"Hellboy II: The Golden Army" *** (out of four): Visually stunning comic book sequel from the endlessly inventive Guillermo del Toro amounts to little more than a noisy mess. But it sure looks pretty along the way.

There's a moment midway through "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" - director Guillermo del Toro's visually stunning sequel to his 2004 comic adaptation - in which the titular demon-hero (played again by the frightfully perfect-for-the-role Ron Perlman) squares off against a ten-story tall "forest elemental" at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge. During the ensuing battle, the effects are, naturally, seamless; the forest creature throws cars and breaks through concrete with ease. But there's a real beauty at work here - not just in the creature's visual design (which is typically fantastic) but in our hero's dilemma. If he kills the creature, he's killing the last of its kind (Hellboy himself is similarly unique). But if the creature lives, it will grow further out of control, endangering the lives of millions. More than any other moment in the film - and this is really saying something - this sequence exemplifies everything that's great about "Hellboy II". As Mr. del Toro has proven before ("The Devil's Backbone", "Pan's Labyrinth"), he can orchestrate effects (both practical and CG) with the grace of a conductor. It's just this time, instead of using a baton he wields a sledgehammer.

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