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