Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

2008

Directed by Guillermo Del Toro

It should be no secret that Guillermo Del Toro is one of my favorite directors. I love his combination of natural, mechanical, and supernatural images.

I saw this film at the theater and have just recently watched it again on DVD. This film is much lighter than the first one. I thought it was very funny and introduced some great new characters. Some of the visuals are astounding, especially the Angel of Death which is on the poster above. 

I look forward to each new film from Del Toro just to see what comes from his imagination.

Rustin Allison

Cronos

Cronos

1993

Directed by Guillermo del Toro

Well, after seeing Hellboy a few years ago, I have become a del Toro fan. His movies draw on such great imagery. There is always a great balance between the fairy tale and sadness. I have been slowing watching Del Toro's earlier films, and it is always interesting to see how an artist has developed and evolved. 

Cronos tells the story of an old antique dealer who discovers a mechanical device in the base of an old wooden statue. The device actually contains an insect of some kind and, when activated, injects the user with an age-defying substance. Of course this comes at a price, and the old man develops a taste for blood --  essentially becoming a vampire.

There are some great themes in the film. One is obviously age. Another theme would be family. These two themes are intertwined between the two big relationships in the film. There is the relationship between the old antiques dealer and his very protective young granddaughter, and the relationship between the dying millionaire and his thuggish nephew who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the device. The grandfather-granddaughter relationship is presented in a very haunting and whimsical way. The young girl actually carries the device around for her grandfather in the back of her teddy bear. The millionaire and his nephew have a much more dysfunctional relationship. The millionaire often beats his nephew, and the nephew is just waiting for his uncle to die.

The film is definitely worth watching. It is very stylish and haunting. It is one of del Toro's earlier films, so definitely worth seeing if you are a fan.

Rustin Allison