Modern superhero movies probably wouldn’t generate so much rejection if they didn’t tend so blatantly toward unimaginative and so rigid standards. There’s nothing particularly against amusement parks, as Scorsese would call them, but roller coasters should have some oomph to be fun.
But the truth is that it is difficult to have beautiful things if the public does not support them. One of the most imaginative films in superhero cinema was released 14 years ago, but it remained overshadowed by two other great projects that changed the course of the genre. The ultra-serious magnificence of ‘The Dark Knight’ and the starting signal of the shared universe in ‘Iron Man’ prevailed over ‘Hellboy 2: The Golden Army’ at the time.
double effort
Guillermo del Toro once again did another overwhelming exercise in the genre with the character he introduced four years earlier in the correct (and aged) first film. Coming on top of the surprising success of ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’, he got fabulous freedom to do with the sequel. a more personal film that exudes fantasy without losing bad drool that comes from fear of the character.
Although it can also be seen on platforms such as Lionsgate + or Movistar +, ‘Hellboy 2: The Golden Army’ can also be seen on Netflix, although only until November 15. It is not a bad excuse to recover one of the superhero movies that deserved better luck than the one that they got at its premiere. Or one of Del Toro’s most underrated.
We see the Mexican mainly associated with beautiful fantasy, but where I really see him most enjoyable and usually is when he throws himself into the pulp, and is not afraid of getting muddy and disheveled with canalism. At the end of the day, he knows how to find the register so as not to be tiresome and to be fun, as shown in a sequel clearly superior to its predecessor.
‘Hellboy 2: The Golden Army’: fantastic and badass fun
His creation of worlds of creatures is dazzling, with its combination of exquisite designs and good use of special effects (digital can be very convincing if there is a certain craftsmanship). The tone of the character is better measured to get into a more complex moral area and Del Toro is not shy about getting into crazy and very comical elementslike a character who is a smoke with a German accent who is dressed as a diver or the sinister tooth fairies.
There’s a sense of wonder, there’s light-hearted fun, there’s a bit of badass, and there’s really vivid imagery. Del Toro is one of the most key figures in this genre, as he was able to bring out the most festive aspects of it and also the macabre in a really consistent tone, and doing hard-hitting cinematic shows. Both ‘Blade II’ and this one are refreshing works that exhibit the embarrassments of most current productions.