Free movie

Certainly not my usual favorite fare, but I did have free tickets to a sneak preview of "Hellboy 2" last night. It probably would have helped if I had seen the first one, but I went in to this one not knowing anything about the story. It didn't begin on a good note, with a kindly fatherly-type reading the young Hellboy a story about how the humans and the . . . creatures (?) came to a truce to share the earth. It was very confusing, and I had thoughts of leaving at that point. Thankfully, it soon got better, or at least somewhat easier to follow. Lots of conflict and over-the-top fights. There were some funny parts that kept the story going. Of course, I can't totally dismiss the film, since Hellboy has an unexplained and overwhelming fondness for cats. How can you not have a soft spot for him after that?

Of course, before the film started, I had to go to the concession stand. Each of the lines was 5-6 people deep, and the concession attendants weren't exactly working quickly. When the guy in front of me finally reached the counter, the girl asked him, "Would you like to try a combo today?" The guy said, "Hmm" and proceeded to scan the listings of all the various combos and items for sale. He hemmed and sighed and pondered for ages. It was all I could do to stop myself from grabbing up a handful of straws and thwacking him on the back of the head. We had only been in line about 20 minutes -- wasn't that long enough for him to have made his decision already??

And while I'm on the subject, what is it with the ladies who, after receiving their change, have to snap, zip, buckle and flap in their purses for 15 minutes? I don't have a problem with the process, but could they possibly move 6 inches to the side while they do it, so the next person in line could step up and begin their order? Apparently, they cannot. C'mon people, I'm in line at the concession stand. I'm about to inflict a heavy blow on my body in terms of fat, sugar and caffeine. Please don't add to the burden by causing me undue stress. Let's have a little compassion!

Final verdict for Hellboy II: 2 Gherkins (for cats, but no connection to England!)