If you read Lost In A Supermarket this past week, you’d think we’re a damn comic book movie website. Sorry about that. But in a year seeing the best films coming out of the Marvel, Dark Horse and DC archives, it’s kinda hard to ignore this trend. (Btw, what the hell’s happened to Hollywood? Can no one come up with a decent novel idea of their own anymore? I’m not mad — hell, gimme more comic book films! But at least make an original movie not based on an 80s TV show, movie or comic sometime!!!)

Overall, however, the results have been pretty favorable: Iron Man was terrific, the Dark Knight is the Film of the Year, and the upcoming Punisher, The Spirit, and Watchmen look to be among the best this coming year has to offer. And Hellboy 2, at least according to the Madman, was another Summertime Banger. But Arnold Barbar, another LIAS scribe, thought differently. He turned to me when it was over and said, “Well, that sucked.”

What do you know, smartypants?

So whether you’ll like Hellboy 2 is kinda up in the air. It’s pretty unarguable that the character design and special effects are beyond par. Guillermo Del Toro not only has a beautiful, unique, and twistedly dark vision, but he now has the money and technology to bring it to life. The effects are simply immaculate, and the battles are bad ass.

There’s also more than an head nod to the things that made Star Wars so beloved. A Troll Market scene is basically a 2008, super-effect version of the Mos Eisley Canteen, and Del Toro was introducing jaw-dropping characters every 10 minutes — you know, the kind that made you want to rabidly collect every Star Wars figure, no matter how ridiculously insignificant, as a schoolboy nerd. He’s also adopted the Lucasian idea of non-stop action which, to be honest, was one of my complaints. Maybe I’m alone on this one, but I need a movie to breathe a bit more, relax for a minute. When it’s battle after battle after battle after battle, I tend to get a bit burnt out. Gimme a chance to come down a bit, guys, and I’ll enjoy those battles a helluva lot more.

Another totally pleasant surprise was just how funny it was. Hellboy’s one-liners are hilarious, delivered with a slight irony that makes the infamous Schwarzeneggerisms of the 80s sound flat and outdated. There’s some truly quotable dialogue.

Arnold thought it was pretty stupid, and not as dark as the original. I don’t know what he’s talking about — it was pretty damn dark. And rode the line quite close to that PG-13 border at times. Anyway, it’s no Iron Man and certainly no Dark Knight, but waaaaaaaaaaay better than either Indiana Jones or the shiny diarrhea turd that was Wanted.

Good stuff.