The Hulk Rampages Back onto the Screen

A few years ago, acclaimed director Ang Lee released a movie called "Hulk" and it has, in the years since, become universally reviled by fans of the character. I am not one of those people despite being a fan of the comic book and being a general comic book fan. I proudly stand alone in saying that I did not and DO not hate Ang Lee's "Hulk" even though I can't say for sure exactly what the hell happened at the end of that movie.

That being said, I felt a bit of resentment when Marvel Studios decided that they needed to rush out a new Hulk movie to try and save the series. Unlike what Roger Ebert said in his review, I happen to know that the Incredible Hulk is not only the strongest and most powerful super-heroes in the Marvel Universe, but was also one of the earliest creations by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (right after the Fantastic Four came Hulk), and has routinely been one of the most consistently recognizable and popular characters in the world of comics. Right after Spider-Man in the Marvel Universe, comes the Hulk.

Well, a funny thing happened as I sat in the movie theater with my arms crossed determined to dislike the movie "The Incredible Hulk." I found myself slowly softening toward the movie, then smiling, then enjoying the action and then, finally, thoroughly enjoying myself the entire time. I didn't expect it, but I have to admit it happened.

This is the same season that has already brought us one of the finest movies in the super hero genre, "Iron Man." This Hulk movie takes place in that same universe as evidenced by the now-famous appearance of Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark at the very end of the movie. So, "The Incredibly Hulk" had some stiff competition to try and live up to. Now, this movie does not live up to the same standards a "Iron Man" but it sure does pack quick a whallop.

The problem that many people felt was with the Ang Lee version was that it was attempting to be too deep. The Hulk in the comics was actually deeper than most people realize. In the comics, Bruce Banner is a scientist testing a Gamma Bomb and notices a teenager has wandered onto the test range. While rescuing Rick Jones, the bomb goes off and Banner is irradiated with what should be a fatal does of Gamma radiation. In Hulk's originally incarnation, he turned into the monster whenever the sun went down. Eventually, that changed to whenever Bruce Banner got mad. In the comics, the madder the Hulk gets, the stronger he gets so that, when in full rage, he is the strongest and most indestructible force in the Marvel Universe. He has been able to hold up entire mountain ranges on his back, for example.

This movie goes back to the TV show for inspiration and basically ignores the previous movie. This Bruce Banner tests shooting Gamma rays right into his brain in an origin sequence show in montage while the opening credits are rolling. Seeing Bruce Banner strapped into the chair with the green "X" over his forehead is an almost exact recreation of David Banner's transformation in the television show.

In fact, the movie's actor, Edward Norton, makes an excellent Bruce Banner. He manages to convey as much feeling into the character as is possible in a movie geared almost entirely toward action. You can feel his pain and the agony he feels, especially when a romantic moment between him and Betty Ross is interrupted because, if Bruce's heart rate goes too high, he turns big, green and less-than-romantic.

As the movie opens Banner is in Brazil. The shots of the City of God, the poorest part of Brazil, built into the side of a mountain, with one cramped, shabby apartment building on top of the other, are amazing. They appear to be totally real and the shots go on and on. This does beg the question, however, as to why Bruce Banner, afraid that he might turn into the most powerful rampaging creature in the universe, would set up shop in one of the most crowded places on the planet.

Such things are a minor quibble. The government is after Banner. They want to use his abilities as a kind of weapon. They want to use the process that turned Banner into the Hulk to churn out Super Soldiers. How they would even attempt to control these soldiers is also a secondary consideration.

To make things more complicated, Tim Roth shows up in another oily and slimy role at Emil Blonsky. You fans of the comics know that Blonsky was a Russian spy who eventually becomes the Hulk's enemy The Abomination. Well, he isn't a Soviet spy this time, but he still becomes the Abomination and this sets up the massive final sequence which involves the two creatures going toe-to-toe in New York's Harlem.

In "Iron Man" I felt that the choice of villain was weak. Jebediah Stane was not the arch-enemy of Iron Man and I felt a showdown between the Golden Avenger and Mandarin would have been more appropriate. As such, I felt the final showdown between Stane as the Iron Monger and Iron Man lacked a little punch. I did not feel the same way as the Hulk and the Abomination faced off.

The final action sequences are what Hulk fans wanted all along and just did not get from the Ang Lee film. They wanted "HULK SMASH!" and they got "Hulk Emote!" instead. Well, they get plenty of smashing this time around. As I said, I didn't want to like that, but I couldn't help but admit, it was working for me. I was rooting for the Hulk and I was, finally, and against my better judgment, rooting for this movie.