Hellboy II is like the first film cranked-up a few notches: there are plenty of kinetic fight scenes, monsters, and action sequences to keep your eyes entertained.  The only real let downs are the moments where the movie pretends to be something other than a popcorn-muncher; the relationship between Hellboy and Liz still seems like a tacked-on boardroom decision and the prejudices of the masses against their strange benefactors doesn’t really amount to much in the end.  The real stars of the movie are the monsters.  Done with appropriate nods to Ray Harryhausen and earlier fantastique films like The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, the scenes in the Troll Market are absolute stunners.  While Guillermo del Toro leans heavily on the aesthetic he perfected in Pan’s Labyrinth—which is equal parts Grimm’s Fairy Tales and Brom—the effect is wondrous.  The Golden Army, a clockwork menace replete with gears and  cogs, will especially please any steampunks in the audience. Hellboy II isn’t a film with a deep message or meaning, it’s a film about a big red demon-guy who punches things into submission.  What more could you want in a summer flick?

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