Ang Lee’s Hulk
Disappointment. A complete failure. Just plain bad. These were the thoughts everyone had when they first saw Ang Lee’s Hulk in 2003. They went in expecting two hours of HULKSMASH, but what they got was a slow and deliberate character study of a cursed man. Sure, there was some action, but you had to slog through almost an hour and half of not action to get to it, an unforgiveable sin the eyes of the general public and critics alike. The reception was so poor that just five years later, the Hulk franchise was rebooted with The Incredible Hulk, an action packed re-do that righted all of Mr. Lee’s “wrongs.” But was it really that bad?
Most superhero movies follow a well-established path – the hero gains their powers, learns to use them, and eventually has a climatic final battle with their arch-enemy for all the marbles. Hulk eschews that almost entirely. In fact, Hulk can barely be called a superhero movie at all, for the protagonist is anything but a superhero. Bruce Banner is a man struggling to contain a monster inside of him. Superheroes save other people, while Banner is merely trying to save himself - running from the military who wants to destroy him and/or use his body for research; running from his demented father who doomed him from the very moment he was born; running from the monstrous version of himself that he can’t even begin to control.
Control is one thing Banner certainly doesn’t have. The movie may be slow and methodical during the first half, but right around the halfway point it opens up the throttle and becomes a fast-paced action extravaganza. Whenever Banner loses what little control he has, he transforms into the titular green giant and proceeds to destroy anything and everything in sight in an impressive showing of unstoppable power. For a movie that is almost eight years old, the CGI in Hulk really stands up to the test of time (unlike other movies from that era). The Hulk looks fantastic, and all the action is well-shot. Say what you will about the rest of the movie, but the special effects, the cinematography, and the overall visual style is simply top-notch.
Of course, the movie isn’t perfect by any means. For starters, one simply has to mention the “comic book” style of editing Ang Lee opted for. He tried to ape the paneled nature of comics and insert that into the film. The result is a lot of transitions that feel better suited to a really bad ninth grade Power Point presentation. They are simply awful, and do not fit this film’s tone at all. Secondly, the acting must be brought to attention: specifically, how terribly mediocre it is, even crossing into straight-up bad territory with some characters. Eric Bana and Jennifer Connelly deliver merely acceptable performances as the leads. Sam Elliot is, sadly, just not that good here, and neither is Josh Lucas. Thankfully, Nick Nolte as David Banner elevates things just a bit by not being awful.
Hulk does have its flaws, no doubt about that. The ridiculous editing, the bad acting, the dialogue that’s hit-or-miss. And yes, sometimes it does feel like the movie drags along a little too slowly. But if you actually see it for what it is, rather than the mindless summer blockbuster most wanted it to be, I think you’ll find a worthwhile film that truly does not disappoint. Ang Lee’s Hulk truly deserves a second look.
The Incredible Hulk
Ang Lee’s effort failed. His brooding epic was reviled by just about everybody, and still to this day people look back on it with disdain. However, the studio couldn’t let a franchise like this just die, so they went and made a new one. 2008’s The Incredible Hulk features a metric ton of HULKSMASH, and obviously that’s what the people wanted. But is it really “new and improved”?
This series reboot is almost a sequel, except it would rather pretend the first film didn’t exist. The Hulk’s origin story is shown in the opening credits, and then it’s off to Brazil to meet up with Bruce Banner. Banner’s been hiding out from the US government, and in the meantime has been trying to find a cure for his “condition.” Through an unfortunate series of events, the military finds him, and from then on it’s a game of cat and mouse between Banner and General Ross, who wishes to dissect the poor guy. The plot is really only there to get us to the HULKSMASH, funneling everything to a climatic showdown with The Abomination. The action, which I’ll get to in a moment, is all well and good, but sadly the plot is practically not there. It ends exactly where it began, having changed exactly nothing. It is barebones storytelling, which is disappointing. The people wanted less brooding Banner and more raging Hulk, and that’s certainly what they got.
Since the plot is thin and disappointing, you really can just turn off your brain and wait for Ed Norton to Hulk Out. The action is plentiful and visceral, with plenty of cars, statues, forklifts, shipping containers, and other various objects being tossed around like beach balls. Everything and anything in the Hulk’s way gets smashed, beaten, ripped, torn, tossed, thrown, and used as a bludgeon. At one point a police car is picked up, torn in half, and used a boxing gloves. People aren’t immune to the rage, either. At one point a man stands up to the Hulk only to get kicked in the face and sent rocketing through a tree. It’s fantastic stuff. The final battle between the Hulk and the Abomination really has to be seen. I didn’t ever want it to end. The action is just awesome, simple as that. But it wouldn’t be anywhere without the wonderful effects work.
The Incredible Hulk boasts great stunt work and marvelous CGI. Using a precursor to Avatar’s facial expression motion capture, Edward Norton’s facial movements are transposed onto the Hulk, giving the green monster a humanlike feel. This combined with his more “realistic” design compared to Ang Lee’s Hulk, makes for a much more believable character. The sound is also top-notch. Every boom and every impact rattles the walls, and even the Hulk’s thunderous breathing roars out of the subwoofer. If you want to show off your fancy new surround sound system, the film is certainly a good example of bass. I certainly enjoyed watching the movie with my system cranked, that’s for sure.
On the acting front, this reboot fares a fair bit better than its predecessor. Edward Norton is undeniably a better Banner than Eric Bana, and that’s probably because the Oscar nominee is simply a much better actor. It’s a shame the plot is as thin as it is, because Norton really gave it his all here. Liv Tyler is arguably better than Jennifer Connelly as Betty, and the rest of the cast follows suit. The 2008 film clearly trumps the 2003 effort when it comes to acting.
So, which movie is better? Hulk is clearly more thoughtful, had a much better plot, and was a much more daring take on the series, but is trumped in nearly every other way by the new film. Acting, action, effects, the lack of the terrible comic book editing, as well as simply being more entertaining. Both movies clearly have their strengths, as well as their own faults, but I think whenever I’m in the mood for some HULKSMASH, I’ll reach for The Incredible Hulk nine times out of ten. Ang Lee’s movie is a commendable effort, but the action-packed do-over is just more watchable. If you’re a fan of the Hulk, then get both, but for the casual everyday movie watcher, The Incredible Hulk is the way to go.
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