Hellboy 2 The Golden Army Parent Guide
Parent Movie Review
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 Perlman).
Living in a secret government facility known as the Bureaus for Paranormal Research and Defense, Hellboy is transported in the back of a retrofitted garbage truck to the sight of crime scenes. He works with the fiery Liz Sherman (Selma Blair) who literally bursts into flames when she is upset, and the water-loving merman, Abe Sapien (Doug Jones). Their job is to intercept foreign life forms and prevent them from disrupting the humans’ comfortable and clueless lifestyle.
However, the bulky, horned giant realizes it’s time to bring out the big guns when a swarm of flesh-eating spiders consumes an entire roomful of patrons at an art auction. Arriving on location with an entourage of FBI agents, Hellboy and his pals watch in horror as two of the officers are also devoured—for dessert. Following a lead to an obscure troll market full of fantastical creatures, Hellboy and the others discover the man behind the spider attack.
A fairy prince who’s been living in exile for centuries, Prince Nuada (Luke Goss) intends to resurrect a golden army of indestructible soldiers and wage an all-out attack on mankind. All he needs to revive the sleeping militia is one last piece of a magical crown. But, his twin sister, Princess Nuala (Anna Walton) possesses the charm and refuses to join her brother’s destructive quest.
Not unexpectedly, intense hand-to-hand combat, swordplay, blasting gunfire and explosions all accompany the pistol-touting protagonist as he confronts the ageless antagonist. Other victims are impaled, crushed, beheaded and killed by a self-inflicted stab wound.
Yet the production counters all the gratuitous aggression with plenty of slapstick humor. Even the swaggering Hellboy and his fishy friend are reduced to a drunken evening of sing-a-longs when they are forced to face their feelings about the females in their lives. Other clowning by the cigar-chomping hero also helps lighten the film’s feel. However, one prolonged battle after another makes this movie begin to drag by the time Hellboy and his cohorts finally confront the fully alert golden fighters.
Stocked with special effects, elaborate costumes and a huge cast of invented creatures, Hellboy provides viewers with plenty of visual effects. Yet despite his warm and fuzzy affinity for cats and candy bars, this big, cranky bulk of a hero will likely pack too much punch for most family viewers.
Starring Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Luke Goss. Theatrical release July 10, 2008. Updated April 1, 2009About author
Hellboy 2 The Golden Army
Rating & Content Info
Why is Hellboy 2 The Golden Army rated PG-13? Hellboy 2 The Golden Army is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and some language.
The film begins with scenes of animated battles that include impaling and killing. Later a Manhattan museum is swarmed by spiders that attack and eat the patrons and FBI agents before defecating all over the room. During confrontations, characters engage in hand-to-hand combat, sword fighting and martial arts. Men are beheaded, impaled and repeatedly beaten. An old woman is hit across a room and a creature is crushed between two spiked rollers. One character dies from a self-inflicted stabbing. Car crashes, explosions and property damage are also shown. A couple throws objects during a domestic fight. Pregnancy is discussed and brief kissing is portrayed. Two main characters are drunk and another smokes infrequently. Profanities, vulgarities and two uses of a term meant to sound like a sexual expletive are used in the script.
Page last updated April 1, 2009
Hellboy 2 The Golden Army Parents' Guide
On what terms does Prince Nuada justify his war against the humans? Are his motives warranted? How does greed make a person insensitive to the needs or concerns of others?
Despite their efforts to save mankind, superheroes are often unappreciated—if not despised—by those they are helping. What examples are found in other supernatural stories? Why would someone continue to help those who don’t value his or her service?
How is Hellboy’s professional life impacted by his personal life? What do filmmakers do to portray his humanity?
Home Video
The most recent home video release of Hellboy 2 The Golden Army movie is November 11, 2008. Here are some details…
Hellboy II: The Golden Army takes home video by force with its DVD release. Presented in either a wide or full screen version, the disc offers audio commentaries with writer/director Guillermo del Toro, and actors Jeffrey Tambor, Selma Blair and Luke Goss. Get a glimpse behind the scenes with a Troll Market Tour (with Guillermo del Toro), a visit to seven sets and the Production Workshop. Other extras include Zinco Epilogue Animated Comic, a Comic Book Builder and deleted scenes (with optional commentary by Director Guillermo del Toro). Audio tracks are available in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (English, French and Spanish) and DVS Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (English), with subtitles in English, French and Spanish).
Hellboy II: The Golden Army also comes in a 3-Disc Special Edition (widescreen). Along with the previously mentioned bonus materials, this package provides a digital copy of the movie and more special features (Prologue, Director’s Notebook, Concept Art Gallery, Hellboy: In Service of the Demon, Professor Broom’s Puppet Theatre, an Image Gallery and on DVD Rom—Hellboy II: The Golden Army Script). Audio tracks are available in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (English, French and Spanish) and DVS Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (English), with subtitles in English, French and Spanish).
The 2-disc Blu-ray edition of Hellboy II: The Golden Army comes with all of the above (in a widescreen presentation), plus BD-Live: My Chat, My Scenes Sharing, U-Control, Scene Explorer: Schufften Goggle View, and interactive versions of Comic Book Builder, Director’s Notebook, Set Visits, and Comic Book Back-Story. Audio tracks are available in DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (English) and DTS 5.1 Surround (French and Spanish), with subtitles in English, French and Spanish).
Fans of the film should also be aware that both the Blu-ray and 3-Disc editions may be purchased as a Collector’s Set. This option comes with a Golden Army statue, limited edition poster, and an excerpt from the journal of director Guillermo Del Toro with a certificate of authenticity.
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Hellboy II: The Golden Army is the sequel to the 2004 movie Hellboy.
The consequence of inter-species marriage is an issue raised by newscasters in this film. In the 1960s, movies like Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner addressed the topic and possible effects of interracial marriage.
The Star Wars trilogy and Harry Potter franchise also populate their storylines with hordes of imaginary and eccentric creatures.