THE HULK

REVIEWED BY JAVIER ALDABALDE GADEA

Our rating: 3 out of 5

Because of: language, nudity

Rated:

I believe Hulk to be the best superhero movie ever made, perhaps alongside 1978's Superman starring Christopher Reeve. If anything, it's the most compelling, ambitious and involving of the two. Amazing action sequences isn't the only thing this film has to offer; the film wants us to care for the characters more than any other comic book film that has come before it; either by Marvel or DC Comics. Believe it or not, it succeeds.

The movie begins in 1966, when a well-known scientist called David Banner does an experiment that goes wrong and suddenly his rage threatens his whole family. Now his son Bruce (Eric Bana), who was adopted after her mother's death, is also a scientist and in the making of a project together with his ex-girlfriend, Betty (Jennifer Connelly). They start to develop the experiment under the watchful eyes of the executive Talbot (Josh Lucas) and Betty's father, General Ross (Sam Elliott), who doesn't want Bruce to be near his daughter. When the project goes wrong, Bruce's wrath is unleashed and in top form, as he struggles to overcome his rage. Meanwhile, he gets to know his returning father (Nick Nolte), whose motives are darker than expected.

Director Ang Lee (coming off his big success with the glorious epic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and the group of screenwriters have gone to great pains to translate the comic book "Hulk" to the big screen. Many things have changed a lot, paying homage to classic monster movies like King Kong rather than the recent Spider-Man or X-Men. There are even scenes which resemble A Beautiful Mind, in part because of the psychological drama that is so important in this production, and also because of Jennifer Connelly's presence, whose role doesn't vary much in both films. Lee's focus on Bruce's childhood is as important as it is effective, and it enables us to fully get to know this giant's dark past.

A large part of Hulk's success is due to its focus on the characters rather than the action (which is, needless to say, spectacular). We feel for them because the director takes his time to develop the protagonists and their situations, rather than begin with the special effects right away. Thus, the film is never dumb and pointless, but smart and interesting throughout the entire running time. The actors are of huge importance in this film, and their performances are very good. Eric Bana (a little known actor who appeared in the critically acclaimed Black Hawk Down), displays range and credibility in the difficult part of the lead role. Jennifer Connelly (once again playing the supporter, after earning an Oscar for her work in A Beautiful Mind), is fabulous as Betty, acquiring the sense of tragedy and romanticism that looms over the film. Sam Elliott is tough (albeit still human) as General Ross, never falling into stereotype. Nick Nolte is impressive as the subdued mad scientist, and his scene with the Hulk is touching and memorable. Finally, there's Josh Lucas, who doesn't do anything new or innovative as Talbot, but works nonetheless.

One of Hulk's highlights is Ang Lee's direction. He uses kinetic, purely original filmmaking to keep viewers involved in the story. At the beginning, his approach seems a little bit pretentious, but then we realize this comes from a talented director that isn't easily intimidated. One of his methods in this film is using a split screen that seems like a comic book page, but it isn't too distracting. Another approach that works incredibly well is when he shows us noiseless explosions from afar. It's also worth noting than the directing complements the score (composed by Danny Elfman) in such a way it's been rarely seen before.

Much has been said about the visual effects, but I found them to be very good. The CGI Hulk is a little weird at first, but we come to root for him and even like him. His facial expressions are tremendously believable and make for some memorable moments. Moreover, the action sequences are amazing, especially Hulk's fight with mutant dogs (which precedes a scene that recalls Beauty and the Beast), and, more importantly, a chase through the desert and the battle with helicopters, both of which are truly awe-inspiring. The climax is also satisfying and the ending doesn't feel cheap at all, not relying upon what Hollywood often establishes as a "correct" conclusion.

Hulk is a success because nearly all of the elements fall into the right place, making a great mix of astounding action with a moving tale of tragedy and romance. The editing has some problems, but the production never feels rushed or tired. This is the best blockbuster to have come this season (as of yet), and it will likely gain a high position amidst the other comic book films that have come before it. Let's only hope that the sequel (if one is made) will continue the path set by this great movie, and further develop the story. All in all, Hulk is proof that a superhero motion picture can also be a compelling film about life and tragedy set in our troubled times.

Viewer comments:

Christina Riley

The Hulk is merely "okay." It wasn't bad but wasn't overly good either. It moves at a measured pace, doesn't have the impact of X2 or Spider-Man, and is far more intellectual than your usual comic book superhero. But it does have a good cast. Eric Bana in the title role was memorable, and fellow actors Nick Nolte as Bruce's Dad, and Jennifer Connelly as the Hulk's would-be girlfriend Betty, fill in the gaps nicely. Bruce is your ordinary, quiet, shy scientist trying to come up with some scientific phenomena. But his past and childhood is horrific. A terrible event happened to his mom when he was younger and he can't remember what happened. His dad was also a scientist and injected himself with a chemical when Bruce was a child. Inadvertently he passes it on to his son. When Bruce is accidentally exposed to gamma ray, the "Hulk" inside of him is unleashed. This green monster rage comes over Bruce whenever he is extremely agitated, upset, or angry. The only thing that can calm him down is his scientist friend Betty.

In an interesting subplot, Betty's father has known about the Hulk for a long time. He placed Bruce's dad in solitary confinement when Bruce was a little boy. Once Bruce becomes an adult and the man realizes that the same tradition is carried on in the son as began with the father, he tries to capture him. This comprises most of the film -- elements of hide and seek, chase sequences, and attempts to harness the Hulk's rage.

The graphics in The Hulk are decent; they morphed him well. The way some of the scenes were shot by shooting the same shot at different angles was cool. Other effects did not leave an effect. There is one scene that made you jump a little but did not make any sense; you will see what I am talking about once you have seen the movie. The movie is spanned over the course of Bruce's life, unlike other action-hero flicks, so it makes the movie more interesting. There is one reference to God as the Creator. There is a part of the movie where Bruce is stripped of his clothes and finds himself exposed twice from behind. While the two nudity scenes moved fairly quickly, I think they could have left them out all together!  There are a few curse words in the movie (including three abuses of Jesus' name). 

This film will be more widely appealing to younger audiences; older ones will become bored with some of the plot elements and the acting. If you like comic book hero movies in general you might like The Hulk, but I would not go to see it again. What I did not like about the film was the way some of the actors acted. It looked really fake. The "Hulk” was only mentioned a couple of times, so they could have easily named the movie The Green Thing. It's not as serious as other comic book super-hero movies. It's an okay film if you just want to do something or see something to tide you over until the summer blockbusters. Part of the end of the movie is unexpected and not totally complete. I'll leave that for you to decide.