A Big Red Demon and a Flying Superhero
4. Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Starring: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Luke Goss, Jeffrey Tambor
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Release Date: July 11
Links: Trailer, Official Site
I wasn't a very big fan of Guillermo del Toro's acclaimed, Oscar-nominated film "Pan's Labyrinth" - the overly violent "adult fairy tale" never came together for me. I much prefer Del Toro's straight-up horror and comic book flicks like "Mimic" and "Blade II" and, yes, "Hellboy." Even though I had never read the comic books series, I have a soft spot for the original "Hellboy" movie. I loved character actor Ron Perlman in the lead role; I loved the bizarre villains and eye-popping monsters; and I loved Guillermo del Toro's style.
While the first "Hellboy" wasn't a blockbuster, the movie was a surprise hit and is considered one of the better comic book adaptations in recent memory. With Del Toro's growing stature in Hollywood as a rising star, he got the go-ahead for a sequel called "Hellboy II: The Golden Army."
"Hellboy II" is shrouded in mystery. We know that Hellboy and his partners Abe Sapien and Liz Sherman are back, and there will be a new addition to the team as well. According to the official Website, the plot deals with what happens when "an ancient truce between Humankind and the Fantastics is broken." So what's the "Golden Army" and who is the pale-faced villain seen in the trailer? Those details are being kept under wraps.
What we do know is that "Hellboy" creator Mike Mignola wrote the sequel with Del Toro, so the movie should be faithful enough for fans of the comic series. We also know that Del Toro turned down a chance to direction Peter Jackson's Halo project. With no big name stars and an obscure comic book hero, "Hellboy II" will have to stand out in a crowded summer movie season with other more well-known series vying for tickets. Then again, Del Toro had great success with "Blade II," which was by far the best film of that comic book series, so he may have another surprise hit on the way.
- Rob Wright
3. Iron Man
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Terence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges
Director: Jon Favreau
Release Date: May 2
Links: Trailer, Official Site
Iron Man is one of those comic characters that just screams live-action movie. If you're completely unfamiliar with Tony Stark/Iron Man, he's a rich, arrogant weapons designer who builds a metal suit that's basically a hi-tech fighter jet and he flies around in it causing explosions. Excuse me for having simple tastes but that's a movie, folks. When Jon Favreau was announced as the director I was skeptical. Like it or not, "Favreau" feels like New York clubs and Vegas casinos, not pyrotechnics and F-22 Raptors. It took the early footage shown at Comic-Con and the accompanying panel to get me on the team.
I'll admit that I've been lured into bad films before by trailers and Comic-Con panels but the buzz about "Iron Man" is very strong. The trailers look good; the suit looks good; and all we need now is the big action pay off. Robert Downey Jr. is exceptional casting for Tony Stark and will hopefully do what Christian Bale did for Bruce Wayne in "Batman Begins:" make the secret identity as interesting as the superhero.
The danger with "Iron Man" is the danger that all first-time comic movies face: too much time spent on the origin and not enough action. "Spider-Man" handled that balance very well but "Daredevil" fumbled it horribly. The first Iron Man movie needs lots of "Iron" and just a little "Man." Show me the suit; show me repulsor rays; and show me aerial combat... hopefully all at the same time. With a villain like Iron Monger (think evil Iron Man) I hope we can expect action scenes that involve more than just two guys in armored suits punching each other.
- Travis Meacham
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