The Bullseye 6.16.07: Ang Lee’s Hulk

Posted by Scotty Flamingo on 06.16.2007

It isn’t Incredible…

Welcome once again to The Bullseye. I've got superheroes on the brain this week after seeing the midnight showing of Fantastic Four: Rise of The Silver Surfer on Thursday night. I wrote about the original a few weeks back and am pleased to say that the sequel is a great improvement.

While the movie isn't perfect, it is not nearly the lopsided film that the original was. Julian MacMahon still blows whales as Dr. Doom. I mean he is really horrible every moment he is on the screen. And he addresses Reed Richards as Reed! DOOM would never be so informal! It is either "Richards" or "that wretched Richards" but it is NEVER "Reed". Fortunately, Doom gets little screen time here (and it is sad that I am saying that about a Fantastic Four movie).

The rest of the cast pulls their weight, even Jessica Alba. The movie has several goofy moments, but I feel that they fit with the Silver Age wackiness that went on in the Fantastic Four comics. The Surfer is represented perfectly and is both badass and elegant at the same time.

Finally, yes Galactus is a giant space tornado, BUT it is hinted that there is something behind the clouds. Anyway, the mechanism of Galactus, Destroyer of Worlds is there and I think that captured the spirit of a Galactus story. Plus I'm not sure a giant dude with a big tuning fork hat would translate to live action without being laughable.

All in all, I'll say that this movie is worth a trip to the multiplex. In some ways it is superior to the all-over-the-place Spider-Man 3. Now where was I? Oh yeah, superheroes. Being in the spirit, I decided to go after one of the biggest blown opportunities in recent comic book movie history.

I love the Hulk. I'll say he's in my top five comic characters. Unfortunately, the guy has always been a bit of the bastard stepchild of Marvel. While Spider-Man and the X-Men got solid cartoon treatments, the green guy got a lot of lackluster series. I have vivid memories of the old 80's Hulk cartoon where Bruce Banner would magically grow back his clothes when he changed back from the Hulk.

In the comics, he hasn't fared much better. The Hulk doesn't get the cool Rogue's gallery that guys like Spidey and Batman has. He's got The Abomination, and the Leader, and that's about it. The rest of the time, he has to borrow from other comics. An appearance against the Rhino in one issue, a fight with Juggernaut the next. He had a great run with Peter David until everything was ruined by the debacle of Heroes Reborn. Fortunately, Marvel has gotten their head's out of their ass and gotten the emerald giant back on track with the recent Planet Hulk arc and the new World War Hulk storyline.

Then there's the movie. I tried to like it, I really did. When Ang Lee was signed to direct, I thought it could work. I thought that getting a director with some style behind the helm would keep Hulk from getting a mindless Michael Bay treatment. Then the rumors started coming in. Rumors that Hulk fights mutant poodles and that his father is the Absorbing Man. Still I saw it opening week.

Much like the first Fantastic Four, the movie is hit and miss. Lee uses some really cool shots and editing in several scenes where the screen is divided up into panels with several things going on at the same time. This gives it a real comic book feel and was a nice touch. There is also the scene in the desert where the Hulk takes on the military that is spot on.

Unfortunately, that doesn't change the fact that all of the rumors were true. Hulk fights a bunch of "Hulk Dogs" including a poodle. It is a silly scene and laughably bad. Hulk's father is not the Absorbing Man in name, but he develops his powers and end's up turning into some sort of giant luminous jellyfish that battles the Hulk an a head scratchingly bizarre finale.

Then there's the Hulk himself. In some scenes he is about seven feet tall, like he should be. But then there are moments where he is big enough to hold Betty in his hand like King Kong. Not to mention the fact that he looks damn near like Claymation at times. They really should've either waited for CG to get a bit more advanced or tried to use models and costumes to create the creature.

Let's not forget that it takes the film almost an hour to get to the Hulk himself. Now, I don't mind setting up a story and developing characters, but Lee goes a bit overboard. I paid to see the Hulk, not Banner. And while we are on the subject of Banner, we get to the performance of that void of talent, Eric Bana. How this guy has a career, I'll never know. He looks bored in every movie I've ever seen him in.

Sam Elliott and Jennifer Connelly are good casting choices to play the Ross father and daughter, but they are given nothing to do. Thunderbolt Ross should be a blowhard modern day Ahab obsessed with bringing down the Hulk and keeping his little girl away from Banner. Betty is little more than the typical damsel in distress that is a staple of these films.

Put everything together, and this film is not a mixed bag like Fantastic Four, where you get a 50/50 or 60/40 split between crap and good moments. Hulk is more of an 85/15 split where you get just enough good moments to keep you from walking out. Let's hope that the pseudo remake sequel thingy, The Incredible Hulk follows in the footsteps of Rise of the Silver Surfer and can manage to embrace the strengths while getting past the weaknesses.