VENOM : THE LAST DANCE - Tuesday 5th November 2024

I saw the M Rated 'VENOM : THE LAST DANCE' at my local multiplex earlier this week, and this American Superhero film features the Marvel Comics character Venom, is the sequel to 2018's 'Venom' and 2022's 'Venom : Let There Be Carnage' and is the fifth film in Sony's Spider-Man Universe. Those first two instalments grossed a combined US$1.36B off the back of a total production budget of US$220M, with the first film in the franchise being Directed by Ruben Fleischer and the second by Andy Serkis. This third and seemingly final offering is Written and Directed by Kelly Marcel in her feature film making debut. The film was released in the US and here in Australia a couple of weeks now now, cost US$120M to produce, has so far grossed US$326M and has generated mixed critical reviews.

Here then, Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy once again reprising his role and also taking a Writer and a Co-Producer credit) and his symbiote Venom are on the run down Mexico way getting drunk in some street bar, following their recent battle with Carnage. The murder of Patrick Mulligan (Stephen Graham) one of New York City's finest cops, makes international headlines with Eddie being named the prime suspect on national television which he sees just as he is exiting the bar, forcing him to set out to New York City in an attempt to clear his name. 

Unknown at this stage to both of them, a creature known as a Xenophage has begun tracking Eddie and Venom. The recent events draw the attention of Rex Strickland (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a soldier who oversees Imperium, a secret government operation at the site of the very soon-to-be-decommissioned Area 51 in Nevada some 130kms north of Las Vegas, for the capture and study of other symbiotes that have come to Earth. 

Mulligan, it is revealed survived his encounter with Carnage, is captured after being left for dead by another symbiote, who eluded Strickland's soldiers. He is bonded with one of many other contained symbiotes and questioned by Imperium researchers Dr. Teddy Payne (Juno Temple) and Sadie Christmas (Clark Backo), to learn about the symbiotes' purpose on Earth before Strickland is ordered to take Eddie and Venom down. 

Eddie and Venom cling onto the side of an aeroplane bound for New York City when they are attacked by a Xenophage who has been tracking them. A fight breaks out with many of the passengers inside the aircraft watching on in horror at the scene unfolding on the outside at 40,000 feet. Eddie and Venom lurch themselves off the plane, with Venom forming a parachute so that they can glide back down to the ground with a soft landing, which they do in the middle of desert terrain. 

Venom explains to Eddie that Xenophages were unleashed into the universe by Knull (an unrecognisable Andy Serkis), the creator of the symbiotes, to retrieve a Codex, which is forged only when a symbiote resurrects its host. This can free Knull from the prison the symbiotes trapped him in a very long time ago. Because Venom revived Eddie once before, he now carries a Codex that the Xenophage has now tracked to Earth. 

After being ambushed by Strickland and his team while barely escaping from them and the Xenophage, Eddie meets Martin Moon (Rhys Ifans), his wife Nova (Alanna Ubach) and his young son and teenage daughter of traveling hippies and alien enthusiasts who offer him a free ride to Las Vegas on their way to Area 51 for a last ditch attempt to find signs of alien life there. Meanwhile, Mulligan's new symbiote informs Strickland of Knull's intentions with the Codex, which can only be destroyed if either Eddie or Venom dies.

Arriving in Las Vegas, Eddie and Venom run into Mrs. Chen (Peggy Lu) at a casino on vacation and Venom shares a dance with her before being abruptly ambushed by the Xenophage again in her penthouse suite. Strickland's team of crack soldiers arrives, separates Venom from Eddie and flies them to Area 51 where Eddie is reunited with Mulligan. Sadie frees Venom, who re-bonds with Eddie after Strickland shoots him. This attracts the Xenophage to the base, killing Mulligan. Venom has the other confined symbiotes released, which bond with Sadie and other hosts to fight off the Xenophage, who has signalled to Knull that the Codex has been located. Knull sends more Xenophages through portals to Earth, overwhelming the symbiotes. 

Realising he must sacrifice himself to destroy the Codex and save the universe, Venom merges with the Xenophages, leads them into a nearby acid shower, and bids Eddie farewell before ejecting him. Strickland, mortally wounded from a Xenophage attack and being in too close a proximity to the acid shower raining down, pulls the pin on his grenades to destroy them and destroy Area 51 in a giant ball of flame. Payne bonds with a symbiote to save Sadie from the explosion while Eddie falls unconscious as the base burns to the ground.

Sometime later, Eddie comes round in a hospital bed, where a military officer informs Eddie that his actions with Venom at Area 51 have earned him an expungement, under the condition of keeping the events that unfolded there a secret until the day he dies, or risk being imprisoned in the coldest darkest place on Earth. Arriving in New York City, Eddie gazes at the Statue of Liberty, which he said he would take Venom to see, while remembering his former 'buddy'. 

'Venom : The Last Dance' is entertaining enough if your fan of the first two instalments in this franchise, or a fan of Tom Hardy or both, and is an enjoyable popcorn film that delivers on the thrills, spills and kills, has a few moments of emotion, a couple of laugh out loud moments and never takes itself too seriously. This movie is exactly what you would expect it to be - rather disposable and nothing that is really fresh out of the box that we haven't already seen, but for first time feature filmmaking Director Kelly Marcel she has turned in a serviceable conclusion to this franchise that overall in terms of global Box Office take has to date amassed US$1.69B off the back of budgets totalling US$340M, so I guess is a worthwhile exercise for Sony and Marvel. 

'Venom : The Last Dance' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

    

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

THE IRISHMAN : Thursday 14th November 2019

'THE IRISHMAN' which I saw on the big screen at my local independent movie theatre while I still could earlier last week, has already been hailed as Martin Scorsese's finest film in twenty odd years. This American epic crime drama film which is rated MA15+ is Directed and Co-Produced by the acclaimed Scorsese and based on the 2004 memoir 'I Hear You Paint Houses' by Charles Brandt. After languishing in development hell for about ten years, 'The Irishman' was confirmed as Scorsese's next film following 'Silence' in 2016. De Niro and Pacino were confirmed to star as was Pesci, who came out of his unofficial retirement to star after being asked allegedly fifty times to take the role by his good friend De Niro. 'The Irishman' saw its World Premier screening at the recent New York Film Festival, has received widespread critical acclaim, went on a limited cinematic release from early November and is then available via digital streaming on Netflix from 27th November onward. The film stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Ray Romano, Stephen Graham, Harvey Keitel, Bobby Cannavale, Jesse Plemons and Anna Paquin amongst others, has a run time of 209 minutes and cost US$159M - being one of Scorsese's most expensive films to date.

The film opens up with the camera panning down the hallways of a nursing home, past orderlies, patients sat in wheelchairs or hobbling around on zimmer frames, eventually settling on an ageing white haired man sat in a wheelchair and holding a walking stick. This is Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro), a WWII veteran who saw active duty in Italy (where he learned to speak Italian), France and Germany serving 411 days in total. He begins recounting his life post his discharge from the 45th Infantry Division, as a mafia hitman.

In Pennsylvania in the 1950's, Sheeran aged in his early 30's begins his civilian career by driving meat delivery trucks and starts selling off some of the sides of beef to a local gangster, who has a liking for quality cuts of steak. After getting accused by his company of theft, lawyer Bill Bufalino (Ray Romano) gets him off a conviction against all the odds after Sheeran refuses to give the judge any names of who he was selling to. That evening the pair go to a local club hangout to celebrate and there Bufalino introduces Sheeran to his cousin Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci), the head of the northeast Pennsylvania crime family, and Angelo Bruno (Harvey Keitel) the head of the Philadelphia crime family. Sheeran and Russell hit it off instantly, and consequently Sheeran begins to do odd jobs for Russell, including the occasional murder.

In time Russell introduces Sheeran to Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), the head of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who has financial ties with the Bufalino crime family and is at odds with fellow rising Teamster Anthony Provenzano (Stephen Graham), as well as increasing pressure from the federal government. Hoffa forms a close bond with Sheeran and his family, and Sheeran becomes Hoffa's main bodyguard while he is out on the road travelling the country, visiting the local Teamster branches, and speaking at rallies.

In 1960 John F. Kennedy is elected into the Whitehouse. Bufalino is thrilled with this news but Hoffa sits on the other side of the fence and is none too pleased to say the least at this latest turn of political events. Conversely, when JFK is assassinated in late 1963 Bufalino is distraught with the news, while Hoffa can hardly conceal his joy - to the point that above the Teamsters offices where he sees the US flag is waving at half mast, he instantly has it raised to its full height.

Kennedy's brother Robert F. Kennedy, is named Attorney General, and forms a 'Get Hoffa' campaign in an attempt to discredit Hoffa, who is eventually arrested in 1964 for the attempted bribery of a grand juror, jury tampering and fraud in two separate convictions and was sentenced to thirteen years in prison in 1967. While in prison, his replacement as the head of the Teamsters Frank Fitzsimmons (Gary Basaraba) begins overspending the groups' accumulated pension funds and making loans out to the mafia. Hoffa's relationship with Provenzano, who was himself arrested for extortion, and winds up serving his sentence in the same facility as Hoffa at the Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary in Pennsylvania deteriorates beyond repair while they are inside. Hoffa is eventually released via a Presidential pardon from Richard Nixon in 1971 just four years into his sentence, although he is forbidden from taking part in any Teamsters business until 1980.

Despite the terms of his early release, Hoffa begins his plans to resume power as the head of the organised unions. With Sheeran he travels down to Florida to seek Provenzano's endorsement, but that meeting goes far from well, with the two getting into a brawl. In turn, Hoffa's growing disrespect for other Teamster leaders and related crime family interests begins to concern Russell Bufalino.

During a testimonial dinner held to honour Sheeran, Bufalino tells Sheeran to confront Hoffa and warn him that the heads of the crime families have deep concerns with his behaviour. Sheeran has already attempted such conversations in the recent past, and believes that Hoffa is too head strong and too determined to heed his warnings, despite their close bond. Hoffa then discloses to Sheeran that he knows what Bufalino and the other dons don't know, and further claims that he is untouchable because if anything ever happened to him, they would all end up in prison.

In 1975, while driving their way to the wedding of Bill Bufalino's daughter in Detroit, Russell tells Sheeran that things have gone far enough with Hoffa, and his death has been authorised. The two drive to an airport where Sheeran boards a small private jet to Detroit, leaving Russell waiting in the car for Sheeran's return after the planned three hour round trip. Sheeran tells Hoffa he will be in town early in the day, but arrives later in the afternoon. Hoffa, who had scheduled a meeting at a local diner with Provenzano and Anthony Giacalone (Patrick Gallo), is surprised to see Sheeran arriving in a car with Hoffa's foster son Chuckie O'Brien (Jesse Plemons) and Sal Briguglio (Louis Cancelmi). They advise Hoffa that the meeting was moved to a house where Provenzano and Bufalino are waiting for them. Sheeran assures Hoffa that everything is fine and joins them in the car. Upon entering the house, Hoffa realises that no one else is there and that it's a set up. As Hoffa turns to speak with Sheeran, he shoots Hoffa twice in the head, dead, before laying the gun on the lifeless body in the hallway, and making a quick exit.

In the fullness of time, Sheeran, Russell, Provenzano and various others are eventually convicted on various charges not related to Hoffa's murder, and one by one their lives all succumb to life behind bars, expect for Sheeran who is eventually released and placed in a Philadelphia nursing home. He tries to make peace with his alienated daughters, but Peggy (Anna Paquin) never forgives him for Hoffa's disappearance, who of all Sheeran's associates and friends, Peggy was the closest too and most at ease with. Sheeran died of cancer on December 14, 2003, aged 83, in that nursing home.

'The Irishman' is an epic mob gangster film in terms of its run time, its fine ensemble casting especially from the three principle leads who are all in their mid to late 70's (as is the Director), its storytelling narrative, its production values and of course its Direction from the master of his craft, Martin Scorsese. Make no mistake, this is not as hard hitting as 'Goodfellas', or 'Casino', but is a reflection on one mans rise through the ranks of a Pennsylvania crime family and the Teamsters Union and for whom no job, no crime was too much. It's the story of a man who struggles to verbalise his inner feelings or his emotions, but is not afraid to let those feelings manifest themselves in acts of extreme violence, without showing any remorse or regret for his actions. It's the story of how age creeps up on all of us, with a telling line by Sheeran as he sits in his nursing home contemplating his end of days 'you don't know how fast time goes by 'til you get there'. And it's the story of how this man in particular counts the painful costs of a life of crime - not through remorse but regret in dying alone in a nondescript nursing home having alienated his daughters. And its a history lesson (some or all or none of it may be true) involving Presidents, the second most powerful man in America at the time, the mafia, those on the periphery and how they are all intertwined. There are some carefully placed one liners that will make you laugh out loud, there is plenty of blood letting, random acts of violence, and the dialogue is straight out of the mobsters playbook. De Niro, Pacino and Pesci are all on fine form here, as is the strong supporting cast who all give 100%. The one negative about this story is how a more meaty role wasn't included for a female lead - Anna Paquin as the disapproving daughter who ultimately turns her back on her father is the only female character who shines in her all too brief on screen appearances. Certainly worth the price of entry is you can catch it on the big screen somewhere, and failing that be sure to catch it from the comfort of your own sofa at home when it streams on Netflix from the 27th of this month.

'The Irishman' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

ROCKETMAN : Tuesday 4th June 2019.

'ROCKETMAN' which I saw this week is a biographical musical film based on the life and times of Sir Elton John (aka Reginald Kenneth Dwight) as Directed by Dexter Fletcher, whose previous film making credits include 'Wild Bill' in 2011, 'Sunshine on Leith' in 2013, 'Eddie the Eagle' in 2016, and an uncredited role as Director on last years 'Bohemian Rhapsody' having replaced Bryan Singer as Director for the final two weeks of filming, but received an Executive Producer credit due to Directors Guild of America rules. An Elton John biopic had been in development for almost two decades, with the project going through several Directors, studios and Actors before Sir Elton finally approached Paramount Pictures. In early 2018 Taron Egerton was cast to play Elton John having previously appeared with Sir Elton in the 2017 film 'Kingsman: The Golden Circle', and Egerton, as Johnny the Gorilla, sang John's song 'I'm Still Standing' in the animated film 'Sing'. The film cost US$41M to bring to the big screen, saw its Premier screening at the Cannes Film Festival on 16th May this year, was released in the UK on 22nd May and was released in the US and here in Australia last week. The film has so far taken US$71M and has generated mostly positive Reviews. The film is titled after Sir Elton's 1972 UK #2 and US #6 hit single of the same name.

The film opens up with a flamboyantly attired Elton John (Taron Egerton) wearing an orange and heavily sequined Devil stage outfit walking hurriedly down a corridor and bursting through the doors of a room wherein, sat in a circle, is a self help group. Welcomed by the others, Elton opens up with a statement of who he is, and that he is an alcoholic, a drug addict, a sex addict and addicted to various other things to help him escape from his fractured childhood upbringing and what he has become, and, that he's bulimic. And so begins in flashback a story of his young years, right up until the time he entered this rehab facility where he currently sits with various others in the same group attempting to come to some understanding of the forces that worked for him and against him to bring him to this point.

As a young child, Reginald 'Reggie' Dwight was raised by his less than loving mother Sheila (Bryce Dallas Howard), his more caring grandmother Ivy (Gemma Jones), while his father Stanley (Steven Mackintosh) was away serving in the Royal Air Force. Reggie shows interest in playing the piano, and seems to possess a natural gift, and soon begins private piano lessons at London's prestigious Royal Academy of Music. Stanley returns home for a two week period of leave, and keeps his son at arms length having never really ever shown him any affection or emotion. Eventually, feeling constricted by his family surroundings and discovering Sheila getting it on with another man in a car, Stanley walks out on his family forever, to forge a new life. Reggie takes up an interest in Rock & Roll music artists such as Elvis Presley, gets a similar haircut to The King, and begins performing in local pubs before joining a band, 'Bluesology'.

As an adult, Reggie changes his name to Elton John (Elton from a fellow Bluesology band member, and John after John Lennon) and responds to an advert in the music press seeking singers, songwriters and musicians with any talent to make contact. This takes him to an appointment with the Dick James Music Publishing Company under the management of Ray Williams (Charlie Rowe). Williams introduces Elton to songwriter Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell). The pair meet up for the first time in a local cafe and quickly form a bond, with Taupin accepting both Elton and his closeted homosexuality. 

The pair are encouraged to move in together so that they can be close to each other to fuel their songwriting output. Taupin moves into the Dwight family home, which creates a strain on the family unit, but nonetheless allows the pair the proximity to each other to encourage Taupin's lyrics to be quickly set to music by Elton.

The duo impress Dick James (Stephen Graham) with 'Your Song' and he sets up their first American performance for them at the 'Troubadour' in Los Angeles. The audience loves Elton's performance, and he doesn't hold back having fought off his earlier nerves. At a party afterwards at Mama Cass's place, he feels abandoned when Taupin leaves him to be with a woman.

At that same party, feeling somewhat dejected, Elton is approached by John Reid (Richard Madden), a music Manager and Promoter who is attracted to Elton. The two sleep together. Reid's ever increasing influence over Elton results in him spiralling into a life of decadence and debauchery as his career takes off and he becomes one of the worlds most successful musicians, at one point accounting for 5% of all the worlds records sales. Meanwhile, Elton embraces an ever increasing extravagant and flamboyant stage profile.

After Elton contracts him as his new manager, Reid begins manipulating Elton, starting off with his insistence that he admits to his mother and father that he's gay so they can help shelter his sexual leanings from the press. Sheila curtly over the telephone informs Elton she was already aware of his sexuality and had been for a long time and doesn't really care, except, she tells him, that he's facing a life of being alone forever. Elton finds Stanley in his new suburban family home and doesn't tell him that he's gay, because he's too upset by his father's happiness with his new family, complete disregard of his old one and total indifference towards Elton and his success. Struggling with his parental issues, as well as Reid's rising abuse, Elton becomes addicted to cannabis, cocaine, alcohol and sex. 

After witnessing Reid cheating on him with another man, at a house party later that day, he consumes a dangerous amount of drugs and alcohol and attempts suicide by jumping into his pool. Whilst sinking to the bottom of the pool, and before being pulled out by friends, he sees a vision of his younger self wearing a makeshift aqualung and playing at a small piano. He is pulled out, bundled into the back of an ambulance and rushed into hospital, and not long after is forced back on stage to continue his performance.

Elton falls out with both his mother and Taupin. Feeling angry, increasingly agitated and depressed, and very alone in the world despite the trappings of his success, he consumes prescription pills and alcohol, causing him to have a heart attack at home during which he falls down the stairs. Once more he is rushed into hospital. Reid hears the news and waves it off as a mild chest infection, forcing Elton again to get back on stage for his next performance. Realising that his life is spiralling out of control, Elton leaves before the performance and finally seeks help. He enters rehabilitation and comes to the realisation that he no longer needs anything from his parents or Reid. Elton repairs his friendship with Taupin, who visits him in the rehab clinic, and returns to performing, wrapping up with 'I'm Still Standing' off the 1983 hit album 'Too Low For Zero'.

In 'Rocketman' Actor turned Director Dexter Fletcher, has crafted a solid tribute to Elton John's meteoric rise to super stardom in the late '60's and through the '70's, and doesn't let up in exposing the warts and all lifestyle and its effects on the wildly extravagant singer. He does however, take some liberties with the timelines, the story and the facts but that doesn't detract from the enjoyment factor of seeing Taron Egerton mimic Sir Elton so well and so brazenly, and how he spirals out of control so wantonly as a result of his success. The film charts the first twenty years or so of his musical career up until about the time he married Renate Blauel in Sydney in 1984, and their subsequent divorce in 1988 and the release of 'I'm Still Standing' in 1983 (muddled timelines here) which concludes the film with Egerton's Elton John cut into the actual video footage that accompanied the release of that single. It is unlikely that 'Rocketman' will emulate the success of those other two hit musical dramas of this year 'Bohemian Rhapsody' (US$904M Box Office) and 'A Star Is Born' ($US435M Box Office), but it is sure to please die hard Elton John fans as well as those with only a passing interest in the life and times of this enduring rock music icon. The film plays out with an update and images of where Sir Elton is now in both his personal and musical life as of the present day.

The film includes such renditions of John's famous back catalogue performed convincingly by Taron Egerton as 'The Bitch is Back', 'Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting', 'Border Song' 'Your Song', 'Crocodile Rock' 'Tiny Dancer', 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart', 'Pinball Wizard', 'Rocket Man', 'Bennie and the Jets', 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me', 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road', 'Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word' and 'I'm Still Standing'. 

'Rocketman' warrants four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard, out of a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

HELLBOY : Tuesday 16th April 2019.

'HELLBOY' which I saw this week is a reboot of a franchise that first launched back in 2004 when Writer and Director Guillermo del Toro first brought us his rendition of the Dark Horse Comics Graphic Novel 'Hellboy' starring Ron Perlman in the title role as an immensely powerful Demon who works for the governmental organisation, the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defence (B.P.R.D.). That initial instalment was generally well received by Critics and took US$100M at the Box Office off the back of a US$66M production budget. Then four years later in 2008 Guillermo del Toro returned to the Directors chair with 'Hellboy II : The Golden Army' with Ron Perlman once again portraying our titular hero. That film was equally well received by Critics and scored US$161M off the back of a US$85 budget. Then in 2009 a third instalment was in development with del Toro returning once more to helm a film titled 'Hellboy III : Dark Worlds'. However, due to funding challenges that film was subsequently scrapped, in favour of this reboot which was released last week. Directed this time around by Neil Marshall whose previous film making credits include 'Dog Soldiers', 'The Descent', 'Centurion' and two episodes of 'Game of Thrones', this film stars David Harbour in the title role, after Ron Perlman refused to return to the franchise without del Toro's involvement. So far this film has recouped US$26M of its US$50M production budget and has received generally negative Reviews.

During World War II, Hellboy as an infant child was summoned from Hell by Nazis looking for an edge in the latter days of the war. He was instead adopted by the US, and raised under the auspices of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defence (an agency founded by Hellboy's adoptive father Trevor Bruttenholm, played by Ian McShane) to help fend off paranormal threats. One such threat comes in the form of an ancient medieval sorceress named Nimue, the Queen of Blood (Milla Jovovich) who was betrayed by her coven, beheaded by King Arthur and dismembered by both Merlin and his King in fifth century England. King Arthur then ordered that the various parts of Nimue's body - her head, her arms, her legs and torso be secured in separate iron crates and taken to various far reaching parts of England never to be unearthed again.

We then fast forward to England via Tijuana where the now adult Hellboy (David Harbour) gets into a wrestling match with a former colleague that has turned Vampire. Hellboy reluctantly kills the Vampire in the ring by impaling him on a post, and in his last dying moments turns back into his human form warning that the apocalypse is coming.

A few weeks later, Hellboy returns to the B.P.R.D HQ in America whereupon he is dispatched to England by his father, and in particular the Osiris Club (an ancient English outfit dedicated to uncovering supernatural mysteries) to hunt down and dispense with three giants who have been running amok across the English countryside. Hellboy joins the giant hunters but is ultimately betrayed by them in an ambush. However, the giants arrive and slaughter the hunters leaving Hellboy to fend off the giants and overthrow each of them, which he does of course using his particular set of skills.

In the meantime, Gruagach (Stephen Graham and Douglas Tait), a hog like beast who has a score to settle with Hellboy seeks advice from Baba Yaga (Emma Tate and Troy James), a one eyed ancient witch who lives in a house propped up by chicken legs, who suggests restoring Nimue to her all powerful former self by reconnecting each of her body parts. Baba Yaga knows of the secret location  of where her head is housed, and once secured the awoken Nimue will reveal after 1500 years where her other body parts are located.

After falling unconscious following his battle with the three giants Hellboy comes around in the apartment of Alice Monaghan (Sasha Lane), whom he shares a connection with since her childhood, when she was kidnapped by fairies and subsequently acquired powerful skills as a medium. Bruttenholm descends upon the apartment with a SWAT Team and reveals that someone has located Nimue's remains and will more than likely find her last piece housed at the Osiris Club. Heading up the SWAT Team is M11 Agent Ben Daimio (Daniel Dae Kim), whom Hellboy now joins forces with, aided by Alice with her very own particular set of skills.

Upon arriving at the Osiris Club, the three find everyone well and truly slaughtered. Alice connects with the lifeless body of the clubs resident seer Lady Hatton (Sophie Okonedo), whose spirit is still present. Her spirit manifested through Alice reveals that Nimue has plans to find a King so that they can together raise the apocalypse. In the corridors of the building Hellboy runs into Gruagach holding onto Nimue's dismembered lower arm. Gruagach escapes however, after Hellboy is distracted by a vision of Nimue appealing to the powerful force that they could be together.

Daimio takes them to M11's headquarters, located deep underground in an old WWII bunker once used by Winston Churchill, and secretly hidden under a fish and chip shop. While Daimio secretly acquires a special bullet to kill Hellboy when the opportunity presents itself, Hellboy has a heated exchange of words with Bruttonholm over his 'adoption' and upbringing. Dissatisfied with the answer, Hellboy leaves but is magically transported to Baba Yaga's house - the one that walks on chicken legs. In exchange for an eye, the ancient witch reveals the location where Nimue plans to restore herself - the site of an ancient oak tree high up on craggy outcrop at Pendle Hill - the very place where she was slain by King Arthur and Merlin centuries ago. Hellboy reneges on the agreement to give up an eye, and Baba Yaga curses him.

At Pendle Hill Nimue has assembled with Gruagach and her coven of witches which she kills all but one. Hellboy, Alice and Daimio make haste for Pendle Hill only to be confronted by an army of the dead rising up to thwart them. Leaving Alice and Daimio to fend off their undead attackers, Hellboy makes haste to the old oak tree, where he is subdued by Nimue. In making her escape after Alice and Daimio arrive, Nimue poisons Alice with a thorn taken from her crown. 

The surviving witch directs the team to Merlin, believing that only he can save her. Finding Merlin hidden deep within a remote coastal cave system, the old wizard is woken from centuries of slumber and cures Alice. He then tells Hellboy that his mother was human and a direct descendant of King Arthur. As such, Merlin (Brian Gleeson) offers him Excalibur, but Hellboy refuses it after seeing a vision of himself using the sword to raise the apocalypse. Nimue meanwhile attacks London with her plague-like powers, and later unleashes all manner of demons to wreak havoc and mayhem across the capital city violently killing many in the process.

The three return to M11 headquarters, where they find everyone dead and Bruttenholm missing. They reach St Paul's Cathedral, where Nimue is in hiding, and to be confronted by Gruagach. Daimio, who earlier revealed to Alice that when he was a soldier deep in some dense jungle territory tracking down a man hunting animal that he was the sole survivor of a were-jaguar attack which left him permanently scarred to his face. Seeing Hellboy and Graugach go head to head, Daimio transforms into his jaguar form and jumps to support Hellboy in the fight. Nimue kills Graugach and then pleads with Hellboy to side with her. 

After he refuses, she sends him crashing down into a hidden crypt, revealing King Arthur's tomb and Excalibur, partially encased in stone. After Nimue kills Bruttenholm, Hellboy pulls Excalibur, causing him to assume his true form. Nimue further appeals to Hellboy, but Alice channels Bruttenholm's spirit, who manifests itself and appeals to Hellboy's inner sense of humanity. Hellboy then decapitates Nimue, sending all the demons and Nimue's head back to the very depths of hell. Hellboy and Bruttenholm exchange their final farewells, and Daimio tosses away the bullet he had manufactured to kill Hellboy. 

Lobster Johnson (Thomas Haden Church) is a vigilante who has a reputation for violence, such as killing mobsters and burning his trademark lobster claw symbol into their foreheads with the palm of his gloved hand. Lobster was there when the Nazi's summonsed the young Hellboy in the closing days of WWII, and helped thwart, together with Trevor Bruttonholm, the Nazi's plan. The ghost of Lobster also appears to Hellboy in a mid credits sequence as he mourns his late father by his graveside comforted by a bottle of his favourite whisky. Watch out too for an end credits scene involving Baba Yaga. 

I have to say that I was underwhelmed by this version of 'Hellboy'. Once you get past the extreme violence, the viscera, the entrails, the blood, guts and gore, the hacked limbs, the gouged eyes and the almost relentless carnage which I guess is all delivered in the context of a mightily pissed off demonic centuries old queen, the storyline here is disjointed, most of the humour fails to land, and ultimately it's all (CGI rendered) style over substance. The film moves along at a frenetic pace from one action set piece to the next giving the viewer hardly time to catch up on the plot with its gaping holes and impossible time lines. David Harbour puts in a convincing performance as does Milla Jovovich and Daniel Dae Kim, but I am left wondering what Ian McShane was thinking, and the CGI and creature effects are mostly delivered well, but those are the only redeeming features in this sub-par offering when compared to del Toro's earlier offerings.

'Hellboy' merits two claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-