CGNews takes a closer look at VES Awards nominee Hellboy II: The Golden Army.
Each year the VES Awards recognize outstanding visual effects within film, animation, television, commercials and video games. The nominees for the 7th annual VES Awards were chosen in January earlier this year by panels of VES members who viewed submissions at the FotoKem screening facilities in Burbank.

Over the next few weeks CGNews will feature each film nominated within the Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Motion Picture’s category. The films nominated in this category are: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian, Hellboy II  The Golden Army, Cloverfield and Iron Man.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army
With a signature blend of action, humor and character-based spectacle, the saga of the world toughest, kitten-loving hero from Hell continues to unfold in Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Bigger muscle, badder weapons and more ungodly villains arrive in an epic vision of imagination from Oscar-nominated director Guillermo del Toro (Pan Labyrinth, Hellboy).

After an ancient truce existing between humankind and the invisible realm of the fantastic is broken, hell on Earth is ready to erupt. A ruthless leader who treads the world above and the one below defies his bloodline and awakens an unstoppable army of creatures.

Now, it up to the planet toughest, roughest superhero to battle the merciless dictator and his marauders. He may be red. He may be horned. He may be misunderstood. But when you need the job done right, it time to call in Hellboy.

Along with his expanding team in the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense: pyrokinetic girlfriend Liz, aquatic empath Abe and protoplasmic mystic Johann: the BPRD will travel between the surface strata and the unseen magical one, where creatures of fantasy become corporeal. And Hellboy, a creature of two worlds who accepted by neither, must choose between the life he knows and an unknown destiny that beckons him.

“stands alone in its ability to capture the crass and literary luridness of reading a comic book. It’s filled with gross creatures bursting with humanity, dark poetry, and slapstick comedy”
Rotten Tomatoes

Double Negative was the primary CG vendor on the film, delivering 1,050 shots for the Universal production. Double Negative worked closely with director Guillermo Del Toro and the films overall Visual Effects Supervisor, Mike Wassel.

Double Negative’s work included a wide range of visual effects including 16 animated characters. Many of the creatures featured in the movie were taken directly from Del Toro own drawings. The director was involved in talking directly to those doing the animation, so he was able to get the performances that he wanted from any characters that didn’st have a live counterpart.

“Double Negative has exceeded all my expectations and delivered world-class quality, creativity and attention to detail. They are forever at the very top of my list!!”
Guillermo Del Toro

About Double Negative
Double Negative was set up in 1998 with a team of 30 and has since grown to over 450 staff. Double Negative retains the creative drive and involvement of their artists through all projects, ensuring that they have a close collaboration with all clients. This approach ensures films both small and large receive the same high standard of creative and technical service.

Over the last year, Double Negative has completed work on projects including; Quantum of Solace, The Soloist, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, The Dark Knight, The Duchess, Franklyn, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, The Edge of Love and The Boy in Striped Pyjamas

“The focus is more on the folklore and fairy tale aspect of Hellboy. It’s not Nazis, machines and mad scientists but the old gods and characters who have been kind of shoved out of our world.”
Mike Mignola

Cast:
Ron Perlman: Hellboy
Selma Blair: Liz Sherman
Doug Jones: Abe Sapien
Jeffrey Tambor: Tom Manning
Luke Goss: Prince Nuada
Anna Walton: Princess Nuala
John Hurt: Trevor Bruttenholm
Seth MacFarlane: Johann Krauss
Brian Steele: Mr. Wink
Roy Dotrice: King Balor

Credits:
Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
Produced by: Lawrence Gordon, Lloyd Levin, Mike Richardson & Joe Roth
Written by: Guillermo del Toro & Mike Mignola
Music: Danny Elfman
Editing: Bernat Vilaplana
Cinematography: Guillermo Navarro

Double Negative team:
Senior Visual Effects Producer : Steve Garrad
Digital Effects Supervisors: Adrian De Wet, Andrew Chapman, Justin Martin and
Animation Supervisor: Eamonn Butler

Sources:
Hellboy II: The Golden Army official website
Apple.com trailers
Double Negative

Related Links:
Hellboy II : The Golden Army official website
Double Negative Visual Effects