Title: Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Writer: Guillermo del Toro
Starring: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Luke Goss, Jeffrey Tambor
Rating: PG-13

I can't say I'm a big fan of "Pan's Labyrinth," Guillermo del Toro's Oscar-winning film previous to "Hellboy II: The Golden Army," but I'm glad it received the accolades and attention that it did. Nothing greases the wheels of a Hollywood project like Oscar attention from your last film and the success of "Pan's Labyrinth" gave writer/director Del Toro the freedom and budget needed to create a superior sequel to his 2004 hit "Hellboy." This time around Del Toro is completely unshackled. The result is a surprisingly beautiful film that explores very human emotions through inhuman characters while also retaining the action and humor of a summertime comic book movie.

In this latest adventure the blue-collar, red-skinned, demon cop Hellboy (inhabited effortlessly once again by Ron Perlman) finds himself at odds with the elf prince Nuada (Luke Goss) who seeks to break an ancient truce held between the mythological world and the world of men. Prince Nuada despises the way mankind has greedily expanded over the earth and seeks to awaken the indestructible Golden Army of legend in order to reclaim the world for the creatures of myth.

It isn't required that you see "Hellboy" in order to appreciate "Hellboy II," but it will ease your transition into the second film's much deeper fantasy setting. While there's enough information provided for the uninitiated to get them up to speed the obstacle may be the audience's resistance to the conventions of fantasy in a real-world setting. "Hellboy II" takes place both in our world and a world populated by goblins, trolls and the Angel of Death. It brings to mind the "Harry Potter" films as well as "Men in Black," "Beetlejuice," "Ghostbusters" and even "Big Trouble in Little China." "Hellboy II" is still a comic book film through-and-through but it opts for elves, fairies and magic as opposed to mutation or technology.

Ron Perlman as Hellboy cradling the "Big Baby."

The "fantasy" assault is non-stop and it will please those with a high tolerance for such things. Right out of the gate you're treated to a bedtime story depicting the origin of the Golden Army told through a Lord-of-the-Rings-style prologue with stylized wooden dolls. The old world elements of "Hellboy II" gave Del Toro the opportunity to draw inspiration from the work done on "Pan's Labyrinth" without betraying the tone set by the original "Hellboy."

"Hellboy II's" art direction and production design are nothing short of astonishing. By looking at the aesthetics of classical myths through a modern lens the film paints a dark but beautiful underworld where trolls are still found under bridges but a "tooth fairy" is a large, swarming, carnivorous insect with a predilection for eating teeth. A steampunk influence is also evident everywhere from a set of goggles used to see through the "glammer" projected by mythological creatures to the goblin-made mechanical soldiers of the Golden Army. The work of cinematographer Guillermo Navarro, who also shot "Hellboy" and "Pan's Labyrinth" with Del Toro, deserves mention as well. His use of lighting and deep, vivid colors - you'll see the theme of red and blue at odds throughout the film - makes even the most fantastic characters come to life.

Trailer for "Hellboy II: The Golden Army."

OK, so "Hellboy II" is pretty. But does he punch stuff? Absolutely. This isn't a hoity-toity foreign film after all. If art and photography aren't your thing there's still plenty of action and humor to keep you entertained. Fist fights, sword fights, gun fights; "Hellboy II" has them all. Rest assured that Hellboy's invulnerable Right Hand of Doom and The Samaritan, his hulking revolver, do not go unused. I'll put it this way, Hellboy battles a building-sized "forest god" in the middle of the city and that's only in the second act.

"Hellboy II's" cast benefits from the removal of the I'm-the-audience-please-tell-me-what-is-happening character of John Myers from the first film as well as the addition of the bodiless vapor Johann Krause; performed by John Alexander, James Dodd and voiced by "Family Guy's" Seth McFarlane. Leading the ensemble is Ron Perlman buried deep in prosthetics but recognizable none the less. His portrayal of Hellboy makes him both an over-the-top action hero and conflicted about his need to belong to human society. Hellboy may be a demonic supernatural enforcer but his problems - a strong desire for recognition of his contribution and trouble in his love life - are very human and relatable.

Luke Goss as Prince Nuada from "Hellboy II: The Golden Army."

Selma Blair reprises her role as the pyrokine Liz Sherman and object of Hellboy's affections. Liz no longer second-guesses her place at the B.P.R.D. and Blair now plays the part with ample spark as the girl in the boy's club. Also reprising his role is Doug Jones as the aquatic psychic Abe Sapien although this time without the need for David Hyde Pierce's voice. Unless you've seen "Hellboy" recently it's a change you may not even notice. Jones' physicality of Abe Sapien already gave the character a unique look but now that he's doing the voice as well the performance is complete.

All heroes need a great villain who forces them to take action and Prince Nuada keeps Hellboy very busy. Luke Goss - who you may remember as Nomak from Del Toro's "Blade II" - brings a quiet, dignified and righteous anger to Prince Nuada. He's driven and menacing but without the overacting that sometimes hampers the performance of a good comic book villain. Nuada utilizes the skills of the less savory mythological creatures but also isn't above wetting a blade when the time comes.

"Hellboy II: The Golden Army" shouldn't be missed. This is the work of an excellent director with a unique vision at the peak of his game and a terrific character actor in his landmark role. It's stunning visually with the thrills and laughs of a typical July film. "Hellboy II" is further evidence that Peter Jackson's endorsement of Guillermo del Toro as the director of the two upcoming films based on J.R.R Tolkien's book The Hobbit was an inspired decision.

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