In Theaters Jun 14 2008 @ 02:39 pm
REVIEW: The Incredible Hulk
Directed By: Louis Letterier
Written By: Zak Penn
Starring: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, William Hurt, Tim Roth, Tim Blake Nelson, Lou Ferrigno
Running Time: 114 minutes
Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action violence, some frightening sci-fi images, and brief suggestive content.
“It’s a monster! Run for your lives!”
Apart from being a quote from Frankenstein, those are also the words uttered by Marvel and company following the 2003 release of Ang Lee’s Hulk. Perhaps an obvious pairing on paper, the Asian auteur of angst took significant liberties with the property and rendered a film that was well written, superbly acted, ambitious, and…absolutely no fun. And in the comic book genre, ‘no fun’ is just another way of saying ‘franchise killer’. “Hulk Poodles!” became the bitter rallying cry of spurned fanboys the globe over.
So Avi Arad and the boys at Marvel (not content to let one of their most recognizable properties be remembered primarily for Nick Nolte shooting lightning bolts out of his eyes) turned to a director guaranteed never to make anything in his career that even remotely resembles Brokeback Mountain – Louis Letterier, the French action junkie responsible for the Transporter franchise and Unleashed. With a lot more SMASH and a lot less pathos, The Incredible Hulk is as obvious an apology for Hulk as The Last Crusade was for The Temple of Doom, which both helps and hurts it.
Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, the cuddly alterego of the Hulk.
Ditching the standard origin-story that most comic book franchises kick off with (if nothing else, Ang Lee can be thanked for getting that out of the way), the film thrusts us straight into the action. Bruce Banner (Edward Norton replacing Eric Bana) is hiding out in the slums of South America, working at a soda bottling plant while he desperately searches for a cure to his condition. The U.S. military, however, has a hankering for that condition and the legions of super-soldiers they could create with it. Headed by General Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt of Vantage Point) and special-ops guru Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth, Youth Without Youth), it isn’t long before they’ve tracked Banner down and are chasing him over sheet metal rooftops and through congested alleys and streets.
This initial chase is an impressive cinematic feat, combining the best elements of Bourne and Bond. When little Brucey finally gets an inevitable case of the pissed-offs, Letterier chooses to mask the transformation in shadow, never giving us a clear look at the Hulk. Even though nearly every human being on the planet knows exactly what Mr. Green-and-Angry looks like, because Letterier treats his initial appearance more like Jaws and less like Godzilla, he stokes the audience’s anticipation for the Big Reveal (which doesn’t arrive until halfway through the film). It’s a subtle choice but an extremely effective one, garnering surprising mileage out the titular metamorphosis.
SOMEONE EAT HULK'S COOKIES! HULK NO LIKE COOKIE STEALER!
While Letterier crafts action set pieces that rank with the best of Spider-Man and Batman, directing actors is not his strong suit. Although the cast is top shelf, each and every one turns in an average performance (with the exception of Tim Blake Nelson, mucking it up as a Nobel-hungry scientist). William Hurt seems mildly grumpy most of the time, and Tim Roth, who is responsible for one of the nastiest on-screen villains of all time (Archibald Cunningham in Rob Roy), appears to be more constipated than ruthless.
Most disappointing of all, however, is the almost-chemistry between Norton and Liv Tyler, who plays Banner’s longtime love Elizabeth Ross. The Hulk has always been ripe for Shakespearean tragedy (you can see now why Ang Lee would have appealed), a tale of two lovers ripped apart by forces beyond their control, but Letterier and his Marvel handlers run screaming from anything that might remind viewers too much of the previous incarnation. In an attempt to distance themselves from the 2003 debacle, they’ve over-swung the pendulum in the opposite direction, and moments of genuine romantic tragedy are played for yucks. Both the script and actors are up to the task, but the just-barely-almost-there romantic spark never ignites between the two leads, a missed opportunity that other franchises have capitalized on.
Unbeknownst to most, one of the Hulk's pastimes is competetive Patty Cake.
Regardless of its missteps, The Incredible Hulk is a genuinely entertaining piece of comic book goodness. From the fanboy service (Lou Ferrigno’s cameo, the musical score that references the original TV series, and Hulk’s classic line of subtle dialogue, “HULK SMASH”) to the city-crushing confrontation between the Hulk and his psoriasis-challenged nemesis Abomination, Marvel and co. have effectively rebooted a series that seemed destined to sulk in the corners of Blockbuster’s bargain bin. It’s not a reinvention of the wheel (one painful lesson was enough), but it is smashing fun.
on Jun 14 2008 @ 8:25 pm 1. Joseph said …
It was very enjoyable. And not as brain-dead as I expected.
on Jun 15 2008 @ 7:57 am 2. Josh said …
Okay, so I went and watched it yesterday - agreed that it is better than the first by a long shot. I really loved the touches tying back to the TV series and comics.
But, by far, I really love what the now Marvel Studios is doing, now that they are in control of their franchises. They are setting everything up for the Avengers in a few years.
on Jun 15 2008 @ 9:26 am 3. Craig Kennedy said …
We’ll see what Batman delivers, but I think I’m done with super hero movies for awhile. The Lee Hulk missed the mark from a comic book standpoint, but despite its flaws I think I liked it better as a movie than the new Hulk.
I liked the action in the new Hulk, especially the cop car boxing gloves scene, but nothing else in bewteen.
on Jun 15 2008 @ 11:11 am 4. Rick Olson said …
I know I’ll burn in fanboy hell for this, but I liked the first Hulk. Marvel has always been up for a little Angst, and “Angst” Lee seemed a good fit to me (sorry about the horrible pun).
A fine review, as always, Evan.
on Jun 16 2008 @ 10:42 am 5. Luke Harrington said …
I’m with Rick (and Craig) on this one. Lee’s Hulk wasn’t great, but it took more of a beating than it really deserved.
Really, it was basically the same movie as his critically-acclaimed opus Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: intriguing Freudian sex drama intercut with really boring action sequences.
on Jun 16 2008 @ 11:28 am 6. Craig Kennedy said …
The effects of the Lee Hulk were shaky and some of the plot was overly convoluted, but when Hulk was pissed, his rage was palpable and intense. I loved the scene where he’s being chased around the desert by the tanks.
Also, the Hulk Poodles have taken a lot of crap, but I thought the scene where he’s protecting Betty and she’s freaking out was very effective.
The new Hulk, he roared and crashed but I never felt his anger.
on Jun 16 2008 @ 12:58 pm 7. Joseph said …
I’m really looking forward to revisiting Ang Lee’s Hulk (dang, that still sounds funny to me). I either like both films equally, or the first more.
on Jun 17 2008 @ 12:30 am 8. Thadd Harrington said …
Well, I had to like this movie, because one of the main characters shares my first name, and when you’re me, that happens about once every five years, on average. But I couldn’t agree more with your comment on the lack of chemistry between Norton and Tyler, which was so frustrating to me, because they’re both amazing. Also, although you alluded to its connections to the TV Show, you failed to mention the cameo by Lou Ferrigno, Mr. Incredible Hulk himself.
Just out of curiosity, does anyone else think it would have made the movie complete if, while choking the villain with a chain, the Hulk had said, “The first rule about Hulk Fight Club: You will not like Hulk when Hulk angry!”?
on Jun 17 2008 @ 7:29 am 9. Evan Derrick said …
Ah, but Thad, I did mention Ferrigno’s cameo. Check out the last paragraph.
on Jun 17 2008 @ 3:15 pm 10. Seanski Comeauxski said …
Hmmm, great review Evan. From the comments one would think this movie seemed rather flat, a few action sequences aside.
I was VERY happy to hear (or [i]not[/i] hear) that no one dug into “the cheap looking CGI Hulk” because a Hulk that is not believable is well… not believable and wholly unwatchable. Of course these same people seem to be now praising Ang Lee’s Hulk which to an extent I agree the movie is definitely watchable, I just don’t like to watch a Hulk with sore nipples from estrogen shots flailing about with hulk poodles.
I’m even more eager to see this now, thanks for the write up.
…Oh and please check the new Ong Bak trailer I sent you… It’s your fault that it is one of my all time favorite movies and Tony Jaa one of my favorite movie hero’s. You will LOVE the trailer.
on Jun 17 2008 @ 4:47 pm 11. Thadd Harrington said …
Oh… my bad, Evan. I somehow managed to miss that. Good work.
on Jun 20 2008 @ 5:41 pm 12. Fletch said …
I was appalled by the stupidity of this movie, and just couldn’t enjoy it much. The first act, including the Bourne-like chase you mention, was well done and the setting is beautiful/crazy, so kudos for that. But yeah, the “romance” was laughable (Tyler might as well have not been in the movie) and the second half was horrible.
I’ve yet to see (all of) Lee’s version, but I’m dying to now - I think it’s more up my alley (though, mind you, I really enjoyed Iron Man, for whatever that’s worth).
on Jun 20 2008 @ 9:06 pm 13. Evan Derrick said …
I don’t completely understand the level of venom that has been leveled against this film in some quarters. I get not liking it, but I obviously enjoyed the ride for what it was. But, you know, sometimes a film rubs you wrong, and then every little thing about it begins to bug the ever-living heck out of you. From your review, Fletch, I can tell that happened to you, so I get that (I had a similar experience with My Blueberry Nights). But I still thought it was a fun ride. Perhaps, in retrospect, not 4 stars fun, but at least 3 1/2.
on Jul 03 2008 @ 12:29 pm 14. James said …
Aloha,
This review hit it right on the nose, particularly in its comparisons to the first Hulk film, which I found myself hearkening back to while watching this new installment.
This is one film that I would like to see a Director’s Cut of. And apparently, the Blu-Ray version, due out in about half a year, allegedly boasts another 20-70 minutes of footage, which corroborates an Entertainment Weekly article I read in which both Letterier and Norton pitched for a longer, character-oriented version of the film, but Marvel vetoed that for the more action-oriented theatrical version.
Also on my list of nitpicks… The Writer’s Guild of America awarded sole writing credit for the film to Zak Penn, despite the fact that Edward Norton’s new draft of the script is pretty much what ended up on screen. I, of course, cannot take a side until I at least read both versions of the script (yeah, like THAT is gonna happen to me anytime soon.)
Mahalo,
James
on Jul 06 2008 @ 11:20 am 15. Film-Book dot Com said …
Where to start, oh where.
Ang Lee’s Hulk has: better dialog than The Incredible Hulk, weaker action sequences, more science (which is proper for a science-fiction film), a more effective love story, the best editing in a comic book movie I have ever seen and an effective final confrontations between its protagonist and antagonist.
Letterier’s Incredible Hulk has: average dialog, great action sequences, very little science, an ineffective love story, average editing and a lack-luster ending.
I still rated the film highly though because of its positive qualities. In my review, I concentrated more on the film Letterier made while referencing Ang’s Hulk at the beginning and at the end of the review. Since The Incredible Hulk ignored Ang’s film, so did I in my review.
http://film-book.com/review-the-incredible-hulk/
@ James. Banner considering suicide in the North Pole, Captain America and background info were cut from the film. It doesn’t equal 70 minutes though, maybe 6 to 10.
@ Evan. If you thought the Brazilian woman that worked with Bannner in the soda factory was hot, check this out:)
http://film-book.com/debora-nascimento-from-the-incredible-hulk/