Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) Rank 2 Reviews

Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)

With Hellboy II: The Golden Army, writer-director Guillermo del Toro (Blade II, Mimic) continues his tradition of making visually magnificent spectacles that succeed not just through gorgeous eye candy, but by giving his characters the room to breathe. Th ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)

Chico News & Review (Craig Blamer)

Returning with the second installment of the Hellboy franchise (one last stop before disappearing for the next few years in Hobbitville), director Guillermo del Toro at times seems as if heâ��s using what was left on the cutting-room floor of Panâ��s ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Chico News & Review (Craig Blamer)

Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)

With Hellboy II: The Golden Army, writer/director Guillermo del Toro continues his fascinating oscillation between arty Spanish-language fantasy-horror films and balls-to-the-wall Hollywood fantasy-horror films. Coming off the critically adored and ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)

Chico News & Review (Craig Blamer)

If nothing else, Mexican director Guillermo del Toro is one of the most interesting visual stylists working in film these days. From his clockwork vampire debut with Cronos, through his melancholy ghost story The Devilâ��s Backbone on up to his ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Chico News & Review (Craig Blamer)

MovieWeb (Dodd Alley)

What a hellish world Guillermo Del Toro must live in. This does not necessarily refer to the literal world that we see, breathe, and eat, but the world that exists inside the man's head. There are very few directors working today that exhibit a signature ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at MovieWeb (Dodd Alley)

RevolutionSF (Navin Vembar)

Guillermo del Toro, Alejandro Inarritu and Alfonso Cuaron have recently been celebrated as a powerhouse of Mexican filmmaking. It would be hard to avoid noticing these three friends created Pan's Labyrinth, Babel and Children of Men in the same year. Del ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at RevolutionSF (Navin Vembar)

CBC.ca Arts

On top of a head as big and red as the sun, Hellboy (Ron Perlman) has a Steven Seagal ponytail and two sawed-off horns. Years ago, baby Hellboy was rescued from a thwarted Nazi experiment by kindly American scientists, and now, he files the horns daily, ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at CBC.ca Arts

Austin Chronicle (Marc Savlov)

It's not perfect â�� thank Satan! â�� but Hellboy II: The Golden Army is by far the most splendidly imaginative and creatively uncorked piece of fantastic cinema since the director's Pan's Labyrinth netted an Oscar trifecta in 2007. ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Austin Chronicle (Marc Savlov)

Moviepie.com

Back in 2004, director Guillermo del Toro helmed the first Hellboy movie to a moderate level of acclaim and fanboy delight. But back then, he was just the sorta-known guy who made that movie where Mira Sorvino runs from giant bugs in sewers. Cut to 2008, ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Moviepie.com

Nights and Weekends (Kristin Dreyer Kramer)

Thanks to movies like the first Hellboy and the award-winning creep-show, Panâ��s Labyrinth, writer/director Guillermo del Toro has made quite a name for himself. When you think Guillermo del Toro, you think dark and creepy, with all kinds of wildly ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Nights and Weekends (Kristin Dreyer Kramer)

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) scores a combined 2.25 out of 4 stars for

HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY has my vote for this year's "WHAT DREAMS MAY COME" Award for the most spectacular visuals in service to the least worthy story. The two films are somewhat different in that WHAT DREAMS MAY COME was saccharine while ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at

Fulvue Drive-in

There should be little doubt after â��Hellboy II: The Golden Army,â�� released nationwide July 11 2008, that filmmaker Guillermo del Toro is the heir apparent to Jim Henson. The paper-skinned creatures with eyes coming out of strange places, desperately ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Fulvue Drive-in

Bullz-Eye.com

Before Guillermo del Toro was a household name, he directed perhaps the most underrated superhero movie ever made. Based on Mike Mignolaâ��s mid-1990s comic book ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Bullz-Eye.com

Flipside Movie Emporium (Rob Vaux)

This director has shown us how good he can be, and with a character he adores as much as this one, he should have more to show for it than the mixed bag on display here. ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Flipside Movie Emporium (Rob Vaux)

The Scorecard Review (Jeff Bayer)

Hellboy is itâ��s own world. That is a compliment and also the problem. Director Guillermo del Toro has envisioned a fantastic looking world, but itâ��s just a vision. The storyline and romance angles just drag the film down from being a kooky, badass ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at The Scorecard Review (Jeff Bayer)

Mansized (Chris Laverty)

When a truce between the fantastical realm and Earth breaks down, errant Prince Nuala (Luke Goss) attempts to corral the mystical world into rebelling against humanity. Only noble demon Hellboy (Ron Perlman) and his band of merry misfits, including ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Mansized (Chris Laverty)

Beyond Hollywood

ellboy is unique in the world of superheroes. He was conjured from hell by the Nazis, but heâ��s a good guy who watches too much TV, and enjoys a fine cigar, Baby Ruth, and the touch of a soft kitten. His weapons of choice are his rock hard Right Hand of ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Beyond Hollywood

Tiscali UK

The absurdist sight of the red, devilish Hellboy (Ron Perlman) and his aquatic pal Abe (Doug Jones) sitting by the fireside, drinking beer and listening to Barry Manilow's "Can't Smile Without You," seems more like a scene from Monty Python's Flying ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Tiscali UK

The Phantom Tollbooth

Hellboy is back for fans. Ron Perlman, under tons of red make-up and rubberized suiting, plays the hero who secretly works for the government (sound familiar?) as part of the U.S. Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. Their headquarters are ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at The Phantom Tollbooth

CNN Showbiz (Tom Charity)

He also has a down-to-earth side: a fondness for Cuban cigars, Mexican beer, TV and candy. He has a short fuse and he'd like a little appreciation for his efforts, please. ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at CNN Showbiz (Tom Charity)

Preview Family Movie Review

After an ancient truce existing between humankind and the invisible realm of the fantastic is broken, hell on Earth is ready to erupt. A ruthless leader who treads the world above and the one below defies his bloodline and awakens an army of mechanical ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Preview Family Movie Review

Time Out New York (Joshua Rothkopf)

â��Iâ��m not a baby, Iâ��m a tumor!â�� chirps an unusually chatty growth in Hellboy II: The Golden Army. As it happens, this creature is, indeed, conjoined with its toothy monster of a mom, obviously the recessive carrier of the good genes. Thatâ��s the ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Time Out New York (Joshua Rothkopf)

Deseret News, Salt Lake City

he film's creatures â�� which include trolls, goblins, elves, evil fairies, ectoplasmic entities and such â�� are fantastic. In fact, at times this comic book-based sequel almost seems like an audition tape for one of screenwriter/director Guillermo del ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Deseret News, Salt Lake City

Atlantic City Weekly (Lori Hoffman)

Hellboy II: The Golden Army is not a sequel that soars to new heights, but it does slip into a nice summer-movie comfort zone . . . ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Atlantic City Weekly (Lori Hoffman)

Can Magazine (Fred Topel)

This is the Hellboy movie. Hellboy 1 was just some thing that was made. It's the most creative movie of the year. I would call it Fred's Labyrinth. ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Can Magazine (Fred Topel)

The Trades (Jim Pappas)

It is certainly refreshing to see a film where the story isnâ��t predictable, things arenâ��t always what they seem, and the bad guy can, in the end, be a tragic figure and almost sympathetic, too. And such is the case with â��Hellboy II: The Golden Army. ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at The Trades (Jim Pappas)

Hollywood Snitch (Matt Johnson)

Hellboy (Ron Perlman) settles into domestic bliss with Liz Sherman (Selma Blair) who ignites figuratively and literally with Hellboyâ��s habits. The pair is called upon to help out when a mythical kingdom starts a rebellion against humans after ages of ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Hollywood Snitch (Matt Johnson)

Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)

About a half hour into â��Hellboy II: The Golden Army,â�� my friend turned to me and asked â��Does this movie have a point?â�� I gave him a sideways shut-your-mouth look and didnâ��t dignify the questions with a spoken responseâ�¦ Until around the hour ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)

The Globe and Mail

Hellboy, a sensitive devil with a tough exterior, is an inspired creation but limited as a dramatic protagonist. When you start with a demon hero, you can't settle for making his adversary a less complex demon. To create conflict, you need an opponent ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at The Globe and Mail

Parent Previews

Saving humanity can be a hard and thankless job. Add to that the stress of a rocky relationship at home and things can be down right difficult. Such is the case for the gun-slinging Dark Horse comic character Hellboy (Ron Pearlman). ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Parent Previews

Flick Filosopher (MaryAnn Johanson)

I want to say that II is pure dumb popcorn fun while you're watching it and instantly forgettable the moment the credits start to roll, but actually, I was forgetting it while I was still in the process of watching it. ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Flick Filosopher (MaryAnn Johanson)

Newark Star-Ledger (Stephen Whitty)

It's del Toro telling stories in the language of Hollywood. And I miss the language of his dreams. ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Newark Star-Ledger (Stephen Whitty)

Philadelphia Inquirer (Steven Rea)

For all its eye-popping, Middle Earth-meets-Mos Eisley majesty -- its mix of Heironymus Bosch, Jules Verne and George Lucas -- Hellboy II is a letdown. ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Philadelphia Inquirer (Steven Rea)

HollywoodChicago.com (Adam Fendelman)

In Hellboy II, director Guillermo del Toro delivers the Hollywood filet mignon we've come to expect wrapped nicely in all the special-effects bacon we've come to desire but without the heart we've come to demand. ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at HollywoodChicago.com (Adam Fendelman)

Time Out Chicago (Joshua Rothkopf)

Ultimatelyâ��and this is to Del Toroâ��s creditâ��he wants to make a film about the struggle to heed our better angels: Perlmanâ��s Hellboy is constantly reminded of his inborn potential for destruction, yet heâ��d rather lean into his role as a future ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Time Out Chicago (Joshua Rothkopf)

NewsBlaze (Prairie Miller)

Del Toro's followup is infused with the creative guru's unique imaginary world blending the fantastical and frightening, but plays out less like an adventure story on steroids, than a mass murderer's wet dream. ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at NewsBlaze (Prairie Miller)

Globe and Mail (Liam Lacey)

Hellboy, a sensitive devil with a tough exterior, is an inspired creation but limited as a dramatic protagonist. When you start with a demon hero, you can't settle for making his adversary a less complex demon. ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Globe and Mail (Liam Lacey)

Movie Retriever (Brian Tallerico)

When Hellboy II: The Golden Army gets to its big, titular climax, it's difficult to care because you can sense that the director doesn't really care either. It's a mere obligation. ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Movie Retriever (Brian Tallerico)

National Post

If nothing else, the arrival of Hellboy 2: The Golden Army illustrates director Guillermo del Toro's recipe for nightmarish movie monsters, as seen in 2006's Oscar-winning Pan's Labyrinth. Step 1: Take your garden-variety, run-of-the-mill monster; an ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at National Post

Comingsoon.net

But that's nothing on poor Selma Blair. She always struck me as a strange casting choice the first time around, but her willowy performance fit the dissociated character she was playing so it worked. This time around, Hellboy's long-suffering pyrokinetic ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Comingsoon.net

Box Office Prophets

I'm not exactly sure what my expectations were. The director, once again, is Guillermo del Toro, the gifted filmmaker behind Pan's Labyrinth and producer of The Orphanage, one of the best horror films in recent memory. The man knows cinema; he's a pure ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Box Office Prophets

MovieWeb (Gil Brooks)

Walking around the premier party for Hellboy II, and listening to the chatter of fellow attendees, I began to question my taste in films. Surely I had seen a different film than everyone else. Director Guillermo del Toro's signature visuals, his eye for ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at MovieWeb (Gil Brooks)

FromTheBalcony (Bill Clark)

We've come to expect a lot in recent years in terms of storytelling with Batman Begins and its ilk, and Hellboy II still feels like a relic from four years ago that hasn't evolved with the rest of the field. ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at FromTheBalcony (Bill Clark)

Chicago Tribune (Michael Phillips)

The tooth-fairy swarm scene reminds you just how inventive Del Toro is, and how, in the right hands, digital effects, creature design and directorial elan can work together to give you the best sort of willies. (Del Toro was the fantasist behind ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Chicago Tribune (Michael Phillips)

Frank's Reel Reviews

Hellboy returns with a whole new host of imaginatively grotesque creatures, the usual hard-boiled everyman's attitude, and the same old blow 'em up action sequences. But whereas Guillermo del Toro's 2004 vision, Hellboy, found an audience entranced with ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Frank's Reel Reviews

Christian Spotlight on the Movies

is a strange amalgam of humor, pathos, and violence which gives the movie its PG-13 rating. Although the violence is not grisly, it is graphic and, in accordance with the rating, children under 13 should not see it unless they are accustomed to watching ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Christian Spotlight on the Movies

Metromix.com (Matt Pais)

Simply a bull in a china shop, smashing around aimlessly, desperately hoping we'll at least be impressed with the horns. ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at Metromix.com (Matt Pais)

RopeofSilicon (Brad Brevet)

I can deal with the silly one-liners and the relationship issues between a demon from Hell and his firestarter girlfriend, but when the Fishman falls in love with the Elfish looking woman you can consider me stupefied. Don't know what I am talking ...read the complete Hellboy II: The Golden Army movie review at RopeofSilicon (Brad Brevet)

Critic Reviews

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) Rank 2 Reviews

User Reviews

User Comments

RANKINGS: