Better than the first!
I liked the first one a bit. But it was lacking more developed characters. But the plot was interesting, as it related to the creation story of Hellboy and involved paranormal-obsessed Nazis.
If you haven't seen the first, don't watch the second. The characters will be even less well developed for you. Selma Blair is back as a temperamental fire-starter now living with Hellboy, a nearly indestructible being from hell, a parallel universe-type-thing, where he is the prince. He's got a giant stone hand that smashes stuff, a pointy tail, red skin and two horns the grow out of his forehead but which he sands down every day so that he can blend in more with humans. And he loves cigars and shooting at stuff.
In this installment an elf prince is fed up with humans ruling the world because we have holes in our hearts that can never be filled no matter what we possess, but we keep on trying! So he goes on a quest to capture all of the pieces of a crown that controls an indestructible golden machine army that can easily destroy all of humanity. And we're off.
This installment benefits from an increased budget and Guillermo Del Toro's experience filming Pan's Labyrinth. His style is more developed and there are loads of very unnerving trolls and demons dwelling in extraordinary sets. The final battle is set amongst gigantic wheels like in a clock. It's incredible and must have been so much fun to build.
So it's fun if you like comics and sci fi. If not, you're not missing much by skipping these.
