“Hellboy 2″ is full of great visuals, action, and both comedic and romantic moments, but it doesn’t quite live up to the original.   If you liked the first, you’ll like the sequel, the next chapter in the lives of Red, Liza, and Abe.
Director Guillermo del Toro paints the world of Hellboy 2 with an imaginitive brush of movie making.

While the action is good and the mythical world is a brillant spectacle, the movie is missing something, something that the first had that the sequel doesn’t … maybe its that its no longer edgy and new, the fight scenes are predictable, or the characters are a bit shallow.   There are a few good scenes like the bonding scene between Hellboy and Abe about the “loves of their lives” and the final action battle, but the characters spend more time running and jumping than having any real meaningful dialougue.

I loved the original “Hellboy”, but was a little disappointed overall in this sequel.

THE BOTTOM LINE:  (more…)

A Bond weekend coming up at the box office, and a variety of options coming out to rent/buy on DVD this week.

On DVD (Tuesday): “Beer for My Horses”, “Hellboy II: The Golden Army”, “Star Wars The Clone Wars”, “Sukiyaki Western Django”, and “This Christmas.”

In Theaters (Friday): “Quantum of Solace”, “Slumdog Millionaire” (limited), and “A Christmas Tale.”

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