Guillermo del Toro’s expectation defying imagination that captivated audiences with Pan’s Labyrinth is back in full swing in Hellboy II: The Golden Army.

Del Toro returns to the franchise, adapted from a long-running comic book, as both screenwriter and director, and an early stop-motion battle sequence lets you know you’re in for a unique and incredible visual experience. With impeccable CGI, seemingly the best prosthetics imaginable and genius production design, del Toro’s created some of the most arresting, amazing scenes you’ll see on the big screen, including an intoxicatingly beautiful ending to a gun battle that rivals anything before in the genre.

Hellboy II features nearly all of the original’s cast. Returning to their roles are Ron Perlman as the loveable lunk Hellboy; Selma Blair as the fiery Liz Sherman; the versatile Doug Jones as Abe Sapien, the Chamberlain and the Angel of Death; Jeffrey Tambor as by-the-book bureaucrat Tom Manning and John Hurt, briefly and charmingly, as Hellboy’s adoptive father, Professor Bruttenholm. Luke Goss plays the movie’s villain Prince Nuada, who leads a race of mythological figures in a revolt to retake the world from humans.

Just don’t expect any philosophizing. While many recent action films are leaning toward the cerebral, Hellboy II relies on its fight sequences, intense battles, continuous action and good, old fashion one liners in the John McClane/Die Hard tradition. The Matrix or Wanted, with their musings on fate and destiny, this is not. Beautifully shot summer fun, on the other hand, is Hellboy II to a tee.

While the gore factor (which is high) might be too much for the young and the squeamish, del Toro’s dark beauty and wonder will delight and surprise an older audience in search of visually stunning, action-packed fun.

Rated PG-13.

--SPR