Hellboy 2: The Golden Army (2008)

Movie quotes:
Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor): [talking about Krauss] I like the way he takes charge.
Liz Sherman (Selma Blair): You think?
Tom Manning: He's efficient, and precise.
Liz Sherman: Add resistant to that and you got yourself a new watch.

Abe Sapien (Doug Jones): Precisely. All these things do is eat and eat, than poop. Than eat again.
Liz Sherman: [sarcastic] Remind you of anyone?

Hellboy (Ron Perlman): Eh, Mr. Kraut, sir?
Johann Krauss (John Alexander / Seth MacFarlane): Krauss, agent. There's a double s.
Hellboy: SS. Right, right.

[Hellboy and Abe look at Liz, sleeping]
Hellboy: [drunk] Look at her, Abe. She's my... she's my whole, wide w... I would... I would give my life for her. But she also expects me to do the dishes!
Abe Sapien: [also drunk] I would die and do the dishes!

Johann Krauss: Your temper, it makes you sloppy. Try to control it, Agent Hellboy. Before it controls you. [walks away singing in German]
Hellboy: Glasshole.

At a glance:
Guillermo del Toro’s sequel to Hellboy (2004) is even better, with stunningly original character design, ambitious action sequences, and multiple story threads and supporting work, all anchored by another solid performance by Ron Perlman

Our review:
In this sequel to 2004’s Hellboy, Ron Perlman is back as the horn-shaving freak who battles against the darker forces of nature. Here, he is pitted against the passions of Prince Nuada (Luke Goss), whose goal is to crush humans for their violations of treaties against the mythical world. To do this, Nuada needs three pieces of a crown to be joined so that he can awaken and command an invincible Golden Army of mechanized, self-healing killer machines. Hellboy teams with love interest Liz (Selma Blair), Abe (Doug Jones) and new team leader Johann Krauss (John Alexander / Seth MacFarlane). Their paths cross with an endless array of dream/nightmare creatures, all imaginatively realized. Not since The Fifth Element have I seen such incredibly original character design – and this far surpasses that effort (Mike Elizalde gets the screen credit for this). Amid scenes of epic battles and one-on-one combat, there are also moments of hilarity and touching emotion. My favorite scene might be the fight between Hellboy and Krauss, featuring a series of slamming locker doors, but I also enjoyed the side story of the love affair between Abe and Princess Nuala (Anna Walton). Only Guillermo del Toro is capable of making an action/horror/comic book movie into a love story of exquisite beauty. Co-written by del Toro and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, and with music by Danny Elfman, this is just about as good as it gets in the genre of graphic novels realized for the screen. I’m ready for the sequel if one is forthcoming! Rating: 3.5 of 4

Other reviewers said:
"Some the magical images conjured here are absolutely unforgettable."
- Leigh Paatsch (Herald Sun [Australia])

"Prepare for some devil worship. Hellboy is the hottest, strangest and most fun comic book hero around."
- Sun Online

"At times the creaky dialogue can be cliched, but it can’t change the fact that Hellboy II is a hoot, aided considerably by star Ron Perlman’s wisecracks and laconic surliness, and Del Toro’s imaginative storytelling and intricate Faberge-egg visuals."
- Jarrod Walker (FILMINK [Australia])

"Playful, offbeat and with a decidedly droll sense of humor, Hellboy II’s a richly rewarding superhero film with moments of gleeful comedy that films like Get Smart can but dream of."
- David Edwards (Daily Mirror [UK])