The Hulk Review
by Marshall Garvey (hunter48 AT goodpeopleunite DOT com)July 23rd, 2003
"Hulk" (2003)
Review by Marshall Garvey
Rating (0 to 5) ***1/2 Grade: B
Starring Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliot, Josh Lucas, Nick Nolte
Directed by Ang Lee
Produced by Avi Arad, Larry J. Fanco, Gale Ann Hurd, and James Schamus Written by James Schamus, John Turman, and Michael France Original music by Danny Elfman
Universal Pictures
137 minutes
Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, some disturbing images and brief partial nudity (Kids 12 and up. Most kids under will be greatly disturbed)
There is one advantage that "Hulk" holds over
"Spider Man". That advantage is the story line, which is developed in much greater detail than the latter. The only problem is that by the time it cuts to the action, it's already used up around 45 to 50 minutes of its running length, whereas "Spider Man" gets to the good stuff in almost half that time. As a matter of fact, "Hulk" isn't nearly half as fun as
"SP", and unless you're ready to weather an
extremely lengthy and often times drawn out plot development, your ticket to this film could by your ticket to a relaxing nap-that is, if the film's disturbing imagery doesn't manage to keep you
awake.
Okay, so now you know that "Hulk" doesn't surpass
"Spider Man". Still, although its appeal isn't as
great as that of its web-slinging counterpart, it does have outstanding production values. In fact, it's actually more of a "comic book" film than most others of its kind, for
it's given an authentic comic feel with the insertion of panels onscreen that display scenes from different angles. Still, although the use of these screen splits gives the film an inventive touch, they often lead to rather choppy transitions, and sometimes the film jumps back and forth between the story line so much that following it becomes somewhat tiring. Heck, you might as well bring along some extra money and rent (surprise!) "Spider Man" or
"X-Men" afterwards, for even though "Hulk"
succeeds on many levels and manages to be a good film overall, it still leaves a lot to be desired.
"Hulk" begins with a compelling prologue, but I'll
get to that later and cut to the chase for now:
Bruce Banner (Eric Bana) is a Northern California scientist conducting an experiment that, through various injections, alterations and exposure to gamma radiation, could increase one's energy and instantly heal physical wounds. The test subject is a frog that, during the gamma procedure, ends up exploding. Despite this failure, Banner's partner Betty Ross (Jennifer Connelly) still looks to the bright side; after all, if it starts raining frogs all of a sudden, they'll be the first people to turn to.
While preparing for another experiment, Bruce is blasted by a gamma ray while trying to help another partner escape from the room. Both are hospitalized, yet they manage to survive. Strangely enough, Bruce isn't even injured, and in the end the blast left no major scars or injuries. One night in the hospital, though, he's visited by a janitor from his workplace who claims to be his father David (Nick Nolte). The man explains that the reason Bruce survived was because of an alteration in his DNA that comes from his father's genes. The modification is much like the one which Bruce had attempted to develop, except for one thing: whenever his temper swells to an unbearable level, he transforms into a masculine green giant capable of lifting (and destroying) objects as massive as a tank-and even greater. This, of course, has not yet occurred in the film, and Bruce is completely unaware of this ability, although time and time again he has been revisited by nightmares of his past that hint the coming of this transformation. He tells the mysterious man that his parents died long ago, and refuses to believe what he tells him.
Not long after returning to his lab one night, Bruce starts to lose control; his vision becomes blurry, and he stumbles around almost uncontrollably. Then, the anger that had built up for years within him finally escapes, and he at last transforms into the Hulk. The ensuing outburst leaves the lab in ruins, and soon Betty's father, General Ross (Sam Elliot), is on Bruce's trail. His intentions: stop his rampage and extract his DNA to benefit soldiers on the battlefield. Worse, even Bruce's father has set out to stop him, and to do so he has tactics that could put an end to the leviathan's rage (slobbering, mutant dogs for one). Yet, while Bruce's anger outbursts pose as a threat to everyone including himself, he has just one feeling about it all: he likes it. And that's the most dangerous thing about it all.
The film's prologue not only does an excellent job setting up the rest of the film's story; it also looks in deeper at the crucial plot elements that shape the movie's perspective. The most significant one is a rather disturbing look at Bruce's childhood, tainted by mysteries that would remain unsolved for years. The only problem, though, is that as the film goes on, it jumps back and forth between the past and present so much that it becomes a confusing blur. It's not to say I didn't pay attention. I did follow the story closely, but the film tacked on so many different aspects and perspectives to each plot line that piecing everything together became a little difficult. Had the film simply shortened its plot development and avoided revisiting the prologue too often, it could definitely have been far better. In the end, however, pacing stands out as the only real problem, although it shouldn't be for this type of film.
The trailers for "Hulk" could be labeled as misleading,
for they seem to indicate the Hulk itself as nothing more than a fluorescent hunk of CGI. In the film, however, the animation is impeccable, and up close the Hulk is given some incredibly realistic expressions. Better yet, the CGI also blends in well with the action sequences, which even match those of (gasp!) "Spider Man". Sadly, Hulk's many assets are greatly overshadowed by the film's terrible pacing, and not even the best moments (namely the scene in which the Hulk battles a squad of tanks) can redeem this flaw.
I saw "Hulk" with my father, grandfather, two uncles and a cousin of mine, and the most of us were only mildly impressed at best. My uncle Joe (who fell asleep during "Fellowship of the Ring") crashed during the first half hour, but I can't
blame him, and while you need to be in the right frame of mind for a three-hour movie, this one should have had his attention all the way through. My father shared my opinion as well and believed that the story development took too long, and my uncle Tim and grandfather weren't that thrilled as well. Most surprising of all, though, was my 10-year-old cousin Kevin (whose favorite film is the Akira Kurosawa classic "The Seven Samurai" ). I had expected him to be all over the film, but in the end his final word was, "It was OK."
Note: This review is late due to my three-week vacation. This review is also purely of my doing, and I do not copy off other reviewers.
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
