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From the dark side, to our side – one more time...

Guillermo Del Toro’s take on Mike Mignola’s Hellboy comic character is back - amd it's not a moment too soon as the mythical world starts a rebellion against humanity with rulew of the Earth.

Ron Perlman (City of The Lost Children, Alien Resurection) pictured, in full Hellboy guise, right) stars as the world’s toughest, kitten-loving, cigar-chomping ‘teenage’ hero from hell in the sequel to 2005’s comic book smash feature film in Hellboy: The Golden Army.

Also reprising a role from the first feature is Selma Blair as the pyrokentic Liz and Doug Jones as the aquatic empath Abe Sapien – alongside new team member the protoplasmic mystic Johann - voiced by Thomas Kretschman.

Hellworld

The new film sees the armies of the hell-world glimpsed at the close of the original feature film seek to break through and gain dominion over our reality – and sees the appearance of former (early 1980s) boy band member Luke Goss (Bros) as the evil Prince - leading a crusade against the mortal world when ancient truce between humankind and the invisible realm of the fantastic is broken

Based on the best-selling Dark Horse Comic – which had already sold millions of copies throughout America and Europe before the first feature film saw the light of day back in 2002, directed by Guillermo Del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) - about the world's leading paranormal investigator. Created by the highly respected comic strip artist and writer Mike Mignola, he is best known for his work with DC and Marvel Comics. Highlight comics of Mignola's includes Bram Stoker's Dracula, Batman, and The Hulk.

Dark Horse

For those looking for an extra fix of Hellboy ahead of the film release you could do a lot worse than check out the two Hellboy animated titles - featuring the voice talents of the original feature film cast - Hellboy Animated: Sword Of Storms and Hellboy Animated: Blood And Iron. The original film is also in ths hops now as an extras-packed three-disc Hellboy: Director's Cut.

Here's what the critics have made of the film so far:

"While the plot lends itself to pretentious blockbuster hysteria, del Toro keeps things grounded by focussing on the characters and their sardonic banter..." - Rich Cline (Shadows on the Wall).

“Trust Guillermo Del Toro to deliver a summer action adventure which is gleefully unpretentious in its desire to entertain while filled with some of the season's most inventive visual effects and creature designs.” - Mike Goodridge (Screen International magazine).

“There's so much beauty and imagination on display in Hellboy II: The Golden Army that it's sometimes hard to tell if you're watching an action movie or a museum exhibit called 'The Artistry of Guillermo Del Toro.' - Chris Hewitt (St. Paul Pioneer Press newspaper)

“…del Toro's sequel to his 2004 Hellboy is not a work of art like his Oscar-winning Pan's Labyrinth. But his latest spin on Mike Mignola's vividly drawn Dark Horse comic series sure is a surprise package of fun, fright and untamed imagination. If you're looking for a creature feature, you've found nirvana.” - Peter Travers (Rolling Stone magazine)

“Del Toro seems to use this movie as batting practice for The Hobbit.” - Stephen Himes (Film Snobs website)

“If you didn't know that there's a Troll Market underneath the east tower of the Brooklyn Bridge, you need to brush up on your monstrosities with the help of Guillermo del Toro's hugely inventive - and smashingly beautiful - Hellboy II: The Golden Army.” - Joe Morgenstern (The Wall Street Journal newspaper)

"Hellboy II, like the recent Chronicles of Narnia sequel, sacrifices story and character on the altar of action, effects and underwhelming creatures." - John Wirt
(The Advocate newspaper).

"Funnier, bolder and cleverer than any comic book movie has a right to be." - GQ Magazine.

"As much Tolkien's baby as Mignola's, this has more heart and humour than most fantasy films can dream of. Hellaciously good." - Helen OHara
Empire Magazine.

"The fact that the set-up works for a second round can be attributed Perlman's ability to juggle brash enthusiasm with hardened sarcasm." - Dan Lybarger (eFilmCritic.com).

"Trust Guillermo Del Toro to deliver a summer action adventure which is gleefully unpretentious in its desire to entertain while filled with some of the season's most inventive visual effects and creature designs." - Mike Goodridge (Screen International)

"Devil may care...Gorgeous visuals, slobbering beasties and crunching smackdowns..." - MSN Movies.

"With writer-director del Toro given free license to go where his singular vision takes him, Hellboy II plays like Guillermo's Greatest Hits with even hotter visual effects." - Michael Rechtshaffen (Hollywood Reporter).

"Del Toro's compositions are dense with effects and background creatures, and he clearly sympathizes with the misfits and monsters who are weary of humankind's greed and ecological destructiveness; yet the movie is light on its feet and generous of spirit." - John Beifuss (Commercial Appeal magazine).

"The film itself is lovely, a breathless feast of fantasy anchored by an authentic humanism." - Walter Chaw (Film Freak Central).

For more Hellboy related information the following links may be useful:

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