Movies

Words don't really do justice in attempting to describe the wondrous array of misfits and monsters Guillermo del Toro has concocted here. Truly, his is a world you have to experience for yourself to appreciate fully — if you dare, that is. In following up the original Hellboy from 2004 and his Oscar-winning 2006 masterpiece Pan's Labyrinth, the director has outdone himself in both absurd humor and wild imagination. At times, there's almost too much to take in all at once — everything from hulking trolls with thick tusks to tiny tooth fairies.

The visuals are the star, of course. But the sequel, which del Toro scripted from a story he co-wrote with Hellboy comic book creator Mike Mignola, wouldn't be nearly as much fun without Ron Perlman returning as its wisecracking, beer-guzzling, kitten-nuzzling hero. Not only does Perlman completely get del Toro's twisted sense of humor, he thrives on it. As the film's title character, who grows from boy-devil to man-devil to reluctant, noir-style crime fighter, Perlman shows not just perfect comic timing but also an irresistible ability to laugh at himself. This time, Hellboy and the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense must stop a power-hungry, underground prince (Luke Goss) from awakening a dormant army of indestructible golden soldiers. Also returning are Selma Blair as Liz, Hellboy's (literally) fiery girlfriend, and Doug Jones as the sophisticated fish-man Abe Sapien.