Hellboy II: The Golden Army

The Golden Army begins when an ancient truce existing between humankind and the invisible realm of the fantastic is broken; Hell on Earth is ready to erupt. Hellboy II tells the tale of a ruthless Elvin prince who treads the world above and the one below, defies his bloodline and awakens an unstoppable army of creatures – the shiny automatons of the title. It's up to the planet's toughest, roughest superhero to battle the merciless dictator and his marauders.

Guillermo del Toro’s fascination with folklore, fairy tales and cheese-dream nightmarish characters is well known to anyone who has seen his previous films, including the Oscar-winning Pan’s Labyrinth. Mixing these elements of the fantastic and the imaginary with a healthy dose of brutal action and sarcastic humour, The Golden Army deals with the demon nicknamed ‘Hellboy’, raised by humans and recruited as a crime fighter by the FBI. So far, so far-fetched. What really sets Hellboy II apart, however, is the performances. The actors seem perfectly tailored to the roles – gruff, grouchy Ron Perlman as gruff, grouchy Hellboy, for example. Doug Jones, a del Toro stalwart and rarely if ever seen out of a prosthetic costume – he played the Pale Man and the Faun in Pan’s Labyrinth, as well as the eponymous shiny superhero in Rise of the Silver Surfer – is perfect as Hellboy’s fishy sidekick, Abe Sapien (as well as playing two other horrifying creatures – lots of eyes and teeth and tentacles!). You get the sense that these actors would do anything for del Toro to realise his visions.

As with most superhero movies, the only proper way to approach it is with tongue firmly wedged in cheek, but Hellboy II is no silly fantasy. Darkly humorous, packed with blazing action and witty dialogue, and at times downright disturbing, The Golden Army is a perfect piece of entertainment.

Marcus Kelly