Can a demon be saved? Could Satan be redeemed? These are the type of theological questions that people ask when trying to avoid the questions of their own salvation and redemption; but they are interesting questions. If God truly is a God of love and grace, a God who would like to see everyone have a chance at redemption and salvation from sin and hell, then why couldn't a demon get saved and become an angel? Why couldn't Satan decide to switch sides?

Hellboy seems to provide an answer to those quandaries, but a closer look reveals that the answer may not be what we were expecting. But such question aren't why you're reading this; the question you want answered is whether or not Hellboy II: The Golden Army is any good. To answer that, I'd say that it's good but it's not great; it's fun but not all that memorable; and with so many movies to choose from this summer, you may want to save your money for something else.

Don't get me wrong; Hellboy II has a lot going for it. It's visually quite stunning and has a nice mix of practical and CG effects. Ron Perlman is the perfect guy to play Hellboy, and his performance alone is a big part of why the movie is so enjoyable. Plus, the story is engaging and intriguing with a well-rounded villain to give Hellboy something to battle against that's more than just a monster. Guillermo Del Toro is certainly one of the most imaginative directors out there; his rich imagination is perfect for bringing the world of Hellboy to life, and you can see a lot more of his influence in this sequel.

In fact, as a sequel, Hellboy II has just about all the elements it should have: well established, well-rounded characters, a bigger story, bigger action, and a lot more at stake. Unfortunately, for all its effort, it falls just short of being the epic it's obviously trying to be and instead merely becomes a very good comic book movie. There's plenty of entertainment and thrills here, but once the ride is over, you'll be content to move on to the next without reflecting much on what you just experienced. Which is rather unfortunate because there is quite a lot in Hellboy II to reflect on, including the issue I mentioned earlier about whether or not a demon can be saved, become good, and fight against evil.

It would seem that the obvious answer in Hellboy is exactly the case. After all, Hellboy is a good guy who fights against the bad guys to protect us all from evil. Yet both films have now hinted that ultimately Hellboy will fulfill both his destiny and his nature by destroying the world; he is, after all, a demon; and more than that, he's the "son of the fallen one." So maybe he's not so good after all. Maybe he's just evil masquerading as good.

The question of whether or not a demon can be saved is apparently the wrong question. The real question is whether or not a demon, or even Satan himself, would want to be saved. And the Bible is very clear that the answer is no; Satan and his demons have made their choice, and they're sticking with it to the end. Even Hellboy seems to struggle with whether or not protecting humanity and fighting against "his own kind" is the right thing to do. And again, it's suggested more than once that eventually he will act according to his true nature. So I guess evil can't be good, even if it does save the world for a time.

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