Review of Hulk (2003) by Jim A — 18 Nov 2013

Hulk has been renowned as one of the worst comic book movies ever made, and I agree. But let's step out of the realm of comic books for a second, and get back to why we're here... movies. Ang Lee's adaptation of The Incredible Hulk may not be the most faithful, but I must say that it's a pretty decent film.

Themes like anger, aggression, father-son / father-daughter relationships, hopeless romance, and taking a stand are deeply explored. This is definitely a story about the little guy. Bruce Krenzler works closely with colleague Betty Ross trying to develop a cure for human weakness, via nanomad reconstruction and gamma radiation. Little does Bruce know, there's something inside him already, waiting to get out. His supposedly dead father resurfaces in an attempt to harvest the mutation lurking within Bruce, at just about the same time the military attempts to confiscate it for their own use... and this makes Bruce angry.

As a standalone film, it's a pretty emotional tragedy. Amidst the dark tone of the film, there is subtle humor spread throughout that may require a second or third viewing to notice. There is a lot of story here, but when the action picks up, it never ceases to dazzle. Ang Lee understands the characters and their emotions, but sadly, they are completely lost in light of the fact that this is supposed to be a comic book movie... when it is so much more.

The movie isn't quite so patriotic. The soldiers are depicted as bumbling idiots, and the President is fishing while a major crisis erupts. Not to mention, the Hulk takes down tanks and helicopters like they were common criminals. But the filmmakers stand by their opinions well, I must say. One of the most breathtaking moments involves a fighter jet falling towards the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Hulk intervenes, smashing into it and preventing it from killing civilians.

As far as the comics go, however, the Hulk looks exactly how he should appear on the comic pages. And the film manages to successfully combine three major comic book villains (Brian Banner, The Absorbing Man, and Zzzax) into one cinematic antagonist. This makes for a mighty cool climax. I'm mixed on the whole "comic panel" layout of the film, but I suppose it successfully consolidates scenes. Aside from that, the overall portrayal of physics and movement are right on cue. The explosions, speed, fighting, and firepower are quite accurate, and it helps the realism of the movie.

Though it may not have been what we were looking for at the time, Hulk is definitely a movie worth some attention. Watch it without focusing on the fact that it's supposed to be a comic book movie, and you might be able to enjoy it a little more.