earth and what we are given. That's what she's here to protect... Her relationship with her brother, and how he is almost a part of her but she has to break away and will do whatever it takes to stop him from achieving what he wants to achieve, which is the mass destruction of mankind."[13]
- Jeffrey Tambor as Tom Manning: Head of the B.P.R.D., he has a slightly antagonistic relationship with Hellboy.
- John Hurt as Trevor Bruttenholm: Hellboy's adoptive father, he is seen in the beginning of the film telling young Hellboy the story of the Golden Army.
- Brian Steele as Mr. Wink: A giant cave troll who was originally conceived by Guillermo del Toro. Wink was sculpted by Mario Torres, and the costume was worn by Brian Steele. In the film, Wink's right arm has a giant metal fist. The fist was designed by filmmakers to be made of heavy plastic to stay light enough for motors to operate the mechanical fingers. The fist could also be physically detached and used as a projectile without any computer-generated imagery used.[9] Several of Mike Mignola's comics characters wield similar mechanical fists on chains, including the Kriegaffes used by Herman von Klempt. Del Toro said that he named Mr. Wink after Selma Blair's one-eyed dog. Likewise, Mr. Wink has an old wound on the left side of his face that has closed one of his eyes. Steele also portrays:
- Cathedral Head: Another troll, the owner of a map shop who gives Princess Nuala the hidden map
- Fragglewump: A monstrous Scottish troll that masquerades as a sweet old lady and feeds on kittens.
- Cronie Troll: A spice shop owner who gets in an argument with Hellboy in the troll market.
- Roy Dotrice as King Balor: The one-armed king of Elfland. All of his dialogue is in Gaelic.
Production
In May 2004, following the release of Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy the previous month, a sequel was announced by Revolution Studios with del Toro returning to direct and Ron Perlman reprising his lead role as the title character.[14] The director sought to create a film trilogy with the first sequel anticipated for release in 2006.[15] Revolution Studios planned to produce the film and distribute it through a deal with Columbia Pictures, but by 2006, Revolution had gone out of business. In August 2006, Universal Pictures acquired the project with the intent to finance and distribute the sequel, which was newly scheduled to be released in summer of 2008. Production was scheduled to begin in April 2007 in Etyek, Hungary (near Budapest) and London, England.[16]
Director Guillermo del Toro explored several concepts for the sequel, initially planning to recreate the classic versions of Frankenstein, Dracula and The Wolf Man.[17] He and comic book creator Mike Mignola also spent a few days adapting the Almost Colossus story, featuring Roger the Homunculus. They then found it easier to create an original story based on folklore, because del Toro was planning Pan's Labyrinth, and Mignola's comics were becoming increasingly based on mythology.[18] Later, del Toro pitched a premise to Revolution Studios that involved four Titans from the four corners of Earth—Wind, Water, Fire, and Earth—before he replaced the Titans with a Golden Army.[19] Mignola described the theme of the sequel, "The focus is more on the folklore and fairy tale aspect of Hellboy. It's not Nazis, machines and mad scientists but the old gods and characters who have been kind of shoved out of our world."[20]
Del Toro released Pan's Labyrinth in 2006, and the film earned multiple Academy Awards, providing the director enough clout to begin production on Hellboy II.[2] Guillermo del Toro began filming Hellboy II in June 2007 in Budapest and concluded in December 2007.[21] The film was the first American production to shoot at Korda Studios in Hungary, then newly built outside Budapest.[22] The creature shop was led by the company Spectral Motion,[23] and Filmefex contributed work in makeup and prosthetics. The latter company designed a creature for the troll market scene and built several statues and full-sized replicas of the Golden Army.[24]
Music
The soundtrack was composed by Danny Elfman, also includes All I Wanna To Do Is Rock by the Alternative-rock Scottish band Travis. The end credits song is Noir by Red Is For Fire, composed by Ben Isaac.
Release
Hellboy II opened on July 11, 2008, in 3,204 theaters in the United States and Canada.[25] The film ranked first at the box office, grossing an estimated $35.9 million over the weekend, outperforming the opening of its predecessor, which had opened with $23.2 million.[26] The opening was the biggest of Guillermo del Toro's directing career.[27]
According to CinemaScore, audiences gave the film a B grade.[27] The demographic for Hellboy II was mostly male, and the age distribution for moviegoers below and above 25 years old was evenly split.[28] Outside of the United States and Canada, Hellboy II had a limited release on 533 screens in Mexico, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, grossing $4.6 million.[29]
In its second weekend in the United States and Canada, Hellboy II's box office performance dropped 71% to gross $10.1 million, a larger drop than its predecessor, which dropped 53% in comparison. The sequel's larger drop was attributed to the significant opening of the Batman film The Dark Knight.[30] As of September 9, 2008 Hellboy II has grossed $75,986,503 in the United States and Canada. The film came top in the UK and Ireland box office charts upon its release on August 22[31] and earned an additional international gross of $84,401,560 bringing its worldwide total to $160,388,063, meaning it has currently outgrossed the first film by nearly $53 million, and has yet to open in at least one country.[32][33]
Marketing
In addition to television spots showing scenes from the film, humorous adverts were also aired depicting Hellboy appearing on Ghost Hunters; being interviewed by James Lipton on Inside the Actors Studio; playing video games with Chuck Bartowski from Chuck; visiting the set of American Gladiators; auditioning for a high school event; and hosting a public service announcement with a cat.[34]
Home media
Hellboy II: The Golden Army was released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 11, 2008.[35] For the DVD, there is both a single-disc and a 3-Disc Special Edition (not available in the UK).
The single-disc edition includes the movie and a very limited selection of special features. Available on the one-disc edition is a "Director's Notebook" section, in which pages of Del Toro's notebook are reproduced, showcasing design sketches and annotations by the director, as well as "video pod" segments in which he explains these designs and concepts further. The segment is available in the three-disc edition in the "pre-production vault", which also includes other galleries. The three-disc special edition includes two audio commentaries (one by Del Toro and another by members of the cast), six deleted scenes, several featurettes, a full-length documentary, and image galleries. Though not added into the movie after credits due to budget cuts, a comic-style of the Zinco Sequel is added to the special features, serving as a prologue to the third Hellboy movie. The third disc contains a digital copy.
Critical reception
Hellboy II received very positive reviews from film critics.[36] As of August 19, 2012, Rotten Tomatoes reported that 86% of critics gave the film positive reviews, with an average score of 7.1/10, based upon a sample of 196 reviews.[37] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film has received an average score of 78, based on 35 reviews, gaining a better critical reaction than the first film.[36]
Michael Rechtshaffen writing in The Hollywood Reporter said Hellboy II was an uncompromised vision of Guillermo del Toro's imagination. He said that with the director given free rein, the film came across as an amalgam of the best moments from his previous films, only with better visual effects.[38] John Anderson of Variety wrote of a rococo precision to the visuals that exceeded that of the first film. He cited del Toro's "clockmaker's preoccupation with detail" and ability to blend state-of-the-art technology with more classical visuals as the reasons for the film's success.[39] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly said that the plot did not often deviate from its comic-book traditions, but that del Toro staged the action "brilliantly". He said that while the visual effects deserved recognition, what made the film so exciting was the personality they were imbued with.[40] Chuck Wilson of The Village Voice said that del Toro was on autopilot, but that he and his Pan's Labyrinth crew, cinematographer Guillermo Navarro in particular, staged the steady stream of action set-pieces expertly.[41] Mike Goodridge of Screen International wrote that del Toro had retained the B movie tone of the first film, saying the film managed to avoid the self-importance of The Incredible Hulk and the Batman film series and that del Toro was simply a "great storyteller" providing a "good time".[42] Stuart Levine in Premiere praised the visuals and "beautiful" set-pieces, but said del Toro's script fell a little short of his direction.[43] Alonso Duralde writing for msnbc.com said it represented a backwards step for del Toro, saying that despite several creepy sequences, the film was a return to the muddled storytelling and pretty visuals of his pre-Pan's Labyrinth films. He said del Toro's screenplay lacked energy or momentum.[44] However, Peter Bradshaw, of The Guardian said almost the opposite was the case, as he thinks "it is a crackingly enjoyable and exciting sequel, with something that the memory of Pan's Labyrinth might have entirely erased: a sense of humour." Noting that "this spectacular movie seethes and fizzes with wit and energy, absorbing and transforming influences such as Ghostbusters and even Harry Potter and the secret world of Diagon Alley."[45]
John Anderson said the film would be "almost unthinkable" without Ron Perlman in the lead role, saying the film was more successful than its predecessor mainly due to the more deliberately amusing tone and the "drily ironic" title character. He said the only weak link was Luke Goss' "unimposing" villain.[39] While praising the general banter between Perlman and Blair, Stuart Levine said the nonchalant Hellboy exhibited insufficient growth as a character, and that Jeffrey Tambor was largely wasted in his role. He agreed that Goss' villain was weak as written, with no tangible menace.[43] Helen O'Hara of Empire said the character was only let down by a lack of screentime in which to give him enough dramatic weight, and that Goss did "a perfectly good job".[46] Owen Gleiberman said Perlman was more assured than in the first Hellboy, funnier and more cantankerous. He said the entire ensemble had "an appealing, outsize grandeur" about it.[40] Mike Goodridge said the film carefully developed the character relationships,[42] and Chuck Wilson said that other than the title character's penchant for chewing cigars, he was otherwise "uninteresting".[41] Alonso Duralde wrote that the "sitcom-ish" character dilemmas were uninteresting, saying that Perlman and Tambor's performances were regularly let down by the script. He said that Blair's performance was possibly the first bad one he'd seen by the actress, and that while Jones was "brilliant" physically, his vocal performance was inferior to David Hyde Pierce's in the first Hellboy film.[44] Michael Rechtshaffen called Perlman "terrific" and said Blair's brooding portrayal was effective.[38]
Michael Rechtshaffen concluded that Hellboy II was less focused than the first film, but that it played "faster and looser" and mostly a "wild ride".[38] In a positive review, John Anderson's main criticism was a sequence set in Northern Ireland, which he called the least interesting and most conventional segment of the film.[39] Chuck Wilson said the film "didn't have much on its mind", but that it would amaze children and amuse adults,[41] Stuart Levine said the film was worth viewers' time,[43] and Alonso Duralde said Hellboy II was "limp and unengaging".[44] Owen Gleiberman surmised that the film was "derivative yet... dazzling",[40] and Mike Goodridge concluded by praising the filmmakers' skill at creating a film that, despite featuring "stunning" action sequences and creature effects, still found time for character development and a fulfilling story that expanded the franchise's wider mythology.[42] Peter Bradshaw suggested that "'Visionary' is a word too easily applied to fantasy movies, but it sticks easily here."[45]
The film appeared on some critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2008. Rene Rodriguez of The Miami Herald named it the 5th best film of 2008 (along with The Dark Knight),[47] and Stephanie Zacharek of Salon named it the 10th best film of 2008 (along with Iron Man).[47]
Awards
IGN named Hellboy II: The Golden Army Best Fantasy Movie of 2008, also receiving the same honor at the 2008 Scream Awards. At the end of 2008, Rotten Tomatoes listed the film as Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy in their 10th Annual Golden Tomato Awards. It was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Makeup, but lost to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Hellboy II: The Golden Army has won Best Horror for the Saturn Award.
CEM
Year | Category | Nominee | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2009 | Best Visual Effects | Hellboy II: The Golden Army | Won |
Tie-in publications and merchandise
Promotional comic
This story by Mike Mignola and Guillermo del Toro with art by Francisco Ruiz Velasco was published as a special promotion for the film by Dark Horse Comics in one-shot comic book Hellboy: The Golden Army (January 2008) with three variant covers;[3]
- Photo cover of Ron Perlman as Hellboy.
- Photo cover of Doug Jones as Abe Sapien.
- Photo cover of Selma Blair as Liz Sherman.
In his introduction film director del Toro affirms his and Mignola’s admiration of Velasco’s “clean, propulsive narrative, draftsmanship, and artistic skills” and states that the intention of this title is to treat the film’s opening narrative as a mini-epic and give the artist the opportunity to tell it with unlimited budget and shooting time.
In the story Professor Trevor Bruttenholm, caring for the young Hellboy at Douglas Air Force Base, New Mexico on Christmas Eve 1944, relates the story of the Golden Army from the film’s opening prologue, which he describes as the first tale ever told, as a bedtime story that he ends by saying one day Hellboy may find out if it is true.
Art book
Hellboy II: The Art of the Movie (June 18, 2008, ISBN 978-1-59307-964-2) by Guillermo del Toro and Mike Mignola with art by Sergio Sandoval and Franciso Ruiz Velasco looks into the film's evolution, from early concept art and diary sketches to photos of the final props, sets, and includes;
- Complete screenplay including a deleted scene illustrated with the original storyboards.
- Interviews and commentary from creator Mike Mignola and filmmaker Guillermo del Toro.
Novelization
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (June 18, 2008, ISBN 978-1-59307-954-3) by Robert Greenberger is the official novelization of the film.[48]
Video game
During its initial theatrical release in North America, a video game set within the Hellboy universe was released around the time that of the movie entitled Hellboy: The Science of Evil for PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable and Xbox 360, released on June 24 in North America and August 15 in Europe. Despite its close release date, promotion alongside the film and featuring voices of the same actors, the game is not a direct movie tie-in with the plot not being related to that of the film but instead follows an original story where Hellboy investigates Nazi operations in Romania under Herman von Klempt, an antagonist from the comics.
Zinco Epilogue
Included as a special feature on the DVD is an animated comic that foreshadows the events of the next film.
Sequel
Del Toro has expressed interest in a sequel, saying, "I think we would all come back to do a third Hellboy, if they can wait for me to get out of Middle-Earth, but we don't know. Ron may want to do it sooner, but I certainly know where we're going with the movie on the third one."[49] On May 30, 2010, Guillermo del Toro dropped out of directing The Hobbit.
In June 2010, Del Toro speculated that Hellboy III might happen after his next project, but said that the screenplay had yet to be written.[50]
On July 14, 2012, after being inspired by a recent Make-A-Wish function in which Ron Perlman appeared in full Hellboy makeup for a terminally ill boy, Del Toro stated, "I can say publicly say that we are now together in trying to make Hellboy III a reality"[51]
References
- ^ "Hellboy II:The Golden Army". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2011-10-17.
{{cite news}}
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(help) - ^ a b Carroll, Larry (2007-02-13). "'Pan's Labyrinth' Duo Use Oscar Clout To Make Hellboy II Their Way". VH1. MTV Networks. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ a b c Carroll, Larry (2007-11-13). "'Hellboy II': Too-Hot-To-Hold Details From Hungarian Set ... Including Talk Of A Threequel". MTV.com. MTV. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ "Web Exclusive: Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, Young Hellboy", Makeup Mag, 04 August 2008
- ^ Douglas, Edward (2008-02-01). "Selma Blair Returns as Liz Sherman". Superhero Hype!. Coming Soon Media, L.P. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ a b Douglas, Edward (2008-02-05). "Hellboy II's Triple Threat, Doug Jones!". Superhero Hype!. Coming Soon Media, L.P. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ Lee, Patrick (2007-05-14). "Hellboy 2's Sapien Swims Into Love". Sci Fi Wire. Sci Fi Channel. Retrieved 2008-07-08. [dead link ]
- ^ "Doug Jones Exclusive Video Interview". Collider.com. Retrieved 2011-02-09.
- ^ a b c Douglas, Edward (2008-02-08). "The Creatures of Hellboy II". Superhero Hype!. Coming Soon Media, L.P. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
- ^ Smith, Jeremy (2008-04-20). "Johann Kraus is a family guy". CHUD.com. KrakenHeads. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ Graham, Jamie (June 7, 2012). "Guillermo del Toro talks Pacific Rim". Total Film. Retrieved June 9, 2012.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ a b Douglas, Edward (2008-02-01). "Luke Goss is Hellboy II's Prince Nuada". Superhero Hype!. Coming Soon Media, L.P. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ a b Douglas, Edward (2008-02-01). "Anna Walton is Hellboy II's Princess Nuala". Superhero Hype!. Coming Soon Media, L.P. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ Stax (2004-05-14). "Hellboy II Confirmed!". IGN. News Corporation. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ Linder, Brian (2004-09-02). "Guillermo, Blair Talk Hellboy Sequel". IGN. News Corporation. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ Fleming, Michael (2006-08-03). "'Hellboy' in U turn". Variety. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ Collura, Scott (2006-10-16). "Exclusive: Hellboy vs. the Universal Monsters?". IGN. News Corporation. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ Schedeen, Jesse (2008-07-09). "Mignola On The Hellboy Juggernaut". IGN. News Corporation. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
- ^ Douglas, Edward (2008-02-08). "Guillermo del Toro from the Set of Hellboy II". Superhero Hype!. Coming Soon Media, L.P. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ George, Richard (2007-02-15). "Interview: Hellboy's Mike Mignola". IGN. News Corporation. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ Serwin, Andy (2007-08-28). "Hellboy 2 Update". WizardUniverse.com. Wizard Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2008-01-13. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ Eichinger, Katja (2007-05-17). "'Hellboy 2' heads to Korda". Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ Moro, Eric (2007-11-02). "Set Visit: Hellboy II: The Golden Army". IGN. News Corporation. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ Grey, Tobias (2007-11-16). "Budapest company bound for 'Hellboy'". Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ "Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)". Box Office Mojo. Box Office Mojo, LLC. Retrieved 2008-07-13.
- ^ McClintock, Pamela (2008-07-13). "'Hellboy' burns competition". Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved 2008-07-13.
- ^ a b Rich, Joshua (2008-07-13). "'Hellboy II' Sets Box Office on Fire". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ DiOrio, Carl (2008-07-13). "'Hellboy II' tops boxoffice". The Hollywood Reporter. Nielsen Company. Archived from the original on 2008-07-18. Retrieved 2008-07-13.
- ^ Segers, Frank (2008-07-13). "'Hancock' on top overseas again". The Hollywood Reporter. Nielsen Company. Retrieved 2007-07-14. [dead link ]
- ^ Gray, Brandon (2008-07-23). "'Dark Knight' Begins Smashingly". Box Office Mojo. Box Office Mojo, LLC. Retrieved 2008-07-24.
- ^ "Hellboy defeats Batman in cinemas". BBC. BBC. 2008-08-27. Retrieved 2008-08-28.
- ^ "The Numbers". Retrieved 2008-10-12.
- ^ "Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)". Box Office Mojo. 2008-09-18. Retrieved 2011-02-09.
- ^ "Who All Got to Meet Hellboy this Week?". Superhero Hype!. Coming Soon Media, L.P. 2008-07-03. Retrieved 2008-07-04.
- ^ Monfette, Christopher (September 24, 2008). "Hellboy II Conquers DVD and Blu-ray". IGN. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
- ^ a b "Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008): Reviews". Metacritic. CNET Networks, Inc. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
- ^ "Hellboy II: The Golden Army Movie Reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. IGN Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
- ^ a b c Michael Rechtshaffen (2008-06-29). "Film Review: Hellboy II: The Golden Army". The Hollywood Reporter. Nielsen Company. Archived from the original on 2008-07-07. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ a b c John Anderson (2008-06-29). "Hellboy II: The Golden Army Review". Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ a b c Owen Gleiberman (2008-07-09). "Movie Review: Hellboy II". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
- ^ a b c Chuck Wilson (2008-07-07). "Devil May Care About Hellboy II". The Village Voice. Village Voice Media. Retrieved 2008-07-09.
- ^ a b c Mike Goodridge (2008-06-30). "Hellboy II: The Golden Army review". Screen International. EMAP. Retrieved 2008-07-09.
- ^ a b c Stuart Levine (2008-07-07). "Hellboy II: The Golden Army review". Premiere. Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
- ^ a b c Alonso Duralde (2008-07-08). "'Hellboy II' falls from grace". msnbc.com. NBC Universal / Microsoft. Retrieved 2008-07-09.
- ^ a b Bradshaw, Peter (2008-08-15). "Hellboy II: The Golden Army". The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-08-15.
- ^ Helen O'Hara (August 2008). "Review of Hellboy II: The Golden Army". Empire. Bauer Verlagsgruppe. Retrieved 2008-08-18.
- ^ a b "Metacritic: 2008 Film Critic Top Ten Lists". Metacritic. Retrieved January 11, 2009. [dead link ]
- ^ "Hellboy II: The Golden Army (paperback)". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2011-02-09.
- ^ Utichi, Joe (2008-07-10). "Guillermo del Toro - RT's Dinner and the Movies Interview". Rotten Tomatoes. IGN Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub (2010-06-25). "Guillermo del Toro Talks THE HOBBIT, HELLBOY 3, FRANKENSTEIN, MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS, Comic-Con, and so Much More!!". Collider.com. Retrieved 2010-06-25.
- ^ http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/171793-guillermo-del-toro-inspired-to-make-hellboy-3-a-reality
Further reading
- Greenberger, Robert (15 June 2008). Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Novelization of the film. Dark Horse. ISBN 1-59307-954-0.
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(help) - Del Toro, Guillermo (6 June 2008). Hellboy II: The Art of the Movie. Dark Horse. ISBN 1-59307-964-8.
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External links
- Official website
- Hellboy II: The Golden Army at IMDb
- Hellboy II: The Golden Army at AllMovie
- Hellboy II: The Golden Army at Rotten Tomatoes
- Hellboy II: The Golden Army at Box Office Mojo
- Hellboy II: The Golden Army at Metacritic
- From mind to movie - how the world of Hellboy II was created - Extrageographic
- 2008 films
- American films
- German films
- English-language films
- 2000s action films
- Action comedy films
- Apocalyptic films
- Fantasy films
- Films based on Dark Horse comics
- Films directed by Guillermo del Toro
- Films shot in Hungary
- Hellboy films
- Monster movies
- Relativity Media films
- Sequel films
- Universal Pictures films
- Demons in film