Hell Boy II Research

Yesterday, inspired by my research on the Internet into well known Fairy/Fay/Fae characters of yore I decided to rent Hell Boy II: The Golden Army where the characters of Prince Nuada and Princess Nuala play major parts. They are characters from Irish/Welsh (w/parallel character in Gaulish and British history) mythology. Nuada Airgetlam is the first king, a fairy king, of the legendary Tuatha Dé Danann - the followers of the goddess Danu. Nuada is also the father of Gwyn Ap Nuad - the fairy king who is the leader of the Wild Hunt.

So I was very interested to see how they would be used in the film. I was a bit disappointed in the movie overall because I just don't go for the over the top "goo" in popular sci-fi movies, but I expected that so I don't even know why I mention it. Most people like over the top goo in their sci-fi, the "ick" factor.

Guillermo Del Toro is a fascinating man, and a talented director, and I did like how he handled the story line of the fairy prince and princess. Even though in this story Nuada is the villain, he is a complicated hero who has good reason for his rage. This is a movie, at its base, about man's greed and inability to accept those not enough like himself.

What I didn't like is that he had to put ugly makeup on the prince and princess I guess to show that they are very very old (being Fae they are suppose to be immortal and not age, though they can die). But if he hand't put ugly makeup on the prince he probably would have been just too darn sexy and appealing in comparison to poor Hell Boy.

This weekend I'm also going to watch 300. I'm such a literalist that I tend to get wrapped up in wanting to the fact straight - and well, in the case of mythology that's a bit tough, especially when one is writing fiction. But still there is a way to honor the history, that's what I'm looking to do.