by Debbie Elias

Created on: July 09, 2008   Last Updated: July 10, 2008

There's nothing quite like a closing gala at the Los Angeles Film Festival. Always a guaranteed great time, festival goers are also guaranteed an exclusive sneak preview of what is often one of the hottest tickets of the upcoming summer releases. And this year was no exception as those of us lucky enough to have closing night golden tickets were treated to the world premiere of Guillermo del Toro's latest pantheon of visionary, sensory and (in my case) auditory delights with HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY.

However, if you are looking for substance, story or originality, you have come to the wrong theater as despite the spectacular visuals, visual effects and superb stunt choreography, the latter helmed by superlative stunt coordinator Bradley Allen (whose work is so distinctive Allen's signature styling is identifiable within mere moments), at first, second and third blush (and maybe even fourth), much to my dismay and disappointment, del Toro went for nothing more than "cut and paste" of at least seven films with key scenes, even similar production design and creature creation, energetically leaping off the screen as if to say, "Remember this? Remember that?" After the dazzling and splendiferous "Pan's Labyrinth" I expected more individuality and originality from del Toro's creative genius.

For those of you unfamiliar with Hellboy, let's bring you up to speed. Hellboy is actually the demon known as Anung un Rama. Brought to Earth as a baby by Nazi occultists in the 1940'2, Hellboy was rescued by the Allied Forces and raised in secret by the U.S. government's Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense and a loving adoptive father, Professor Trevor "Broom" Bruttenholm. An interesting child with a clear sense and appreciation of style and fashion, Hellboy sports glossy red skin, a tail, finely shaved and buffed circular stumps were his horns used to be and an oversized right hand made of stone. And he has a great affection for little kittens and Cuban cigars. Since growing into adulthood, Hellboy has since been given the illustrious title of "World's Greatest Paranormal Investigator" and together with his stalwart team of crack associates, pyrokinetic Liz Sherman (also the love of his life) and Abe Sapien - an amphibian humanoid and devoted friend (with many characteristics and traits so identifiable with an android named Data) under the leadership of the bumbling, stumbling Tom Manning, fight evil and demonic presence wherever and whenever needed; all while keeping

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