Strange that the Catholic church has not reacted to Hellboy II: The Golden Army, starring the Beast of the Apocalypse (Ron Perlman) wearing a cross around his wrist; carrying a gun made from a melted cross and church bells, and bullets comprising holy water; and fighting on the side of men, against demons.
The clergy should also like to know that his live-in girlfriend, Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), who is a freak too, wears a large, shiny cross as a pendant, and, come action time, literally transforms herself into a body of flames like the fires of hell.
The duo et al, are aliens who work undercover for the US government. So, obviously, they are the “good” fellas. No doubt about that.
The grotesque “evil ones” comprise the prince of the forest and his band of natural beings whose ultimate objective is the protection of resources; they live with an honest to earth fear of the greed and untrustworthiness of the human race.
The characters on both sides, like those in The Dark Knight, are neither white nor black. They are terribly grey.
The theme is quite relevant in this modern age when the environment and rare species are being destroyed to make way for the “progress” of mankind. It’s quite understandable that the elves of the forest can be frustrated enough to want to put a permanent end to this nemesis called man.
And how does one plan to accomplish this task? Simple. By joining together three pieces of a magical crown that allows anyone with royal blood to summon the invincible golden army. How one of these priceless pieces that ought to have been guarded with one’s life ends up in a marketplace, though, is a mystery that only the scriptwriter would know.
Further, why the prince went into self-exile in the first place, and why he chooses to come back suddenly one fine day though no one has sought him out is not convincingly stated.
Like the scripting, the acting too is amateurish. But let’s not indulge in too much analysis. This can be quite an entertainer if one simply leans back and enjoys the special effects, the fights, and all the nonsense.
Guillermo del Toro’s comic monster/supermen film makes up for its sins with an esthetical eruption of pure pleasure. It’s a heavenly blessing that these diabolic characters are around to save the human race from everlasting damnation.
