So Hellboy II: The Golden Army was entertaining, but not quite the rapturous comic-book movie experience I was hoping for. It just … missed a few turns on the narrative turnpike. But you know what was rapturously cool about it? The creatures. Which really should come as no surprise to anyone who saw Pan’s Labyrinth. Here, director Guillermo del Toro talks with The New York Times, about the notebook in which he conceived some of the creatures, and here, Hellboy creator Mike Mignola talks about how he worked with del Toro and artists to bring his and del Toro’s visions to life onscreen. Both stories are absolutely worth your time. As is the movie, provided you don’t have the expectations I did.
(Speaking of expectations, OMG ONLY A FEW DAYS until The Dark Knight.)