seiberwing

Hellboy II.

OMG. Just...OMFuckingG. My socks have been knocked off and I'm pretty sure I'm missing several toes as well.

It's absolutely beautiful, for one, although that's no surprise from the guy who did Pan's Labyrinth. The first movie basically introduced the concept of the BPRD and had a lot of Hellboy and co. running around in dark underground tunnels of one form or another. This one shows the vast, vivid world lurking just beneath our own and it's the sort of place you really want to sink yourself into and explore to your heart's content. And also Prince Nuada looks a bit like one of Blackout's cousins that went into the fencing club while majoring in European mythology at uni and started taking himself far too seriously.

Of course, the plot of folkloric creatures getting pissed at us for taking over the world and coming back to give us a well-needed spanking is a pretty old one, and besides the graphics it's really the interplay of the protagonists that makes it awesome. Last movie there was Hellboy doing stuff, Liz being a love interest, and Abe being the geeky sidekick who sits out half the movie anyway. This time they play up the 'we're freaks but we're buddies so we stick together' aspect hugely and that really makes it a lot more interesting, and Krauss winds up fitting into the picture rather nicely. I found the romance bits far easier to tolerate, although I suppose your mileage may vary.

In conclusion, go see it. Now. GO!