DVD Review: Hellboy II: The Golden Army 3-Disc Special Edition - Page 2

The DVDs

This review is for the 3-disc special edition. Just like a lot of these special editions nowadays, Hellboy II is actually two discs with an extra disc for the digital copy. But, instead of having its own hub, the third disc comes packed in a flimsy paper CD cover, which is just floating around inside the case.

The Quality

You’ll enjoy the anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1 aspect ratio). With a movie of this scope and detail you’re able to see everything. The Troll Market scene looks especially nice. The colors pop off the screen. Lines are not blurred or blended together. It’s clear and precise.

The sound is likewise impressive. The Dolby surround sound makes you feel like you are directly in the middle of the Troll Market, or that you are being surrounded by the Golden Army. I was surprised how crystal clear the sound was to be honest. A movie like this, with so many monsters and things stomping around, nothing was drowned out.

The Packaging

This special edition comes with a limited edition slipcover. The slipcover has a fun little 3D image of Hellboy’s face on the front, which changes from comic book Hellboy into Ron Perlman’s real-life version

The Special Features

Don’t expect Guillermo del Toro’s attention to detail to be limited to just the movie. He’s known for starting the DVD special features as soon as filming has started. The feature disc and bonus disc are packed with special features that are informative and fun.

First off, his commentary on the movie is one of the best I’ve listened to on any movie. It’s full of interesting tidbits. He points out when creatures from Pan’s Labyrinth make cameos, and how the little Hellboy in the beginning of the movie was actually played by a girl. He’s funny to listen to; he’s got almost a childlike innocence about him. He’s so full of positive energy about his movie it’s hard not to absorb some of it.

In case you felt like watching the movie one more time an additional commentary track is here. Jeffrey Tambor, Blair, and Luke Goss offer a somewhat dreadful one. Perlman is a no-show, which is sad. But, Blair just doesn’t shut up and continues rambling on about things that are worthless. This is probably the worst special feature on the disc.

Article Author: Aaron Peck

All of Aaron's reviews first appear in print for The Herald Journal Cache Magazine. He's also running the fledgling film site The Reel Place.com.

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