The original “Hellboy” was a modest surprise, charming a whole lot of people who found the film on home DVD. As much fun as the original was, the sequel, as directed by Guillermo del Toro, is a major step forward in terms of both story and special effects. Sadly, when they screened the film for critics in Houston, the theater projection bulb was dying, resulting in a viewing that was so dark that it obscured most of the special effects work. So it’s no small note to say that even though I was barely able to see the film, it was still one of the best looking fantasy-filled films I’ve seen all year.

For those of you not familiar with Mike Mignola’s Dark Horse comic, Hellboy is a giant red demon summoned from Hell as a child by the Nazis. Big “Red” proved to be more hero than monster, so he joined our side and now works for the U.S. Department of Paranormal Research and Development. Played by Ron Perlman, he’s a mountain of a blue collar lug who just wants to smoke his stogies, hand with his smokin’ hot girlfriend (Selma Blair-literally) and just be one of the guys.

This particular adventure kicks off when an ancient Elvin Prince (Luke Goss) declares war upon humanity and unleashes a flock of miniature tooth fairies upon an auction house in New York. The fairies are cute, but voracious little cannibals, and so the DPRB is called in to investigate. They are charged with stopping the prince before he can assemble a crown that will give him control over a massive army of mechanical soldiers. Humanity will be swept off the face of the earth if the Elf prince is able to wake this Golden Army.

Obviously, “Hellboy II” has ample opportunity for big action sequences. The fights are always impressive, filled with great special effects monsters (I think) and just enough humor to keep the chaos fun instead of bloody. Fans of movie-monsters should be thrilled by some of the quieter moments where we get to see one demon stroll by after another. There are so many monsters on display here that the Troll Marketplace sequence is already being called the “Star Wars” Cantina scene for the new generation.

Even at half-light, I can assure you that it’s much better than the cantina.

Cool monsters aside, it’s really the humor and the characters make “Hellboy 2” into something more than just another summer special effects flick. These are great, full-blooded characters who somehow manage to shine through from behind a mountain of foam rubber makeup. Indeed, it’s so well done that the highlight of the film for me is a charming scene where Hellboy and his fish-man friend Abe (Doug Jones) get drunk and warble out Barry Manilow tunes. It’s hilarious stuff that makes “Hellboy 2” into one of the best superhero films that I’ve seen in a long time.

Or one of the best that I’ve almost seen. I can’t wait to see it in full light this weekend.

Movie reviews by Sean, “The Movie Guy,” are published bi-weekly in “The Port Arthur News.” Sean welcomes your comments via email at smcbride@kavutv.com.