MovieChat Forums > Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) Discussion > First Hellboy should have a higher ratin...

First Hellboy should have a higher rating than II


I don't get why this one's rated higher. Hellboy II has some incredibly cheesy scenes - the young Hellboy scene ( i think toward the beginning of the movie), and when Hellboy and Abe get drunk. It's been awhile since I've watched it so I don't remember all the details of why I didn't like it as much. I'm just very surprised to see it rated higher.

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How do you rate the second in comparison?

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I agree, for me the first Helloby was the best out of the two becuase it had a perfect blend of drama, action, suspense, art, and humor. While Helloby II is a good follow up it just feels a little more...Light by comparison.

I have an unbelievably long ignore list.

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This movie, while it had some nice visual elements to it, was all schtick in the story department. Drunk scene, beyatchy pregnant wife, rebooting the Manning/Hellboy relationship back to pure hostile. etc.

The first film is far better.


You're forgetting one thing- I just started using laser cats again!

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I think this one is the stronger one, better story and visuals and best of all no Myers.

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I liked the first better too.

If we can save humanity, we become the caretakers of the world

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First one for me also.

2nd one just felt like a total reboot, to the point I was wondering if there was a in-between mini movie/cartoon movie to extend the story from the 1st and introduce us to the 2nd, as there just felt like far to many changes done far to fast.

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To me the second revealed growth in the protagonist. They were no longer looking, but found each other. It also highlighted the need for more growth. What I found repetitive was the battles, probably what everyone else liked. The second had more focused action and was goal orientated. The first movie was all over the place, but connected in my opinion. I will the supernatural story is better in the second.

If we can save humanity, we become the caretakers of the world

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Because audiences (especially American ones- and I really hate to say that, but it's true) LOVES slapstick and explosions and the like. They just want ENTERTAINMENT RIGHT NOW and don't care about gorgeous scores, deep emotional scenes or great symbolism, like the first had. 2 had lots of cartoony violence, cheesy jokes and stuff to make anyone with the attention span of a hummingbird love because it was easier to understand and pay attention to.

And I love 2 as well, so don't get me wrong. But more action and more slapstick humor do NOT make a movie better. The first is superior in many ways, one being that it DOESN'T rely on cheap slapstick and big noises and cool huge manly guns to be thought provoking or entertaining.

The entire world is falling to ruins and poor Cheshire's off his tea.

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Oh stfu! I'm tired of this anti-American crap on these boards. There are plenty of people in other countries who lap up slapstick and explosions- how else do you explain Transformers and the Fast & Furious franchises selling so well overseas.

I have no issue with the other points about 2 being too slapstick (I think it has a better villian and much stronger story), but this "blame America" crap is really getting old. The problem with big budget cinema is more money is needed. More money means more investors. More investors mean more people to please. So edgy, arty films come from smaller studios. It has nothing to do with American audiences. In fact, all I ever hear is how sick we all are of these crap franchise films, and it's other countries who keep handing money hand over fist to films like Transformers 4 (look at the numbers. Also take into account population)

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I agree. Hellboy 2 was pretty much special effects driven filler. It meanders, it's adolescent, and it lacks tension. The first film created the fun bada$$ that is Hellboy and the second film made Hellboy into a doofus.

Who replaces Hellboy as a bada$$ in the second film? Prince Nuada. Man, that dude was better developed than Hellboy here. It's pretty bad when you start empathizing with the bad guy more than the hero...

Admittedly the creature designs and effects were phenomenal, but the subpar writing really ruined it.

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Hellboy II has some incredibly cheesy scenes ...when Hellboy and Abe get drunk.
I actually thought the Barry Manilow singalong was a highlight.

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Hellboy 2 is the superior film and does gets a higher rating.

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