Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Back when Sony issued the first 'Hellboy' on Blu-ray in 2007, that disc's razor sharp details and rich colors were near-reference quality for the format. Universal's release of the sequel is very similar in most regards, if slightly less impressive in direct comparison.

The 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer is presented in the movie's theatrical 1.85:1 aspect ratio, just like the original. The robust colors, including del Toro's use of amber hues, vibrant blues, and deep red tones, are reproduced vividly. The contrast range extends to inky blacks, though shadow detail is at times a bit obscure. At its best, the picture has extraordinary sharpness and detail. Close-up shots of HB's skin reveal exemplary texture. However, image clarity is not always consistent. Medium and wide shots are generally less impressive and look a little filtered. The movie also has an abundance of CG effects that are disappointingly soft and blurry for a movie of this budget, especially the Golden Army robots themselves. The end credits text appears somewhat jaggy as well.

Make no mistake, 'Hellboy II' is a fine-looking disc. It just doesn't hit the same heights as its predecessor. I rewatched the original 'Hellboy' immediately afterwards and found it noticeably sharper and more consistent in appearance. On the other hand, the sequel has no problems with color banding, which is an improvement in its favor.

Regardless of which Blu-ray edition you buy, both share the same video supplements. All of the content from the comparable 3-Disc Special Edition DVD is here in one form or another, just consolidated onto 2 discs.

Disc 1 (Blu-ray)

• Feature Commentary with Director Guillermo del Toro – The director is well versed in the art of the audio commentary. He delivers an intelligent, engaging discussion of his artistic intentions, his influences, his fetishes, and the themes and symbolism in the movie.
• Feature Commentary with Cast Members Jeffrey Tambor, Selma Blair, & Luke Goss – In stark contrast to the director's commentary is this superficial chat between members of the supporting cast. Ron Perlman is conspicuously absent. Selma Blair is particularly annoying. She actually starts the track by recommending that viewers listen to del Toro's commentary instead. I wholeheartedly agree.
• Troll Market Tour (SD, 12 min.) – Guillermo del Toro leads a walking tour of the film's most elaborate set, pointing out many obscure elements in the production design that are never seen by the camera. As he puts it, "There's a lot more detail than you can feature in a movie with a plot."
• Production Workshop: Professor Broom's Puppet Theater (SD, 5 min.) – The director provides a 2-minute video introduction, which then leads into a 3-minute exploration of the prologue sequence's evolution from thumbnail sketches to storyboards to completed footage. The latter section also has optional commentary by del Toro.
• Deleted Scenes (SD, 5 min.) – Six scene extensions, also with optional commentary by the director explaining why he cut them.
• Zinco Epilogue Animated Comic (SD, 5 min.) – A proposed alternate ending that would tie the sequel back to the first movie. The scene is presented in animated storyboard fashion, with dialogue dubbed in by voice actors. The scene really has nothing to do with the plot of 'Hellboy II' and didn't need to be in the movie.
• Still Galleries – An extensive assortment of creature designs, production art, and photo stills. In the "Mike Mignola Creator Gallery," the author provides 36 minutes of audio commentary over his design sketches.Comic
• Book Builder – An idea better in theory than in practice, the Comic Book Builder allows you to grab still frames of your choosing from three selected scenes, apply an assortment of pre-written dialogue quotes, and arrange them into a comic book page layout. Unfortunately, the execution is just kind of frustrating and lame. For one thing, you actually have to read and acknowledge a Terms of Service Agreement before starting. The basic elements of the feature will work in any Blu-ray player, but if you have a Profile 2.0 unit, you can share your designs online with friends. As if you'd really want to.
• U-Control – I can't tell you how irritating I find Universal's U-Control interface. In this one, you can watch the movie with four possible options: pop-up Concept Art, a picture-in-picture Scene Explorer: Schufften Goggle View (which provides alternate angles on VFX footage in various stages of development), branched-off video interviews from the Director's Notebook, and branched-off Set Visit B-roll footage. The problem is the amount of manual interaction needed to use the features. Much of this material overlaps and forces you to backtrack to rewatch the same scene with multiple different options. Some of this content is also available on the DVD edition in the supplement section separated from the movie. (Requires a Profile 1.1 BD player)
• My Chat – Connect online to text chat with friends while watching the movie using either an awkward on-screen keyboard simulator, your own laptop, or a PDA. At certain times, Universal may also host scheduled events, such as the chat with Guillermo del Toro that took place on November 23rd, 2008. (requires a Profile 2.0 BD Player)

Disc 2 (DVD)

• Prologue (SD, 30 sec.) – Guillermo del Toro provides another brief video introduction to the following documentary.
• Hellboy: In Service of the Demon (SD, 155 min.) – This exhaustive documentary runs half an hour longer than the movie itself. It covers almost every aspect of the film's production from the earliest design sessions with Mike Mignola to building the sets, the creature makeup, the VFX, costumes, and fight choreography. Basically, everything you could possibly want to know about the making of 'Hellboy II' is covered.
• Print Gallery & Poster Explorations – As if Disc 1 didn't have enough still galleries, Disc 2 contains another assortment focusing on poster designs and print ads. Oddly, the two sections appear to be mislabeled. Many of the print ads are quite clever and humorous.
• DVD-Rom – A copy of the movie's script is available in the ROM section of the DVD.
• Digital Copy – A portable video version of the movie compatible with either Windows Media or iTunes. The file can be downloaded from the disc with an activation code provided in the packaging.

The following hidden easter egg was located by reader Gordon:

• Outtakes (SD, 3 min.) – In the Extras menu, go to Gallery then highlight Production Stills and hit DOWN. Select the red BPRD logo to watch the actors flub their lines.