One Paragraph Review: Hellboy 2: The Golden Army

I was surprised to really enjoy Hellboy 2. I never saw Hellboy 1, but that wasn't a problem because Hellboy 2 effortlessly slipped me the critical plot details and character backgrounds without being pedantic. The movie is fun, action filled, and at times very funny. I have begun to love Guillermo del Toro for not just his remarkable style but the fact that del Toro knows fantasy - real, storytelling fantasy. He remembers what it's like to be an ignorant child reading Where the Wild Things Are and he's able, moreso than almost any director, to make me feel like that again when I watch his movies. Pan's Labrynth is probably the best example of this, but Hellboy 2 has the same fantasy storytelling elements that make me feel like I'm listening to my grandfather tell me some wild fantasy story. Hellboy 2 is great fun and even better fantasy.