| Overall Grade: |
A- |
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| Story: |
B |
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| Acting: |
B |
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| Direction: |
A |
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| Visuals: |
A |
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The Del Toro Touch
by Renato (movies profile)
Jul 14, 2008
12
of
16 people found this review helpful
Didn't see Hellboy I? Not a fan of comics adaptations? Not into stylised films? Doesn't matter, I think you'll love this film.
Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth) is today's equivalent director of the "Lubitsch Touch". Instead of sophisticated drawing room comedies, the Mexican-born director deals in the phantasmagorical, and he does it uniquely, and brilliantly.
Hellboy II reminds one of an extended Star Wars "bar scene", with that crew of weird characters of futurist goblins. Doug Jones (Abe Sapien) is even this generation's C-3PO -- a slightly effeminate alien who listens to Vivaldi, and prissily combats bad guys with wit not brawn.
Unusually, this film has two romantic subplots, and they actually work in context.
The visuals are just stunning. If nothing else, they are worth the price of admission.
I'm not sure if it's too soon to call this a "classic", but no one should hesitate to call it memorable. |
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