Hellboy II

[Guest Vince Coleman Firecracker]

Saw this yesterday. I'm a big fan of the comic book and del Toro (can't wait for the Hobbit), and I loved the first movie, but I didn't think this one was great. There are a few beautiful and perfect scenes, but overall it felt too hectic for my taste. I'll see a third one if they make it, though.

[soupcan]

My 9 year-old wants to see this but neither he nor I know anything about Hellboy. Is it necessary to see the first one before checking this out?

[Vic Sage]

As with most things, the more you bring to it, the more you get from it. The narrative doesn't require having any familiarity, but in order to fully appreciate the relationships and attitudes of the characters, it would help to have seen the first one.

I actually think the first one was better.

[Guest AG/DC]

Action sequels tend to add too many elements, almost actively keeping you from being engaged with any of them. It's a shame that producers almost never seem to have enough confidence in the girl that brung them.

[Guest Vince Coleman Firecracker]

soupcan wrote: My 9 year-old wants to see this but neither he nor I know anything about Hellboy. Is it necessary to see the first one before checking this out?

I think you'd be ok without seeing the first one. There's a quick rehash of the origins story at the beginning of this one. I recommend the first movie, though. Del Toro's love for the source material is obvious.
If you'd like a quick primer to Hellboy, I recommend checking out some of the online comics here. That's how I got into it in the first place.

Oh, I should warn ya- the link I posted is safe for work, but some of those comics are hosted by Playboy.com. I don't recall anything particularly racy about any of them, but maybe you shouldn't click the links if your company keeps track of such things.

[metirish]

Saw this tonight , liked the first one and liked this one.....Del Toro's imagination knows no bounds.