An ancient truce between humankind and the invisible realm is broken and elven Prince Nuada plans to raise the Golden Army of myth, determined to wipe out the human race. It’s up to Hellboy and his colleagues at the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defence to defeat him. To do so, they must travel between the surface world and the unseen magical one where mythical creatures take form. So with his pyrokinetic girlfriend Liz Sherman, aquatic empath Abe Sapien and new gaseous mystic Bureau member Johann Krauss in tow, the big red one sets out to save the world.

If there is a problem with the movie it’s that there is very little suspense; the fights, though well-choreographed, are often slapstick-heavy, so you never feel like the characters are in any real danger. But they keep the movie true to the comic book origins, as does the fact that the characters always have time for a quip (often of the “Aww…crap!” variety). However, the pacing occasionally falters and the lack of tension leading up to the face-off with the titular army makes it feel like it goes out with a whimper rather than a bang. Nevertheless there’s sufficient adventure to keep the film ticking through its always entertaining hundred-and-twenty minute running-time.

The script focuses more on developing the characters and their relationships. Hellboy and Liz have been together for some time now and there are spats because Liz feels like she’s being taken for granted. As a result she feels less like the token female. Meanwhile Abe is more rounded than the wisdom-spouting fish-man of the first movie. He has feelings and a heart that can be trampled on, as it turns out. New guy Johann Krauss causes friction with his way of doing things and has several confrontations with Big Red. Bureau head Tom Manning is still trying to keep his agents undercover despite Hellboy’s urge for fame. Nuada is a uni-dimensional cold-hearted bad guy while his sister Princess Nuala is a damsel in distress. The dialogue is vaguely comic-bookish in that the characters have catchphrases and distinctive ways of speaking, but it isn’t so outlandish that is sounds fake.

This time Doug Jones gets to play all parts of Abe Sapien, providing the voice (originally done by David Hyde Pierce) as well as the movement for the aquatic being. His physicality is beautiful and fluid and Jones has managed to match this with a warm voice and considered delivery. He proves he can do comedy too and makes us feel for the character in his lovelorn state. Jones is also the creepy prosthetics-lade Angel of Death, to which he brings an altogether different, more threatening type of movement.

The original music by Danny Elfman goes for an epic flavour with deep bowed strings and epic brass with big choral arrangements and insistent orchestral themes. He ups the ante with creepy strings and forbidding brass. There are playful arrangements of jazzy 60s spy flutes and strings for sneaking around and music box chimes for the nasty tooth fairies. An elf-slaying warrants sharp brass and piercing flutes and the troll market is accompanied by sharp brass and eerie female vocals. There are many playful orchestral arrangements too that bring energy to scenes and reflect their content. Other soundtrack choices include Eels “Beautiful Freak” and the aforementioned Barry Manilow track. It’s a suitable body of work that matches the intentions and style of the rest of the film.