Media Glutton, June 13, 2008: HULK SMASH!!!

Media Glutton, June 13, 2008: HULK SMASH!

Just got back from seeing the early show of the new Hulk movie. I really do like the AMC $5 morning movie rate on weekends - it makes seeing films so affordable that I don't mind risking some cash. I wasn't very excited about the new Hulk, and as far as I can tell that seems to be the general attitude from most people I talk to. I seem to remember enjoying Ang LeeAng Lee's Hulk film when I first saw it, but being annoyed by it in retrospect. I think I was so dazzled by the cool moving split screen storytelling at the beginning of that other movie that I ignored a lot of its faults. Although the fact that I never saw it again says something about how lacking I found it. This is a better Hulk movie than that one, chiefly because it dives right in with a very abbreviated origin-story flashback during the first couple minutes and then plops you into watching on-the-run Bruce Banner living the slum life in Brazil. The first act of the movie takes place there, and it was definitely the strongest part of the film. I really liked that whole half hour or so, from the exotic locales to Edward NortonEdward Norton's strong, engaging performance. I was smiling a lot during this section, from the top right on through the first big Hulk-sized action sequence.

As the story moves into its second act, it remains strong for the most part, and it kept me going. It's clear that the script writers are borrowing a lot from the Bruce Jones-written arc on the Incredible HulkIncredible Hulk comic book from several years ago, and that's a very good thing. They capture the quiet, worried desperation of Bruce Banner on the run from the government without ever sinking too deep into despair and depression. There aren't the kinds of laughs that there were in Iron Man, but there are some funny nods to the old TV series, including a great cameo by Lou FerrignoLou Ferrigno which everyone in the audience who noticed it also enjoyed. The second big Hulk action scene is really solid too, with some cool Hulk vs. Army action sequences and a nice taste of what (in a weird way) we might someday see in a Captain America film in terms of super soldier action. I do have to point out though that the digitial Hulk effects are only ever OK, and sometimes they're just not good. I think the Ang Lee digital Hulk achieved greater heights of both effect and action than this movie ever does, but this film isn't saddled with either the muddled lows or any Hulk-indused poodles. The final action sequence, as shown over and over again in the previews, takes place between the digital Hulk and the equally digital and for some reason more loquacious Abomination. These CGI vs. CGI battles always leave me cold, and this one was no exception. There were enough little nifty bits and tricks I hadn't seen to carry me through with a basic level of interest, but I was never thrilled. It's just hard to care that much about these computer generated titans, and the human actors who get swept up in the conflict end up being distracting reminders of the contrast between real and invented images (not to mention kind of annoying).

Still, on balance I reccomend The Incredible Hulk. Check it out if you have any interest at all, and if you're a comic fan it's probably a must see. Here again, like Iron Man, we have Marvel Studios as the producers of the film, and I think they really benefit from taking the reins themselves. There are some nice crossovers to the world they started establishing in Iron Man, paying of most of all in the final scene of the movie where someone cool makes a guest appearance. No need to wait through the end of the credits this time - they wanted to make sure no one missed this, and it had those in the audience (even those like me who knew it was coming) excited and in some cases cheering. As someone behind me in the audience said after we'd waited through the whole credits just to be sure there wasn't anything else (there wasn't) - "I just want to sit right here until they make the next movie." I don't know if I'd go that far - I've got things to do between now and 2009 or 2010, but I'm pretty sure I'll b there opening weekend when the next Marvel Studios flick does come out, no question at all. Unless it's more of that crappy Fantastic Four series. Or Ghost Rider. Or maybe even Spider-man after that last horrible movie. OK, they've still got a little more work to do before they earn my complete trust, but they're on the right path, no doubt about it.