All sequels have something that they have to live up to. Whether it's a particular performance or a character or the special effects seen in the prior entry of the series, the sequel always has a harder time because we've already seen this before; why should we want more? Well, if it's a good sequel, it shows us something we HAVEN'T seen before, and Hellboy II: The Golden Army does just that, but while we see what we haven't previously seen, we're also not feeling anything different.
The film opens up with a young Hellboy listening to a story read to him by his father, Professor Broom (who died in film number one) in 1955. The professor relates a tale of elves vs. humans in epic combat some thousands of years ago, but the elves won when they enlisted the aid of the Golden Army, a steampunk robot brigade that feels nothing and kills everything. The Elven King was saddened by the massacre that ensued, so he took the Magical Crown That Controls The Robots, broke it into three pieces, and gave one piece to the humans as a peace offering. The other two he kept for himself, but this pissed off his estranged son, who went into exile but vowed to return when his people would need him again. Young Hellboy brushes this off as "just a story" which the professor smiles at, and after a lengthy credits sequence we find out just how true this story is.
What ought to be noted here is how much Guillermo Del Toro has evolved as a visual director between Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth. The special effects on display in this film are flawless, seamlessly connecting practical and digital effects to show us sights that, sort of an 80's fantasy film, we wouldn't see on the big screen. Some of the highlights include the opening storybook narration (where the story comes to life via digital puppets---a lot cooler than it sounds); the Troll Market, where the faerie folk and monsters gravitate to trade under New York City; a Forest Elemental; and the Golden Army's chamber. Understanding that Del Toro will be moving on to The Hobbit after this, Hellboy II becomes a lot more impressive with the realization that this is some epic filmmaking and it totally works. There isn't a second where you don't believe what you're seeing.
The action sequences are very good, usually resulting in Hellboy pounding the crap out of someone, and the characters themselves are wonderful to watch, but it's the character INTERACTIONS that begin to slow the film down. There's a subplot about Hellboy and Liz's budding relationship that somehow feels like the MAIN plot due to how much time is given to it, and near the middle of the film it's Hellboy's woes that slow the film. Abe Sapien, fish man and brains of the operation, has a love interest of his own this time around, and his woes combined with Hellboy's woes equal one of the strangest, oddest, funniest "drunken buddies lamenting about women" scenes I've ever seen. What's unfortunate is that there's so much time spent on this and on other scenes that step away from the main plot of stopping the Golden Army from rising. I felt that there was an intensity to the film, like a clock ticking, and then there was a time out while everyone caught up on love woes, only to hit the timer again and get back to the action. One character, however, keeps the scenes fresh enough to prevent them from truly hurting the film, and that is ectoplasmic psychic Johann Krause. Basically a man made out of psychic gas, he walks around in a diving suit which retains his gaseous form until he needs out to do more intense work. Johann is by the book, but not without a sense of humor, and the way Del Toro utilizes him in the action moments is both strange and wonderful. Another of Mike Mignola's wonderful characters makes a great translation to the big screen.
While I recommend this film, I have to add the disclaimer that it's going to feel a little long. Does it drag? I think that's going to depend on your movie taste. It came THIS CLOSE to dragging for me, but the special effects, the incredible world on display, and the excellent action pieces kept the film from dragging down. However, the characters themselves seem to not be truly involved in the film itself, and that's what makes it slow down. Not the best film of the summer, but it aims high and deserves the praise.
7/10