Hellboy 2

For those of you who've been reading for a while I did a post many months ago about my desire to see Hellboy 2 in the theaters. I wrote a post here about Guillermo del Toro. I love his work. I'm always blown away by his imagery, and captured by the stories he tells. So when my blockbuster movies came due Jeff turned them into the store and picked up both Hellboy 2 and Wall-E for me. Both of which I have wanted to see for a long time.

Hellboy was hilarious. It was campy and fun and riotous. It was beautiful and action packed and filled with just enough one liners to not feel cheesy. Ron Perlman was downright funny and the interactions between him and the agent John Myers was engaging. Hellboy 2 was still visually beautiful but...well...something was missing. Not just the character of Myers who brought that wide-eyed amazement, combined with naive banter. What seemed to be missing was the humor.

Hellboy 2 tackles issues of relationship stress, blood feuds, and fatherhood, all of which are too heavy a subject for this type of film. Even simple scenes like a battle between Hellboy and an elemental turns into a serious environmental message. The scenes with Hellboy and Liz are well done and there appears to be a connection between the two. Doug Jones as Abe is his standard amazing self. But the new administrator (an ectoplasmic steam punk creation with a German accent) is simply bizarre and not in a good way. He lacks any real chemistry with any of the characters and seems inconsistent. Jeff and I kept expecting him to turn out to be a bad guy.

The visuals for this film are amazing, like any good Guillermo film. They are a fantastic mix of light and dark and color and depth. I am so in love with his images. But once it comes to dialogue this movie falls flat. The first one was incredible because of the humor. The one liners, and incredibly campy scenes. The only scene that I found hilarious in this whole film was a locker room scene between Hellboy and the administrator. Other than that the movie tried to hard to make me think. Which is fine with a drama, but not fine with a character named Hellboy.

Movie Theaters and for the love of all things Guillermo

I will be the first to tell you that I have a deep and well-known hatred for movie theaters. I have never enjoyed the experience of shelling out 20 buck to sit in a darkened theater surrounded by people who obviously could not care less what they are here to see. Most people say I'm too sensitive but I can't stand people talking through a movie, checking their cell phone constantly, or even worse, answering it. I've sat in theaters with all three. We won't even talk about an attempt I made with Jeff to see Shrek 2 where sixty percent of the audience were throwing candy, talking, and running up and down the aisles. Jeff and I left after 30 minutes. 

It is well known that I go to see one movie a year in the theaters. This past year it was Iron Man. Now I know that some of you out there will yell at me for not seeing the Dark Knight in the theaters. I was a Heath Ledger fan and would have loved to see him in what they are calling his finest performance. Plus I really enjoy the Batman series, particularly the dark turn it has taken in the last two movies. But even if I hadn't seen Iron Man in the theaters (which was worth it) I wouldn't be rushing out to Batman. My second choice would have been Hellboy 2. 

I just bought the first Hellboy movie at Target this evening and came home and immediately watched it. I love this film. It's campy and fun and humorous and beautiful. I didn't even see that one in the theaters. But I did run out to see Guillermo del Toro's next film Pan's Labyrinth in the theaters. I saw it at a small theater and absolutely fell in love with this film. If you haven't seen it you must. If you enjoy fantasy, particularly dark fantasy, this movie is for you. The movie jumps between these fantastical creatures and scenes, and the dark reality that this young girl is living through. Imagine Alice In Wonderland if only England was a terrible brutal world and Alice had to jump back and forth. 

After seeing both Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth I knew that I had to see Hellboy 2.  Just like I can't wait to see what he is currently doing with The Hobbit. I just couldn't bring myself to go to the movies again. It will be a rental as soon as it comes out. Thank god for Blockbuster home delivery. I have always been a fantasy fan but the images that this man creates are just breathtaking. Wild and dark they remind you of the nightmares you have had or perhaps some of your best dreams. So for the love of all that is Guillermo, get out there and rent Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth. Just don't check out Hellboy 2 yet. I want there to be enough copies to see it right when it comes out.