"Hulk
smash!" It's incredibly (pardon the pun) important to remember that when
going in to see the Marvel Studios requel of The Incredible Hulk. Sure, there's
angst the story's hero is cursed with a monstrous alter ego that only appears when
he gets "excited" (in both good and bad ways). Sure, there's tension
the story's hero is constantly on the run from "Big Brother-like"
forces looking to capture and exploit his beast within. But ultimately the
film, much like the comic book from which it's based, is about destruction.
Think a smaller
scale Cloverfield and you're in the right ballpark. To further hammer the point
home: An introspective tale focusing on father-son issues this is not (sorry,
Ang Lee).
To that end,
The Incredible Hulk delivers and it delivers well. The film starts off with Dr.
Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) desperately searching for a cure to the gamma
radiation which has poisoned his cells and unleashed a primal force of rage
within him known as The Hulk. Living in the shadows and cut off from a life
with the woman he loves, Dr. Betty Ross (Liv Tyler), Bruce knows that a
military machine led by General "Thunderbolt" Ross (William Hurt) is
seeking to capture and brutally exploit his power. As all three grapple with
the secrets that led to The Hulk's creation (indeed, they all played a role),
they are confronted with a vicious new enemy known as The Abomination a
monstrosity whose destructive strength exceeds even that of The Hulk's. To
defeat this nemesis, the film's hero must make an agonizing choice: accept a
peaceful life as Bruce Banner or find heroism in the creature he holds inside.
Much has been
made about director Louis Leterrier's decision to focus his film back on themes
established in the popular 1970s live-action TV series, and that is clearly the
case. In fact, the film's opening credit sequence revisits The Hulk's origin
story mirroring the starting point established in the show Bruce falls victim
to a gamma experiment gone wrong, an attempt to tap into man's adrenaline
induced super-strength. The director even goes so far as to include cameos from
former Hulk, Lou Ferrigno, and former Bruce, Bill Bixby (in a clever and cute
way). But how this new approach truly benefits the film is by upping the
story's tension, not only putting its human hero constantly on the run from a
determined General Ross but by also increasing the stakes surrounding each
"Hulk out." Bruce quite literally has to restart his life each time
he transforms, finding himself in a strange new location (the Hulk will often
leap into neighboring states or countries), in need of new clothes, and in need
of a new lab to once again begin his search for a cure.
Perhaps more
impressive, however, is the film's adherence to comic book continuity.
Letterier creates a hyper-realistic world one that feels like our world, but
that incorporates the four color caricatures established in over 40 years worth
of comics that utilizes to perfect degree (in much the same way Spider-Man did)
imagery, characters, moments, etc. that comic book fans are sure to recognize.
Aside from the obvious like a talking Hulk, the thunderclap, the introduction
of Samuel Sterns (a.k.a. The Leader) elements like the way General Ross is
played, the calm Betty bestows upon a rampaging Hulk, and the introduction of a
world full of superheroes not only enhance the experience that is The
Incredible Hulk, but also expertly set the stage for one unified Marvel movie
universe. Most important, however, is the way in which the film successfully
establishes the idea of "Hulk as hero." This is not an easy task
considering the Green Goliath has a penchant for mass destruction. But by
introducing an established comic book rogue (The Abomination) and giving Bruce
the choice between accepting a cure or living with his curse to save innocent
bystanders, the film's writers managed to accomplish what Stan Lee and Jack
Kirby set out to do back in 1962.
The
performances turned in by the film's cast are fairly one-dimensional, but effective.
Tyler's Betty is your classic damsel in distress while it may not stretch the
limits of her acting abilities, it does serve a very important purpose. Norton
makes for a very Bixby-style Banner, one that's smart, driven, heroic and a
little badass (at least until his heart rate jumps above 200 and he turns all
green and sh*t). Tim Roth's Emily Blonsky (the human counterpart of The
Abomination) is a bit of a mystery, but again this works. By not knowing too
much about the character's back-story, audiences are naturally wary of him;
this creates easy "buy in" to his eventual descent into madness. But
it's Hurt's General Ross that truly impressed this reporter (a self-professed
Hulk expert). If you haven't read it already, be sure to pick up the Jeph Loeb/Tim
Sale created Hulk: Gray. It's as if that version's "Thunderbolt" Ross
(physical appearance and attitude) leapt from the pages of the comic book and
into the live-action body of the prolific actor. 'Nuff said.
The discussion
that is sure to plague blog posts and message boards for years to come,
however, will have to do with the film's CG characters. Granted, from his first
midday, on-screen appearance, The Hulk is clearly a digital creation (as is The
Abomination) and that sense never really leaves the film. However, audiences
are quickly distracted from this momentary lapse of belief as soon as fists
start clashing, glass stars shattering, and monsters start smashing. Quite
literally, the intensity of the action and the shaking of theater seats are sure
to distract from uneven coloring and anti-aliased pixels. And this is where
Leterrier's experience as a high-octane action director truly pays off. Doubts
were cast as to whether the filmmaker could direct the more intimate moments as
well as the big effects sequences; rest assured, he can.
In the end, The
Incredible Hulk is exactly what it should be: An all-out action romp that
resets the comic book icon's big screen continuity and paves the way for future
installments (both in the Hulk franchise, as well as in that of the Avengers)
in the newly unified Marvel movie universe.
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