Quick poll, what comic book to superhero movie is better then both "The Incredible Hulk" and the oft revered "Iron Man?" 

 

Here's a hint, it's definitely not "Hancock."

 

Guillermo Del Toro is the man who finally brings audiences the perfect summer movie.  While the movies I mentioned above are very good in their own right,  none of those productions pack as entertaining a punch as "Hellboy 2" does.  And heck, I'm saying this as someone who was never a fan of the comic or even the first installment.  In this feature alone, the entire franchise has been reborn and a fresh new start is enabled for people like me.  Time to get those Dark Horse back issues cranking!

 

There are many areas one can begin to offer accolades, but the grand success of  "Hellboy 2" really begins with the art direction and production design.  Del Toro's penchant for instilling vibrant, unique visuals are brought to a higher level here than anything we've seen before from him, and that's including "Pan's Labyrinth."  First off, the main villain in this film is an icy cool character who is just flowing with a style all his own.  The creatures that are encountered throughout this journey, both small and large, are distinct as well and really bring a flair of originality to the proceedings.  The much talked about 'Cantina-esque' sequence alone is worth your ticket.

 

The heroes are much more enjoyable in this round, too.  Ron Perlman's one-liners hit home a bit more effectively and the chemistry amongst all the good guys (and babes) is really comfortable.  There is a genuine brand of camaraderie that prevails during their scenes together.  The secondary characters, such as Hellboy's buddy Abe, his love interest Liz and commanding officer Johann Krauss, all have interesting nuisances and personalities to them.   Specifically, Abe and Krauss are more than role players in this feature, they're part of the ensemble that makes this unique crew tick.

 

The aforementioned villain, Prince Nuada, and his sister, are also very compelling characters.  The former is one of the more convincing villains I can remember in a comic book "type"of movie in quite some time.  He's just not an evil wrong-doer set to wreak havoc on the human plane; his motivation is rational and his beliefs sound.  When he races to awaken the Golden Army, he eventually brings us to a climactic show down at the film's conclusion that really pays off.  Unlike some of the flat climaxes in "Iron Man" or "Indiana Jones," this one delivers genuine peril, tough decisions and an interesting set piece that adds up to great cinema!  Plus, you get a couple of nice cliffhangers thrown into the medley as well! 

 

While with all my glowing words about 'The Golden Army,' you might think I loved it from reel to reel.  Not so, it took about 30 minutes or so before it turned the corner and became a great ride.  For a while, this sequel felt too much like the first installment.  However, patience was rewarded as del Toro delivered what was ultimately the best time I had in theaters all summer.  Creative, imaginative and exciting, "Hellboy 2" kicked my butt.

 

Lastly, further props need to be issued for the excellent sound effects as well.  The voice style of the airy German Krauss was totally unique and quite campy.  The sound design during many of the action sequences were also crisp and sharp

 

I would say that this movie is my top summer choice thus far (I haven't seen 'The Dark Knight' at the time of this review).  Moreover, I would also like to mention that "Hellboy 2" is better than any of the "X-Men" or "Men in Black" features when it comes to movies with similar reference points or themes (mutants, paranormals, etc).  I actually became invested in the characters and started to care about them, a tough bet going into this. 

 

In closing, this surprising, sprawling bit of entertainment really surprised me in a very positive way.  I can see now why del Toro was so eager to film it.  If you're any type of superhero movie or comic book fan, this is a movie that you need to definitely see while it's still showing on the big screen.