With Hellboy, Mexican director Guillermo del Toro delivered a comic book adaptation disting­uished by his customary imagin­ative flair. In this second outing for the misunderstood stump-horned hero, he ups the fireworks while retaining the first film’s fantastic­ality, humour and charismatic characterisation.


Forteans might miss the Nazis-messing-with-the occult elements, and this is, comparatively, a more formulaic superheroes tale, featuring a band of misfits with special powers and love interests saving the world. Yet while there is less emphasis on the characters’ backstory, Hellboy and aquatic empath Abe (pyrokinetic Liz Sherman, played by Selma Blair, is less interesting) are still idiosyncratic and endearing, and the team is now under the command of an officious ectoplasmic German medium in a diving suit.