MESSAGE IN THE MOVIES

Hellboy II, The Golden Army Rated PG-13

Directed by Guillermo del Toro.  Starring Ron Perlman, Selma Blair.

Photo © Universal Pictures
Movie Review by Rev. Bruce Batchelor Glader

Far be it from me to anticipate the letters I might receive for giving a positive review for a movie starring a superhero from the pits with the name of Hellboy.  But, nevertheless…  This film is a sequel to del Toro’s 2004 Hellboy, also based on a series of comic books by Mike Mignola.  Hellboy was discovered as an infant by a group of GIs during the close of WWII and adopted by a scientist who raises him (as a Catholic!) and trains him to be a part of our country’s secret paranormal task force.  In the first film Hellboy made the choice to serve the power of good rather than evil, so Satan is totally out of the picture.  What we have now is a wise-cracking, cigar-smoking and brash hero (with sawn-off horns) who also loves kittens and candy bars.  Together with his girlfriend Liz (Selma Blair) – who is able to make her body go up in flames – and the Man-Fish Abe Sapien (Doug Jones), the trio joins forces to stop a fairytale prince from going to war with humanity.  If this mythology sounds overly complicated, that’s because it is!  But, in terms of fast-moving, silly, and sometimes scary fun, the film delivers the goods.  Del Toro (who also wrote and directed 2006’s Pan’s Labyrinth) has a crazy imagination and the creatures that he creates for this film are unique and amazing.  While I wish that this summer had films of more substance, there is an incredible amount of inventiveness on the screen for this popcorn movie.  Be warned, some of these images are truly upsetting for younger children and should be avoided at all costs by kids under nine.  And, for the same reason, children in third grade and older (especially boys) will think that this film is awesome.  If this movie sounds just too stupid for words, hold on. We’re only halfway through summer.

Pitchfork Rating: Three halos. (An old-fashioned adventure / fantasy / monster movie, with compassionate heroes.) Two pitchforks. (For some disturbing creatures, comic-book mayhem, and a few swear words and crude euphemisms.)

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