I just got back from a preview screening of "Hellboy II And The Golden Army" and of all the films I've seen so far this summer Hellboy is the ONLY one to exceed my expectations. I love the second films of a super hero franchise (Superman II, Spiderman II, The Incredible Hulk) because the heroes have been introduced and the origins are out of the way so the story can begin from the start unfettered. This film is not just about Action, Action, Action but about character development and their interaction. I liked "Pan's Labrynth" but felt a little bit let down when the creature's personalities were not explored enough. This film takes the time to establish who Abe Sapien is beyond being defined as a fish man. Johann Krauss is a great uptight Teutonic addition to the old team with a few tricks up his sleeve and Hellboy & Liz's professional and personal relationship get more play in this film. The detail in the troll market is amazing and the story rings true to the Mike Mignola comics without having to lift a story arc from any one specific past issue. Bravo! Guillermo del Toro! I can't wait for Hellboy III.

• Peter Jackson approached Guillermo del Toro to direct Halo (2009), and even though del Toro considered it, he turned the offer down so he could direct this sequel. Also, Del Toro turned down I Am Legend (2007), One Missed Call (2008), and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2008) for the same reason.
• Revolution Studios was originally set to produce this sequel but had to pull out once Sony decided they no longer wanted to fund Revolution Studios. Sony put the rights up for sale since they felt Hellboy wasn't a profitable franchise for them. Universal felt differently and bought the rights to make the sequel immediately.
• There are several shots in the movie showing a worn movie marquee advertising a film called "See You Next n sday." The inclusion of the phrase "See you next Wednesday" is a trademark of director John Landis (he has incorporated it into nearly all of the movies and many of the music videos he has directed). Landis, in turn, took the line from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).