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As cliché as it once was that some superheros were also paragons of virtue, so it has become somewhat cliché that every hero must be tragically flawed or conflicted about the power they possess. No hero embodies this quite as literally as the Hulk, who has at best a tenuous handle on what he does when his abilities are triggered.
Ang Lee's 2003 Hulk decided to explore the darker side of the character. In that film's first trailer, Bruce Banner (then played by Eric Bana) proclaimed "When it finally happens ... when I totally lose control ... I like it." His power is triggered by anger, and he actually grows in size when irritated further.
Enter The Incredible Hulk, a reboot of the attempted franchise, which treats Banner's affliction less like a psychological condition and more like disease. Edward Norton plays Banner this time around and had a hand in writing the script. Norton portrays Banner as decidedly unconflicted through most of the film: he abhors what's inside him, and thinks of nothing but "curing" himself so he can return to the woman he loves, Betty Ross (Liv Tyler).
The Incredible Hulk safely assumes that most people know of the character's origins, and provides only a quick montage beneath the opening credits to bring us up to speed. It shows us things through the Hulk's eyes, and emphasizes the damage he does not only to his surroundings, but to the people he cares about.
A quick flash forward shows us that Banner is living in Brazil, taking steps to deal with his anger and searching for a way to rid himself of his problem, which is triggered by an elevated heart rate this time around. He's not simply hiding out of shame, though; the military was involved in the gamma ray experiments that made him what he is, and regards him as their property. To this end, they've enlisted the help of Royal Marine Emil Blonsky, an elite soldier who wishes he could have the body of his youth back, and learns that this may actually be an option, albeit a risky one.
It's a given that the military will find Banner, and that he'll have to transform into the Hulk to defend himself. But the film goes to great lengths to show that transformation is his last option, and often happens against his will. Whether or not he's still himself when he's the Hulk isn't really answered, despite being a major plot point. And when Betty asks him "What's it like?," his answer doesn't fit very well with what we see. The creature he becomes is surprisingly thoughtful at times, which somewhat undermines Banner's apparent fear at what he might do.
The first third of the film is straightforward and works well as it establishes the isolation and hopelessness of Banner's life, and the things he does to get by. Once Banner returns to America, however, the film becomes disjointed. It alternates between action, drama, tragedy, and comedy at a frantic pace, without sense or segues. Most of the jokes lack bite, or are easy to anticipate, and many are sandwiched between dramatic sequences.
The film's attempts at drama are probably its weakest point. Norton is a formidable actor, but he and Tyler have very little chemistry here. This wouldn't matter much if not for the fact that their eventual reunion and evolving relationship is given a great deal of screen time. The way they come together is simultaneously random and contrived, and at least one character is unceremoniously swept under the rug to accommodate it. The film overestimates our attachment to Tyler's character and overwhelms her scenes with schmaltzy music, and many scenes fall flat as a result.
The effects are fairly strong, and there's a strong contrast between this film's Hulk and the 2003 version. The Hulk is a good deal shorter, has a relatively larger upper body, and looks like he might burst out of his skin. He shows the damage he takes, roars repeatedly, and yes, utters the iconic line that fans of the character have been waiting to hear on the big screen.
Most of these issues are ancillary, of course. The Incredible Hulk contains a good deal of smashing, and that's all most of us really want out of it. But even on this level, it's still a little underwhelming. Smashing is good in and of itself, to be sure, but most of us have come to expect a bit more inventiveness even in relatively mindless action sequences. That said, they're still fun.
The Incredible Hulk was the subject of a semi-public dispute between Norton and the production studio, and rumors of a longer cut abound. Whether or not there are any additional scenes, and whether or not they flesh out some of the film's shallower aspects, we don't yet know. But as-is, The Incredible Hulk feels like it could have gone in any number of directions, and unfortunately decided to go in all of them. It lacks polish, but it starts strong and delivers just enough in terms of action to offset a seeming tentativeness about what its trying to say.
Ang Lee's 2003 Hulk decided to explore the darker side of the character. In that film's first trailer, Bruce Banner (then played by Eric Bana) proclaimed "When it finally happens ... when I totally lose control ... I like it." His power is triggered by anger, and he actually grows in size when irritated further.
Enter The Incredible Hulk, a reboot of the attempted franchise, which treats Banner's affliction less like a psychological condition and more like disease. Edward Norton plays Banner this time around and had a hand in writing the script. Norton portrays Banner as decidedly unconflicted through most of the film: he abhors what's inside him, and thinks of nothing but "curing" himself so he can return to the woman he loves, Betty Ross (Liv Tyler).
The Incredible Hulk safely assumes that most people know of the character's origins, and provides only a quick montage beneath the opening credits to bring us up to speed. It shows us things through the Hulk's eyes, and emphasizes the damage he does not only to his surroundings, but to the people he cares about.
A quick flash forward shows us that Banner is living in Brazil, taking steps to deal with his anger and searching for a way to rid himself of his problem, which is triggered by an elevated heart rate this time around. He's not simply hiding out of shame, though; the military was involved in the gamma ray experiments that made him what he is, and regards him as their property. To this end, they've enlisted the help of Royal Marine Emil Blonsky, an elite soldier who wishes he could have the body of his youth back, and learns that this may actually be an option, albeit a risky one.
It's a given that the military will find Banner, and that he'll have to transform into the Hulk to defend himself. But the film goes to great lengths to show that transformation is his last option, and often happens against his will. Whether or not he's still himself when he's the Hulk isn't really answered, despite being a major plot point. And when Betty asks him "What's it like?," his answer doesn't fit very well with what we see. The creature he becomes is surprisingly thoughtful at times, which somewhat undermines Banner's apparent fear at what he might do.
The first third of the film is straightforward and works well as it establishes the isolation and hopelessness of Banner's life, and the things he does to get by. Once Banner returns to America, however, the film becomes disjointed. It alternates between action, drama, tragedy, and comedy at a frantic pace, without sense or segues. Most of the jokes lack bite, or are easy to anticipate, and many are sandwiched between dramatic sequences.
The film's attempts at drama are probably its weakest point. Norton is a formidable actor, but he and Tyler have very little chemistry here. This wouldn't matter much if not for the fact that their eventual reunion and evolving relationship is given a great deal of screen time. The way they come together is simultaneously random and contrived, and at least one character is unceremoniously swept under the rug to accommodate it. The film overestimates our attachment to Tyler's character and overwhelms her scenes with schmaltzy music, and many scenes fall flat as a result.
The effects are fairly strong, and there's a strong contrast between this film's Hulk and the 2003 version. The Hulk is a good deal shorter, has a relatively larger upper body, and looks like he might burst out of his skin. He shows the damage he takes, roars repeatedly, and yes, utters the iconic line that fans of the character have been waiting to hear on the big screen.
Most of these issues are ancillary, of course. The Incredible Hulk contains a good deal of smashing, and that's all most of us really want out of it. But even on this level, it's still a little underwhelming. Smashing is good in and of itself, to be sure, but most of us have come to expect a bit more inventiveness even in relatively mindless action sequences. That said, they're still fun.
The Incredible Hulk was the subject of a semi-public dispute between Norton and the production studio, and rumors of a longer cut abound. Whether or not there are any additional scenes, and whether or not they flesh out some of the film's shallower aspects, we don't yet know. But as-is, The Incredible Hulk feels like it could have gone in any number of directions, and unfortunately decided to go in all of them. It lacks polish, but it starts strong and delivers just enough in terms of action to offset a seeming tentativeness about what its trying to say.