It must be fascinating -- maybe even a bit scary -- to consider the imagination of Guillermo Del Toro. Consider all of the creepy creatures or uncanny crawlers running through the "Pan's Labyrinth" director's head at any given time. Better yet, check out Del Toro's newest picture.
"Hellboy II: The Golden Army" brings the viewer into a magical underground world of trolls, ghastly beasts, man-eating fairies and monster plants. This sequel to the 2004 comic book-based film is a blend of enchanting visuals.
It's not a one-trick pony, either. "Hellboy II" passes its predecessor quickly, mixing in an entertaining and action-packed story, timely humor and a strong cast of characters.
The film has the protagonist Hellboy, played wonderfully by Ron Perlman, and his crew -- Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), Abe Sapien (Doug
Jones) and Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor) -- from the first film. This time, however, he has a new boss in the gaseous Johann Krauss (voiced by Seth McFarlane of "Family Guy" fame). Together, they'll need to stop an old world power in Prince Nuada (Luke Goss), a unique warrior with undeniable skill.
The grudge-carrying Nuada, bent on snuffing out all of humankind, is on a mission to resurrect The Golden Army, an unstoppable force from thousands of years ago. First, he'll have to deal with the beer-swilling and kitten-loving Hellboy, also a force not to be trifled with.
In this summer of superheroes, "Hellboy II" stands near the top. With the creative Del Toro's direction and screenplay and Perlman's attitude, the film packs every punch -- or cool weapon -- necessary to measure up against the best of this genre.
Del Toro has made significant improvements from Hellboy's first outing, a sign that he has steadily improved as a director.
• In wide release Additional Information:
'Hellboy II: The Golden Army'
Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and some language; 
(out of four)
