Spring Break
'Hellboy 2' brings heavenly visuals
Ed Komenda
Issue date: 7/16/08 Section: The Edge
With his latest installment, "Hellboy 2: The Golden Army," Guillermo del Toro continues to shine as one of the world's leading visionary directors.
The film holds its stock in its many creatures. Del Toro's razor-sharp imagination slices and dices through a multitude of scenes filled with Tooth Fairies, trolls and giant elemental beings. The Tooth Fairies are perhaps the film's most intriguing creatures, and they don't replace teeth with money, either; they thrive on calcium, eating bones and teeth, and even find room for flesh and blood. They are quite vicious.
Creatures such as the Tooth Fairies are very reminiscent of del Toro's previous film, "Pan's Labyrinth," minus the harmless demeanor. And the creatures do more than entertain; they hint at the future of things to come for del Toro. The visionary director recently signed on the direct the film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit," and if the visuals of Hellboy 2 are any indication, filmgoers have much to look forward to.
There is one scene in particular that features what is known as the "Troll Market." The fantastic sequence showcases otherworldly beings in every corner of the screen. It is safe to say that viewers will not see everything that del Toro throws at them; there is too much to look at.
Although the plot is not overly interesting, it opens a few doors for creativity, a department del Toro seems to thrive in. Based completely around an ancient legend, our story involves an indestructible force called the Golden Army created by a troll blacksmith.
The Golden Army was created as a weapon against humans, but when the king of the mystical land realizes its power, he destroys the only means of the controlling the army - a golden crown. Breaking the crown into three pieces, the king deems the Golden Army out of service.
Of course, the antagonist Prince Nuada (Luke Goss), the spiteful son of the king, wants to gain control of the army and completely destroy the entire human race. This is where Hellboy comes in.
The film holds its stock in its many creatures. Del Toro's razor-sharp imagination slices and dices through a multitude of scenes filled with Tooth Fairies, trolls and giant elemental beings. The Tooth Fairies are perhaps the film's most intriguing creatures, and they don't replace teeth with money, either; they thrive on calcium, eating bones and teeth, and even find room for flesh and blood. They are quite vicious.
Creatures such as the Tooth Fairies are very reminiscent of del Toro's previous film, "Pan's Labyrinth," minus the harmless demeanor. And the creatures do more than entertain; they hint at the future of things to come for del Toro. The visionary director recently signed on the direct the film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit," and if the visuals of Hellboy 2 are any indication, filmgoers have much to look forward to.
There is one scene in particular that features what is known as the "Troll Market." The fantastic sequence showcases otherworldly beings in every corner of the screen. It is safe to say that viewers will not see everything that del Toro throws at them; there is too much to look at.
Although the plot is not overly interesting, it opens a few doors for creativity, a department del Toro seems to thrive in. Based completely around an ancient legend, our story involves an indestructible force called the Golden Army created by a troll blacksmith.
The Golden Army was created as a weapon against humans, but when the king of the mystical land realizes its power, he destroys the only means of the controlling the army - a golden crown. Breaking the crown into three pieces, the king deems the Golden Army out of service.
Of course, the antagonist Prince Nuada (Luke Goss), the spiteful son of the king, wants to gain control of the army and completely destroy the entire human race. This is where Hellboy comes in.
Be the first to comment on this story