Comments on: HELLBOY II nears

by: SciFiFan

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:22:13 +0000

The movie is visually spectacular at times, which I wasn’t expecting for a movie based on a comic book. It’s a movie with some really stunning scenes that make it worth your money. The three most appealing characters are Hellboy (his moral dilemma got me, my fav scene was when he had to decided whether to destroy the plant creature or when he knocked out Krauss), the elf prince villain Nuada (tragic tortured romantic looking figure of grace and agility that really held my attention) and his twin sister (beautiful tragic romantic figure who provided the heart of the film)…plus Wink (monster so ugly and loyal, he’s actually lovable). I love how it’s like a fairy tale gone bad. Looking forward to seeing the Hobbit!!

by: SciFiFan

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:22:11 +0000

by: SciFiFan

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:21:39 +0000

by: STWALLSKULL » Interesting Links: July 15th, 2008

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:49:49 +0000

[…] HELLBOY II nears from THE BEAT […]

by: Mark Engblom

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:35:00 +0000

I *get* the film…I just didn’t *like* it. There’s a difference.

by: MarcusLusk

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:31:21 +0000

It’s interesting how some people just don’t get this film. Especially when they’re already fans of the book.
But it’s reassuring that almost 90% of the critics disagreed and gave HELLBOY II the glowing accolades it deserves.
It may have its flaws, but what it’s a beautiful, engaging genre film that ventures into quirkiness and humor in a fresh and welcome manner.
We need more films like this that don’t follow the same tired superhero formula but instead delight and surprise.

50% Increase over the first HELLBOY’s opening weekend AND it has 88% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Take the nay-sayers with a huge grain of salt.

by: Mark Engblom

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:03:46 +0000

Saw it on Saturday. Very disappointed.

by: gene phillips

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:21:13 +0000

The people who fell all over themselves to label INCREDIBLE HULK as “ordinary” ought to be going spastic over HELLBOY II.

Now THIS…

is ordinary.

by: Christopher Moonlight @ Moonlight Art Magazine

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 05:29:34 +0000

Yeah, I’ve seen some of those. Very smart indeed and very funny… I just loved the Ghost Hunters the most, because I watch those guys all the time. I missed the Gladiators one, though.

by: cbrown

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 05:05:03 +0000

Christopher Moonlight, if you keep looking, you’ll see clips of Hellboy with Chuck, James Lipton on Inside The Actors Studio, and on American Gladiators! Pretty smart and funny cross-promoting.

by: Richard Starkings

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 23:07:52 +0000

I think HELLBOY II will do well due to the TERMINATOR factor. Most people I knew saw the first TERMINATOR film on video and word of mouth built interest in the movie and, inevitably, the sequel. I didn’t take my kids to the first HB but they were looking forward to the sequel more than any other superhero film this summer — as was the missus, who loves the art direction on all Del Toro’s films.

by: Sphinx Magoo

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 16:27:48 +0000

When the Ghostbusters game is released, I hope we see something similar!

by: Christopher Moonlight @ Moonlight Art Magazine

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 06:34:52 +0000

Hey, did anyone see the Hellboy meets the Ghost Hunters clip on Sci Fi channel? I was on the floor laughing. http://youtube.com/watch?v=vv94lBG9FrU

by: JWH

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 05:08:37 +0000

Dangit, Sphinx, there’s a whole lotta misunderstood irony going on today.

by: MarcusLusk

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:41:02 +0000

Going in, I was aware of the 88% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this film. Mike Mignola must be on Cloud 9 this weekend and justifiably so.
I see this one doing much better than the first.
Word of mouth will be very strong.

by: Sphinx Magoo

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:50:13 +0000

See, JWH, that’s one of the problems with not having smilies available here… I can’t be ironic without someone believing I was serious…

by: cbrown

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:38:47 +0000

Kat, I saw a matinee of Hulk last week, and there were several old ladies in the audience. They were SO INTO IT! Afterwards, I overheard them talking about how they had to go see Iron Man now. Maybe that’s just the Brooklyn weekday matinee crowd, though.

And Sphinx, screw a foam “Hellboy-Hands” toy for your kid. I want one! I’m still pissed they didn’t make those Thing feet in adult size 11!

by: Kat Kan

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:50:07 +0000

This week, while waiting for my older son to show up at the movie theater, I saw several elderly men all buying tickets to see Wanted. I’m middle-aged, these men looked old enough to be my father, so we’re definitely talking old.

Toys R Us wouldn’t carry Hellboy action figures from the first movie; they objected to the name. However, they carried Spawn figures, so go figure.

My whole family loves Hellboy; my older son reads the comics along with me, my younger son reads the Hellboy Animated trades, and my husband just wants to watch the movies.

by: JWH

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:49:22 +0000

Sphinx, the point is that anything with HELL isn’t all that marketable for kids toys.

by: Sphinx Magoo

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:20:40 +0000

[quote]Indeed. Hellboy is still an iconoclast — because of the very title, there aren’t many licensing opportunities. And maybe that’s why we like him the best.[/quote]

Are you kidding? I could so see Hellboy at Burger King…

And that fist of his? That would be a great “Hulk Hands”-like foam toy! My son would love it! Of course, he wouldn’t be old enough to watch the movie, but that didn’t stop the merchandising on Spider-Man, Batman, the Fantastic Four, both Hulk movies, Iron Man, Transformers, the Star Wars prequels, King Kong, X-Men, etc. etc.

by: Tim O'Neil

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:42:30 +0000

You’re forgetting Spawn. The franchise has definitely lain fallow for almost a decade, but the character was everywhere in pop culture for the entirety of the 90s. I’d argue that he’s probably as well-known as Hellboy, even, although he could certainly stand to have his profile raised.

Not that I’m a fan, but I remember when you couldn’t go two feet without tripping over Spawn tchochkes or TV shows or movies…

by: Kevin

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:59:37 +0000

There’s a long tradition of sequels to movies that found their audience on video (like I think Hellboy did) opening much larger than the films that preceded them. Austin Powers (even though those sequels are terrible) springs to mind.

by: rich

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:47:34 +0000

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a movie for retirees? How old is it?

by: Evie

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:07:53 +0000

It will have a big opening weekend because the comics movies, they are all the hott right now.

by: Martha Thomases

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:05:52 +0000

Hey, you whippersnapper! Us old people like our action movies, too! I’m going to see Hellboy 2 this weekend (or maybe during the day next week, because being old has it’s advantages). Now, get off my lawn!

by: Andrew Wickliffe

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:59:48 +0000

Now… I’m going to go see it tonight and all, but why is a big opening weekend expected?

The last one didn’t have a big box office gross, so why would this one?

PAN’S LABYRINTH was a success because it got that CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON retiree crowd out to an “artsy” foreign film. But I don’t see retirement age moviegoers running out to see HELLBOY 2.

by: Lea Hernandez

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:58:27 +0000

“Why does he have to be from Hell?”
“The water guy does he have to be…watery?”

I think there’s a new game in this.