In 2004’s Hellboy, director Guillermo del Toro introduced us to the cinematic version of Mike Mignola’s popular comic book character, a laconic demon summoned to Earth to destroy it but who winds up working with a team of supernatural characters to save it time and again. Returning to the character in 2008 with Hellboy II: The Golden Army, del Toro brings the emotional journey - yes, there is one in this story of demons and underworlds - of Hellboy to a conclusion whose enjoyment is enhanced by, but not necessarily dependent on, the viewing of the first movie.
The Golden Army once again finds Hellboy conflicted between the role he’s reminded he’s destined to play (bringer of Hell to Earth) and the one he’s chosen to play (protector of Earth). This time his adversary is an Elf prince who’s tired of the ancient truce between his people and humans and has vowed to, you, know, destroy the surface dwellers as a result. Monsters need to be pounded by Hellboy’s big red fist, blown apart by his even bigger series of specially-designed guns and ultimately destroyed through, in true Wonder Pets fashion, the power of teamwork.
The central plot of Hellboy stopping another apocalypse is entertaining and engaging, thanks in large part to del Toro’s vividly imaginative character design and emphasis on making sure each one has a unique and interesting identity. But even more satisfying than that is the emotional journey, carried over from the first film, that Hellboy is taken on.
Variety saysHellboy 2“did hellacious business in debuting to an estimated $35.9 million.” This seems to be a compliment. Meanwhile, Meet Dave bombed, and Journey to the Center of the Earth made a very respectable $20 mil on just 854 3D screens.
Richard Linklater, Mike White and Jack Black will collaborate on a sequel to School of Rock, and it’s got what’s destined to rival Babe 2: Pig in the City for mockable sequel titles: School of Rock 2: America Rocks. Where’s the exclamation point?
Terribly Happy, a Danish crime film, took the top prize at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival over the weekend. Man on Wire took the documentary prize, and there was also a “special mention” for Bigger, Stronger, Faster.
Just minutes ago I was trying to figure out where to stay in L.A. during the Los Angeles Film Festival, when an email floated through informing me that the fest’s full lineup has been posted at The Circuit. The Film Independent-backed event will open with the, um, less-than independent Angelina Jolie action film Wanted; it will close with Hellboy II. In between, Medicine for Melancholy and The Pleasure of Being Robbed are among the seven films in the Narrative competition; other notable titles on the schedule include Let the Right One In, Man on Wire, Momma’s Man, Encounters at the End of the World, and a film I’ve been dying to see, Roy Andersson’s You, The Living. See the full lineup here.
While the San Diego Comic Con has been for some time a significant part of Hollywood’s marketing calendar — and it only continues to grow, as was shown with last year’s very heavily covered event — there hasn’t been as much emphasis put on the New York Comic Con, despite its logical opportunity and its more pertinent proximity to the opening of the blockbuster movie season. Compared to San Diego’s convention, which takes place in July, too late to really showcase the present year’s releases, New York’s is in April, right before the first of the big summer release dates.
But Hollywood’s presence seems to be more noticeable at this year’s event. Looking at a list of some of the previews and attractions, located at Super Hero Hype, there’s promotions going on for movies like X-Files 2, Hellboy 2 and The Incredible Hulk, all of which could use the extra buzz from its core demographic of comic book and movie geeks. There’s also the world premiere of the new teaser trailer for Frank Miller’s adaptation of Will Eisner’s The Spirit, a jump on San Diego’s usual tradition of being the place to introduce such way-in-advance materials (the film doesn’t come out until 2009).
We’ve had a bit of trouble getting this episode to go through the iTunes feed, so we hope this re-post will fix the problem. The original post, with episode description and embedded player, is here.
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Variety says Hellboy 2 “did hellacious business in debuting to an estimated $35.9 million.” This seems to be a compliment. Meanwhile, Meet Dave bombed, and Journey to the Center of the Earth made a very respectable $20 mil on just 854 3D screens.
