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Four years later director, Guillermo Del Toro, revisits the Hellboy scape and cranks every successful aspect of the first iteration up to eleven. Returning cast members, Ron Perlman, Doug Jones and Selma Blair, dial in the dark sarcastic tone by leaning in to the witty one liners - even at the risk of some brief moments of banality - creating an ensemble of characters that feel more fleshed out and sure of themselves than their earlier versions. Del Toro wisely bumps up his creature cast with some new members, each serving as a canvas for some of the most incredible monster makeups of the decade. Released in the early years of blockbuster's transition into the world of CGI, Hellboy instead leans heavily on classic practical creature effects, holding tight to that certain mystique that most computer generated productions simply can't touch. Case in point: an interdimensional market scene that rivals Star Wars' Cantina or Nightbreed's Midian. On top of the better creatures, beefed up cast and more exciting story, the fight scenes have also been elevated from back alley boxing match to martial arts choreography. Hellboy II: The Golden Army is one rare example of a sequel surpassing its predecessor and stands, in Bite Night's book, as the best screen homage to the graphic novel anti hero.
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HELL BOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
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