Hulk - An Unusual Superhero type movie that I really enjoyed (a lot didn't though...)
Written: Jun 17 '08 (Updated Jun 17 '08)
Product Rating:
Pros: Bana and Connelly, good storyline, interesting take on the genre...
Cons: ... weak CGI sequences and not enough action for a lot of fans...
The Bottom Line: If you're an action junkie, forget it. But if you like the idea of a more thoughtful superhero movie with interesting imagery, give Hulk a go.
Since I’ll be going to see Marvel’s The Incredible Hulk at the cinema tomorrow, I thought it would be a good time to venture into the wayback machine to review the big green angry thing’s last screen outing. Directed by Ang Lee, this 2003 film is a rather different affair to most superhero movies, but despite it having many critics, I for one rather enjoyed it.
Without going into the plot too much, Bruce Banner (Eric Bana) is a gifted scientist who survives something that shouldn’t have been survivable. Naturally he is curious to know why he is still alive instead of in a coffin, and his curiosity is raised even higher when he discovers that whenever he becomes really angry, he becomes an indestructible huge green killing machine. With the military after him, he struggles to survive while finding time to explore his dark and distant past. He will come to know who his true father is (played by Nick Nolte), just what has happened to him, and why the military are quite so interested in him – but finding the solution to his big greenness is quite another matter.
Just how he manages to find time for romance with Betty Ross (Jennifer Connelly) I don’t know, but he does. (I have to admit though that considering just how gorgeous Connelly looks in this film particularly, it’s not hard to imagine why he thought it would be worth the effort.) Just to complicate things that little bit more, her father (Sam Elliott) just happens to be in charge of the military operation to secure the Hulk... and perhaps it’s not just a matter of keeping national security, either...
Apart from using more types if screen transitions than an IT Student’s first Powerpoint presentation, Lee makes sure by using various cinematographic techniques that Hulk is a visually striking, highly stylised film. This is great up to a point, but the action sequences of the green monster in action invariably look like they came straight out of a video game rather than a film, which renders a lot of these scenes rather ineffective. However the action is not really the main thrust of the movie – nor is Hulk a traditional superhero at all – though he’s not really a villain either, rather a victim of experimentation and coincidence. Eric Bana is a superb actor and outs a lot into this role, portraying an agonised soul trying to understand what is happening to him, why it’s happening, and how to stop it. Jennifer Conolley, part from looking incredible, gives a convincing performance of a woman in love with the man, but terrified of what he becomes. No-one else really shines but there are no really disappointing performances, either.
The storyline is pretty good, focusing on Banner’s internal struggle and relationship with his father mostly, though the slight lack of action (coupled with what I feel was disappointing CGI) and occasional metaphysical elements will probably alienate some viewers, particularly younger action-oriented comic book fans. To me it was an interesting change of pace and the internal struggle pictured here was far more interesting than Superman’s in Superman Returns. Sure, Spiderman had internal struggles as well, but they weren’t really the main focus of the movies.
The excellent soundtrack by the uber-dependable Danny Elfman earned him a BMI Film Music Award and a nomination for the Saturn award, and certainly adds a sense of suspense and foreboding to the film. The pacing is a little uneven – a touch too slow at times – but overall I still found Hulk to be highly enjoyable. However, if you’re looking for some action-driven plot like that in the X-Men movies, you will be disappointed.
Oh, one final thing – the ending – not quite what I expected, but I thought it was very well handled and emphasised the symbolism of Banner’s feelings. The tension and emotion was nicely captured.
Quotes
Bruce Banner: You found me!
Betty Ross: You weren't that hard to find.
Bruce Banner: ...yes, I was.
(That scene was kind of metaphysical... I wonder if everyone who saw it understood that last line?)
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Bruce Banner: I should have killed you.
Father: I should have killed you.
Bruce Banner: I wish you had...
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Bruce Banner: Even now I can feel it, buried somewhere deep inside, watching me, waiting... But you know what scares me the most? When I can't fight it anymore, when it takes over, when I totally lose control... I like it.
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Talbot: Bad science, maybe, but personally gratifying.
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Final thought: You're making me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.
Other Information
Rated 12A/PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, some disturbing images and brief partial nudity.
The larger-than-life Marvel Super Hero the Hulk explodes onto the big screen! After a freak lab accident unleashes a genetically enhanced, impossibly ...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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