The Golden Boy's Golden Army

Guillermo del Toro is in his element with Hellboy II: The Golden Army. The creation of mystical creatures and fantastical worlds is definitely one of his strengths. The movie is definitely an improvement on the first movie but it is not the masterpiece of Pan’s Labyrinth (2007).
The movie is slick and fun but it lacks in its pacing. There is so many interesting things going on, but we never really get to take it in. The Goblin market and the creatures in it are unbelievable but the action never stops so we can appreciate it. The mystical world and the Golden Army are stunning also. Ron Pearlman as Hellboy is the heart and soul of the movie. He does a great job; it was as if he was born for the role. It is nice to see a superhero movie with a heart. It is not just action but back-story. Without Pearlman the movie would fall apart, his portrayal of Hellboy makes the movie. Doug Jones is also brillant as Abe Sapian and a number of other mystical creatures.
Hellboy II, is the worth the watch for a cool story and beautiful completely breathtaking imagery. It seems that del Toro can do the big budget Hollywood movie, so I think we should all be excited for his version of the Hobbit.