Product Description

Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, James Dodd, Jeffrey TamborDirector: Guillermo del Toro

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1415 in DVD
• Brand: Blu-ray Action & Adventure
• Released on: 2008-12-08
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .26 pounds
• Running time: 115 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The feverish Hellboy 2: The Golden Army is a very busy sequel that might have looked unhinged in the hands of a less visionary director than Guillermo del Toro. Ron Perlman returns as Hellboy, aka "Red," the Dark Horse Comics demon-hero with roots in the mythical world but personal ties in the human realm. Still working, as he was in Hellboy, for a secret department of the federal government that deals (as in "Men In Black") with forces of the fantastic, Red and his colleagues take on a royal elf (Luke Goss) determined to smash a longtime truce between mankind and the forces of magic. Meanwhile, Red's relationship with girlfriend Liz (Selma Blair), who can burst into flames at will, is going through a rocky stage observed by Red's fishy friend Abe (Doug Jones), himself struck by love in this film. Del Toro brilliantly integrates the ordinary and extraordinary, diving into an extended scene set in a troll market barely hidden behind the façade of typical city streets. He also unleashes a forest monster that devastates an urban neighborhood, but then--interestingly--brings a luminous beauty to the same area as the creature (an "elemental") succumbs to a terrible death. Del Toro's art direction proves masterful, too, in a climactic battle set in a clockworks-like stronghold tucked away in rugged Irish landscape. But it's really the juxtaposition of visual marvels with not-so-unusual relationship issues that gives Hellboy 2 a certain jaunty appeal hard to find in other superhero movies. --Tom Keogh

Special Features

Interactive features

While you watch the movie you can enjoy:

• Concept art gallery: View concept art that corresponds to the on-screen action
• Director's notebook: Explore Guillermo del Toro's personal notebook to access exclusive interviews, sketches and notes
• Set visits: Take an all-access, behind-the-scenes tour through the Hellboy 2 set and view alternate takes from the movie, cast interviews and more!

• Scene Explorer: Schufften Goggle View
• Feature commentary with director Guillermo del Toro
• Feature commentary with cast members Jeffrey Tambor, Selma Blair and Luke Goss
• Elemental Egg

• Prologue
• Hellboy: In Service of the Demon
• Production workshop
• Pre-production vault
• Troll Market tour with Guillermo del Toro
• Zinco Epilogue animated comic
• Deleted scenes with commentary by Guillermo del Toro
• Plus more

Synopsis
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY begs any number of referential mash-ups to be used as description of its outlandish tonal and stylistic qualities. It's a little like a romantic and sophisticated live-action Ninja Turtles movie imbued with a cracked version of H.P. Lovecraft's monster storytelling. It's a feature-length version of STAR WARS's Mos Eisley Cantina mixed with a scrappy, proficient passion for creature design reminiscent of Ray Harryhausen. It's also kind of director/co-writer Guillermo del Toro's HELLBOY (2004) wrapped in a blanket of his PAN'S LABYRINTH. This sequel is all these things, but none of them can accurately capture the singularity of a movie which, in some ways, stands alone in its ability to capture the crass and literary luridness of reading a comic book. It's filled with gross creatures bursting with humanity, dark poetry, and slapstick comedy; in one scene, an argument between Hellboy and Johann Krauss, a formless gas contained in a mobilized suit, escalates to the point of Tom-and-Jerry-like violence.

As Hellboy himself, a heartfelt anti-hero who regularly eliminates supernatural threat as an agent for the U.S. Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense alongside girlfriend Liz (Selma Blair) and comrade Abe Sapien, Ron Perlman again embodies the role with the kind of pathos and humour that one can only expect from a horned, red-skinned Hell-spawn who loves kittens and acts like a hardboiled detective who happens to watch TV and drink a lot of canned beer. HELLBOY II's rather interesting antagonist, Prince Nuada, isn't just an evil dude. In the mold of the complex villains typically found in Hayao Miyazaki's animated fairy tales, his intentions of restoring control over Earth to an Elvish race by regaining the key to unlock the indestructible Golden Army are at least based on a legitimately noble sentiment before megalomania kicks in.

Customer Reviews

Let me remind you why you once feared the dark
Guillermo Del Toro has become the new master of dark fantasy -- first with the quirky clockpunk "Hellboy," then with the Oscar-winning "Pan's Labyrinth." Not to mention forthcoming travels to Middle-Earth.

So you know he has the skills to pit Mike Mignola's scarlet anti-hero against an army of fairies and elves, and not make it silly. Instead, it's a spectacular dark fantasy full of humor, action, quirky appeal, romance, and some truly astounding special effects. But what really shoves this movie over the top is Del Toro's brilliant direction, and the stunning performance by Ron Perlman.

Decades ago, Professor Broom (William Hurt) told a small Hellboy a yuletide bedtime story about the Elf King Balor and his unstoppable Golden Army, and how the crown that controls the Army was split into thirds and divided among fairies and humans.

Well, you can't really expect that kind of power to never be revived.

Cut to current day. Hellboy (Perlman), Liz (Selma Blair) and Abe (Doug Jones) investigate a strange supernatural attack on an auction house, where the archeological curiosity known as the Crown of Bethmoora was being sold -- only to be attacked by savage tooth fairies. Turns out the crown was stolen by Prince Nuada (Luke Goss), a resentful young elf who is determined to take the world back from humanity -- using, of course, the Golden Army.

And while Hellboy chafes against strict new commander Johann Krauss (a suit filled with ectoplasm), Abe encounters Nuada's sister, Princess Nuala -- who also happens to have the last third of the crown. But Nuada will not allow anyone to oppose him as he searches for the Golden Army's location, and Hellboy and his friends must venture into a strange, ancient kingdom to stop him from destroying all of humanity.

The worst you can say about "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" is that it sticks to the formula of the demonic outsider with a dark destiny, and his continuing romantic woes. There's some retreading as Hellboy realizes anew that he'll never fit into the world of humans, because he's big and red and has horns and a tail. Okay, we got it. Next big psychological issue!

Fortunately those flaws are relatively minor ones. Del Toro is still able to spin a dark, twisted story with some truly bizarre creatures (the utterly alien, eye-winged Angel of Death), clockpunk robots, trippy underground goblin markets and a new BPRD agent who is basically ectoplasm in a suit. And for the action scenes, Del Toro does not pull punches when it comes to the smashing action scenes -- giant thrashing vines and a one-on-one duel with Nuada are among the highlights.

With all this going on, it would be easy to neglect the characters. But Del Toro packs the script with solid snappy dialogue and some poignantly romantic moments -- including some pretty startling actions from dear ol' Abe. And he also adds little moments to this epic story that remind us that these are supposed to be people -- such as Hellboy's bickering with Krauss, or Abe and Hellboy getting drunk and having a little Manilow singalong together. It's just so cute.

But what really sets this movie apart is the "children of the Earth." No flitting Victorian sprites -- these are creatures that are weird, grotesque, dangerous and immensely powerful, from nasty little tooth fairies up to vast rock monsters and plant gods. There's an alien, bizarre aesthetic to these creatures that feels wholly real, as if Neil Gaiman casually dropped a few sketches onto the drawing board.

But as amazing as the visuals are, Del Toro never neglects the characters. Perlman is perfect for the role of "big Red" -- he's gruff, sarcastic, moody, but also endearing and self-deprecatingly likable. There are more hints of his potentially dark future, and he faces some delicately-handed temptations. But Big Red's good heart is still very much in the forefront, no matter how much human beings fear him.

Blair gives a more lively performance here as a spunkier Liz, who also has some surprising developments in store. Jones is pitch-perfect as the fish-man, who experiences the first pangs of young love for Nuala, while Goss gives a chilling, whispery performance as a rebel prince who is willing to do whatever it takes -- even kill family -- if it helps him restore the fey kingdom. Pretty good villain, since he clearly isn't trying to be bad.

"Hellboy II: The Golden Army" is a wild, darkly ornate ride through the world of half-forgotten gods and fey. While it has a few flaws, those are far outweighed by the brilliant of Del Toro's vision.

Hellboy 2 is full of imagination and is a masterpiece.
Guillermo del Toro is one of the best directors living today and he has injected Hellboy 2 with the same unique greatness that he put into Pan's Labyrinth. I enjoyed the first Hellboy film but Hellboy 2: The Golden Army really outshines it in every way. Luke Goss who was in a 80's band called Bros is excellent as the main baddie and, he was just as good in Blade 2 which is also a Guillermo film. In fact Ron Perlman who is perfect and was born to play Hellboy is in Blade 2 as well. I do feel that The Dark Knight stole Hellboy 2 thunder a little because for me this is best comic based film of the year. Yes I know I'm going against the the grain a little but I never did like being a sheep but, I will take imagination and uniqueness over a film that takes it's self too serious and is overlong any day. Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson are working together on the Hobbit which will hopefully be just as good as the Lord Of The Ring films. The only bad thing I've got to say about Hellboy 2 is that disc 2 with the bonus features is a dvd disc and not a blu-ray disc which I thought was a tiny bit cheeky. Anyway Hellboy 2 really is a most excellent film and really shows off blu-ray at it's best.

You won't be disappointed
Having been an avid fan of Mignola's books of Hellboy I was pretty disappointed with the first film. It had so many good bits but on the whole it just didn't deliver. And it didn't live up to del Toro's amazing creativity, which in some ways was worse.

But Hellboy 2 is the film the fans were waiting for and hopefully one that will create new converts! Anyone who's marvelled at Pan's Labyrinth will see the director's magical touch all over this film. Sure, there's touches of Men in Black and that's not necessarily a bad thing but if you look at the film as a whole it is fantastic.

There are a couple of scenes that are pretty cheesy and the acting looks a bit laboured but they don't detract from the film. And fans of the books will enjoy seeing what's been taken out from various stories and melded together for the better and worse. It's a much happier alliance than the first film's mangled story line.

One last thing though; has Hellboy shrunk?