Hellboy 2: Pre Viewing Ruminations

As thoroughly stoked as I have been about the recent release of Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, I have also been hit what I like to call the midsummer doldrums, a period of fatigue inspired by the alternating extremes of the hot midwestern heat and humidity and the icy air supply of the office. Of course, this is just a poor excuse for why I did not see HB2 this past opening weekend. But can I save my hide, ostensibly, by outlining exactly what I AM looking forward to in HB2?:

1. Guillermo Del Toro. This man is a creator of worlds, to be sure, and, to me, is perhaps the only director who may be capable of supplying HB with exactly what needs (and exactly what was missing in the first film): scope.

2. Doug Jones returning as Abe Sapien and premiering as The Chamberlain AND The angel of death. As best illustrated in Pan's Labyrinth, the man absolutely becomes his character, and Del Toro directs him as though they are sharing the same DNA and lifeblood in their movements.

3. The Story. The original HB was pleasing as an introduction to the characters, satisfying to fans of the comics without becoming exploitative, but also somewhat lacking as a standalone narrative. HB2 promises an upgraded script with a life of its own, and a bit of a backstory we were missing in the first act.

I would like to remain optimistic on all fronts, but one thing I am reticent about is the return of the lifeless Selma Blair in the role of Liz Sherman. I truly hope her scenes will be limited (in ways they were not limited in the original) in the sequel, and that her sad sally demeanor is confined to the margins this time around.

Of course, I will return, post viewing, to expound on these thoughts, so stay tuned!!

~dm