Hellboy II: The Golden Army

    First, what did I like about Hellboy II? The movie, written and directed by Guerillermo del Toro who also wrote and directed the stylishly beautiful "Pan's Labyrinth," was artfully shot with outstanding, necessary and not gratuitous computer graphics, crisp in its delivery and stars character actor Ron Perlman as Hellboy. Ron Perlman; as the tough, soft hearted, wisecracking hero, is fabulous. He is as human and lovable as he is red, beastly and supernatural.

    My problem with the movie is a sub theme, however subtle, that disturbs me. When Hellboy's team; members from the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense search northern Ireland for Prince Nuada, the evil elf prince, who is fated to resurrect the Golden Army, they encounter the Angel of Death. The Angel of Death is engaged to save Hellboy's life after he is wounded earlier, stateside, by Prince Nuada.

    When Hellboy's girlfriend, Liz Sherman, portrayed by Selma Blair, begs the Angel to save her beau by removing an enchanted spear point from his chest, the Angel unveils, "but you should know it is his destiny to bring about the destruction of the Earth. Not now, not tomorrow, but soon enough. Knowing that, you still want him to live? So child make your choice, the world or him?" Liz, who is oddly pregnant by Hellboy's seed, chooses to save Hellboy.

    How human that a woman's love is all that is needed to counter and assuage what is Hellboy's well intentioned but subhuman nature. This reference (and I'm talking the Book of Revelation reference) by The Angel of Death is certainly to indict that Hellboy is The Beast, or, at the very least, his close descendant. This is extremely serious subject matter, and it distresses me to think that the face of The Beast is the lovable, wisecracking Hellboy. Uninformed children everywhere gotta' love him.

    Rated PG13 at 120 minutes of runtime. Released on DVD November 13, 2008.