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Ron Perlman as Hellboy in “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” 

“Hellboy 2: The Golden Army” brings back the cigar-chomping, wisecracking paranormal agent with the indestructible hand and big red body from the first “Hellboy.” Ron Perlman reprises his role as the most powerful agent of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, nicknamed “Red.” He and girlfriend Liz (Selma Blair), a pyrokinetic, are having off-and-on problems, largely based around Red’s loutishness: He leaves her toothbrush in the cat food, for one.

Elfin Prince Nuada (Luke Goss), angered by the humans’ constant encroachment on the elfin world, breaks a pact long-forgotten by the humans. The humans and the elves ended a long-ago war by agreeing to a truce — the elves would stay in the forests and the humans to the cities. But, as Nuada declares, the parking lots and shopping malls have driven the elves from their homes. He will reawaken the Golden Army, a clockwork grouping of 14,400 soldiers, built by a goblin for the elf king to answer the aggression of humanity in the first war. Nuada reclaims part of the crown needed to rule the Golden Army from an auction house — slaughtering the bidders in the process, with demented “tooth fairies” — so called because of their desire to feed on bones and teeth.

Hellboy and his BPRD crew, now led by the ectoplasmic German Johann Krauss (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) seek the Troll Market for clues to who unleashed the tooth fairies.

Fish-man Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) encounters Nuala (Anna Walton), Nuada’s twin sister, who wishes to keep her brother from awakening the Golden Army.

Multiple conflicts and showdowns follow, including the final meeting with the Golden Army. But before that, director Guillermo del Toro craftfully sets up a possible sequel: With Hellboy on the verge of death, Liz must decide whether she believes in Red, or what his destiny was foretold to be. Those who have read Mike Mignola’s comic books have an idea what’s coming, but it would still be spectacular to see filtered through del Toro’s vision.

The entire film is a visual marvel; the Troll Market recalls the “Star Wars” cantina scene with monsters rather than aliens. The film is similar in many ways to the original, but improved across the board.

“Hellboy 2: The Golden Army” is an over-the-top B movie, but near-perfectly so.

Matthew Price

MOVIE REVIEW

HELLBOY 2: THE GOLDEN ARMY

PG-13 1:50 3 ½ stars

Starring: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Luke Goss

(for sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and some language)

From Friday’s The Oklahoman: 

By Matthew Price
Assistant Features Editor

THE NEXT LEVEL

“Hellboy: The Science of Evil,” for PlayStation Portable, unfortunately fails to capture much of what has made the hero one of the most enduring comic-book characters of the past 15 years.

After appearances in a comic convention special and in “John Byrne’s Next Men,” Hellboy starred in his own series, “Seed of Destruction,” in 1994. The blue-collar hero with the body of a demon caught on with fans, as did Mignola’s atmospheric art. Mignola had been a professional artist starting in his early 20s, but the success of Hellboy moved Mignola to another level. Multiple successful miniseries followed, as did a 2004 film directed by Guillermo del Toro (“Pan’s Labyrinth”). A sequel to that film hits theaters today.

Video games, however, have been a medium where Hellboy has never fared particularly well.

Both the PC game “Hellboy” and the PlayStation game “Hellboy: Asylum Seeker” received generally poor reviews.

“Science of Evil” at least bragged the voice actors from the film, but that voice acting is absent on the PSP version. Mignola and del Toro supposedly gave input on “Science of Evil,” but it doesn’t seem to have helped the gameplay.

The backgrounds are suitably spooky, but the poor camera allows Hellboy to walk into a fatal ditch invisible to the gamer. The battles are too easy and repetitive.

“Science of Evil” begins with Hellboy on the trail of a witch, but the plot never coalesces. The cut scenes, done in a comic-book style, are decent but don’t match the overall look. The character deserves better.

The game is rated T for teen audiences.

Comingsoon.net has a first look at the poster for “Hellboy II: The Golden Army.”   The film, based on the comic book by Mike Mignola and directed by Guillermo del Toro, is set for a July 11 release.

– Matt Price 

The new trailer for “Hellboy 2: The Golden Army,” introduced by director Guillermo del Toro, is up at Yahoo Movies. It’s “From the director of ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’” rather than “From the director of ‘Hellboy,’” for whatever that’s worth.  (According to Movieweb, and backing up my original suspicions, “Hellboy” made about $20 million more than “Pan’s Labyrinth.”  ”Pan’s” was a better movie, though, and maybe they figure everybody knows del Toro did the first “Hellboy”?)

– Matt Price 

Looking at Apple’s “most popular” trailers as of Jan. 15 reveals a lot of buzz around based-on-comics films in the works for 2008.

#1. Wanted - Based on the Mark Millar comic-book miniseries for Top Cow.

#2. The Dark Knight - Introducing Heath Ledger as the Joker.

#3. Hellboy: The Golden Army - Guillermo del Toro directs this sequel starring Mike Mignola’s blue-collar supernatural hero.

(And at #5, the Wachowski Brothers’ Speed Racer, based on the classic anime.  And this trailer is seriously growing on me.)

MyspaceTV is hosting a trailer for Hellboy II: The Golden Army, introduced by director Guillermo del Toro.

 – Matt Price

PRESS RELEASE:

Universal Pictures is bringing out the big guns for Hellboy II: The Golden Army! Check out the Hellboy II Production Site to view the FIRST shot of Hellboy with his Big Baby and send your friends a personalized holiday eCard from the big red guy himself!

A few tidbits about what you’ll find on the HBII Production Site: www.hellboymovie.com -

**NEW** HOLIDAY ECARD: Send your friends a
Holiday eCard – Hellboy Style!

- **NEW** IMAGE: First photo reveal – Hellboy with his big baby.

- NEWS: Terrific Hellboy II news hits, feature articles and early cast interviews featured on various publications.

- GALLERY: Guillermo del Toro’s amazing HBII Scrapbook- including the incredible concept art and descriptions of each image.

- HBTV: Watch Abe Sapien, live from the BRPD Headquarters as he gives you a personal welcome message to the site! You can embed Abe’s welcome video and share it on your Facebook profile as well.

- Message Board: Chat with fellow fans of Guillermo del Toro about everything Hellboy II… and don’t be surprised if you get a response from GDT himself on the message boards! Hellboy II: The Golden Army blasts into theaters July 11, 2008!