| "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" is due out July | | | | sudden disappearance. They fought one of the |
| 2008, a full 7 months from now. What's a fan to | | | | dragons in an island where they took sanctuary |
| do while waiting for Guillermo Del Toro's sequel to | | | | after their plane crashed into the ocean. |
| his first movie about the nether region's favorite | | | | Slaying dragons, fighting mystical demons and |
| son with a human heart. | | | | becoming pawns in a centuries old love affair are |
| Luckily, Del Toro collaborated with Mike Mignola | | | | the overlying themes of Hellboy Sword of Stones. |
| (creator of Hellboy comics), IDT Entertainment | | | | The demon world is inhabited by fantastic lores of |
| and others on two animated films, "Hellboy Sword | | | | Japanese myths. The movie creators could |
| of Storms" (2006) and "Hellboy Blood & Iron" | | | | probably have spent most of the storyline within |
| (2007). Unless you're a reader of Mignola's Hellboy | | | | this world and would have made a memorable |
| comics, these two films are worth buying or | | | | film. |
| renting to delve into the world as protected by | | | | Their decision to separate Hellboy from Abe and |
| Hellboy, Liz Sherman, Abe Sapien, and the rest of | | | | Liz tho' is workable. For the non-comic book |
| BPRD (Bureau of Paranormal Research | | | | readers, this is the first time we get a feel of |
| Department), a top secret agency created by the | | | | Liz's awesome power as a pyro as she was |
| US government to "bump back" against things | | | | forced to confront the dragon on the island. We |
| that bump in the night. | | | | also get a macho-er Abe Sapien. In the cartoons, |
| The two films take on very different tones, one | | | | Abe is a frontline fighter, not simply a scout, |
| of the fantastic, the other of the gothic. The | | | | though he ends up getting beat up quite a bit. Not |
| DVDs contain extras where the creators | | | | the Abe Sapien I remember in Hellboy the movie. |
| discussed the making the films and the | | | | Hellboy Blood & Iron |
| decision-making behind any deviation from the | | | | In "Blood & Iron", Hellboy and the BPRD were |
| comic books. | | | | assigned to investigate a haunted house which |
| Hellboy Sword of Stones | | | | was recently purchased by an entrepreneuring |
| In "Sword of Stones", Hellboy was investigating an | | | | mogul who planned to use the house for a |
| assignment in Japan when he magically | | | | ghost-chasing TV reality show. It so turned out |
| transported to a demon world of Japanese | | | | that the mogul had imported a set of artifacts |
| mythos as he touched an artifact, the Sword of | | | | from a legendary Hungarian countess known to |
| Stones. This sword was used to banish the | | | | be a vampire in her days but thought to have |
| demon brothers, Thunder and Lightning, who | | | | been vanquished by a young Professor Broom, |
| were trying to make a comeback in order to | | | | one of BPRD's ranking officials and Hellboy's boss. |
| wake up sleeping dragons to help them conquer | | | | True to many vampire films, "Blood & Iron" took |
| the world. But before they could do so, the | | | | us through an intricate gothic story of vengeance |
| Sword of Stones must be broken to set them | | | | and obsession. There were loose strings between |
| free. | | | | the countess, her servant who was a former |
| Practically dumbfounded by the teleportation, | | | | village priest, and Professor Broom. |
| Hellboy, at the advice of the first creature he | | | | In an artistic decision to weave the backdrop |
| met - a mysterious talking fox, travelled | | | | between the countess and Professor Broom with |
| eastward as he attempted his way back home. | | | | the events at BPRD's mission, the creators chose |
| He encountered and fought fascinating creatures | | | | to show a series of flashbacks as Hellboy and his |
| such as a group of flying head demons, a | | | | crew began their investigation. As expected, |
| harp-playing spider queen, a toad demon, and | | | | Professor Broom confronted the countess, but |
| other ghouls. | | | | not before the countess was able to send Hellboy |
| Meanwhile, back on earth, Abe Sapien and Liz | | | | to her goddess, Hecates. It was Hecates who |
| Sherman contended with the precursors to the | | | | transformed the countess into a vampire and she |
| coming of the demon brothers. Some of the | | | | wanted Hellboy to join her or kill him if he refused. |
| dragons already began stirring and nearby | | | | Of course, Hellboy refused and as he made his |
| countrysides were terrorized. Abe's and Liz's | | | | way back to the mansion, Hecates chased him |
| airplane was downed by a lightning bolt as they | | | | for a final, bonecrushing showdown. |
| flew to Japan in order to investigate Hellboy's | | | | |