Now Playing: Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Big Red is back and aren't I thrilled! Guillermo del Toro fills the director's chair again in Hellboy II: The Golden Army of the comic franchise. What can I say? It joins the exclusive club of sequels that outshine their originators: H2TGA was just fabulous. This is not to say the first one was horrible - far from! - but it just didn't have the budget and it had to do what all first movies in franchises have to do... deal with the back story. Inevitably, the first half of the story gets bogged down. H2GTA has no such issues.

The good: this list is long. The script was tight and true to the spirit of Hellboy - funny and silly to dark and scary. It's almost... perfect. I love that drinking-to-Manilow scene - it was everything Spiderman tried (and failed ) to do. Casting was excellent, with most people coming back for more. I loved that John Hurt makes a nice cameo. Luke Goss and Anna Walton as twin Elven royalty was just inspired. I was really worried when I heard a boybander would be assigned this role, but I take it all back. I loved everything to do with that Elven storyline - Prince Nuada is what I have always pictured Elves would be like: agile, clever, scary-beautiful, vicious and altogether regal. I simply loved it. Nuada has to be one of my favourite villains in recent memory. The acting was as great as usual, which probably speaks well of the script and casting. And, of course, the special effects are just stellar. Though the Pan's Labyrinth style is there, I'm convinced that it's not a PL style but a Guillermo-style, one that's perfect for Hellboy. Sort of like how Tim Burton's stamp on movies is simply distinguishable, Guillermo's feel for Mike Mignola's universe seems dead on. Everything from the tiniest Tooth Fairy to the Golden Army itself seemed to fit perfectly into the movie.

The bad: why did they change Liz's flames from blue to boring orange-yellow? I liked the blue - which signifies intense heat - over this wishy-washy flame stuff. I had thought maybe when she's learned to control it or something, so when she's just having a fight with Red, she's got flames. But even under attack, the blue flames stayed out of sight. I know there's an explanation, but it fall short. Sad. Also, why didn't David Hyde Pierce reprise his voice role of Abe Sapien? It was so jarring to hear Doug Jones. Now, let me explain. Mr. Jones does a great job - it's just too bad that, for continuity's sake, they couldn't continue with DHP or that they had just let him voice it in the first one too.

The worse: never bring back Young HB. Ever.

Go see it and watch the first one! 4 out of 5 stars.