#1 HellBoy2 Review (Spoilers Ahoy!)
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 6:21 pm
Just got back from the theater.
WOW. Just... WOW. It's everything promised in the trailers, and a few surprises not shown. The visuals are everything promised, the action scenes had me thinking of the Exalted RPG, and the plot was a tragedy, built on loss.
If you are wondering what I mean by Exalted, in that RPG you play beings who are far more than mortal, and who are tasked to save lesser humans from minor gods, evil fae, and things that go kill in the night. Red, Abe, and Liz live up to that ideal in every way. Exalted also works on an over-the-top Wire-Fu martial arts system, and Hellboy's fights fit right in.
Now, there is a slowdown in the middle, which is my only complaint. Yes, we do need to see the Character Buildup, and yes, they did get a few hilarious scenes in there to make it worth it. But it's still a slowdown, and it drags a bit. Abe and Red sing a nice duet, though.
Speaking of which, a few semi-spoiler comments:
Prince Nuada fails the Evil Overlord test by allowing his sister Nuala to keep her knife.
Liz has gotten badass, leading the BPRD MiBs expertly and confidently, showing full control of herself and her powers, despite her condition.
Seth McFarland plays the German Dr. Gauss. He's got some really great scenes.
Poor, Poor Abe.
Total Score? 4/5, and a definite BUY once it's on DVD.
WOW. Just... WOW. It's everything promised in the trailers, and a few surprises not shown. The visuals are everything promised, the action scenes had me thinking of the Exalted RPG, and the plot was a tragedy, built on loss.
If you are wondering what I mean by Exalted, in that RPG you play beings who are far more than mortal, and who are tasked to save lesser humans from minor gods, evil fae, and things that go kill in the night. Red, Abe, and Liz live up to that ideal in every way. Exalted also works on an over-the-top Wire-Fu martial arts system, and Hellboy's fights fit right in.
Now, there is a slowdown in the middle, which is my only complaint. Yes, we do need to see the Character Buildup, and yes, they did get a few hilarious scenes in there to make it worth it. But it's still a slowdown, and it drags a bit. Abe and Red sing a nice duet, though.
Speaking of which, a few semi-spoiler comments:
Prince Nuada fails the Evil Overlord test by allowing his sister Nuala to keep her knife.
Liz has gotten badass, leading the BPRD MiBs expertly and confidently, showing full control of herself and her powers, despite her condition.
Seth McFarland plays the German Dr. Gauss. He's got some really great scenes.
Poor, Poor Abe.
Total Score? 4/5, and a definite BUY once it's on DVD.
