Hellboy 2

[unforth]

After seeing the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and listening to what you guys wrote about it, I expected more from Hellboy 2, but the movie didn't really hold together for me. I neither liked it nor disliked it, but I kept thinking how it could have been better. The dialog was weak, though of course the special effects were awesome. The real sign that there's a problem, though, was that it left me wanting to see a different movie.

Seriously, after watching the elf jump around and be awesome? Now I really, really, really want to go see Drizzt Do'Urden in a Forgotten Realms movie.

In short? Movies shouldn't leave you wanting to see different movies. Movies shouldn't be so predictable that I see the ending coming from so early. Movies shouldn't have problems with the dialog that make me wonder what the heck the writer was thinking. And Movies shouldn't leave me sad that they weren't what I was hoping for.

I'm curious what others thought, though - if anyone wants to chat, we can fill the comments with spoilers. ;)

Comments

[unforth.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean - that's a good way of putting it. The movie didn't engage my emotions at ALL. I just wonder what the writers were actually going for - cause I think they were trying to get a sort of campy, corny pulp thing going on - which they'd pulled off in the first - but it just didn't come together this time. They played up the FBI guy too much, for one. The lack of the PoV offered by Myers was a problem, too. Also, the personalities of the four heroes ended up blurring together too much, especially by the end. I thought they did a lot of damage to the ways in which Abe, in particular, was distinct - it really bugged me when he was able to withstand the damage that Wink did, apparently without harm - that didn't align with the first movie at all and really bugged me. Part of what I liked about the ensemble in Hellboy was that they all had very distinct roles, and each had their thing and couldn't really do what the others did, and the complimented each other way.

I also thought that "why do the humans hate me?" plot went nowhere and was utterly predictable. Sigh.

I wouldn't be complaining so much, but I was just so disappointed.

But man, I seriously want to get some action scenes of a dark elf jumping around with two swords, facing Artemis Entreri, or something, and it would be awesome. :)

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

Lack of Myers isn't something I thought of, but good point. He gave you a central point of view that was sympathetic and human, against which the weirdnesses could play off. This film didn't really have it, plus spent WAY too much time on Annoying FBI Dude Whose Name I Forgot.

I don't mind them playing up a love angle I know is doooooomed, but when they play it up and I don't care -- that's a problem.

[unforth.livejournal.com]

Exactly - Myers point of view sort of tempered everything, and made it all more believable. I also liked him, so it bothered me to see his absence so casually dismissed in two lines of dialog. I couldn't really figure out what we humans were supposed to think - no one, neither the freaks, the fey, nor the people in this movie acted in a way that I could sympathize with.

And yep, that was the problem. Oh, so disappointing! I wanted to care, I really did...but I just couldn't.

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

There was only one non-freak human I can think of anyway, and he was annoying.

I wish I could just buy a copy of the Nuada fights. *_*

[unforth.livejournal.com]

I just wish there had been more of the Nuada fights. Man, those things were so awesome. More Nuada fights, less last-of-the-forest-gods.