Date: June 14, 2008
Location: AMC Sunset Place
After the bloated, boring Hulk Ang Lee delivered in 2003, I really wasn’t expecting much out of this new incarnation. The presence of Ed Norton intrigued me, but my suspicion was that — everything else aside — the technology isn’t quite there to make a 10-foot green monster man believable. King Kong is, for my money, the most convincing CGI character to grace the big screen, but a 25-foot gorilla is more out-there than something that looks at least partly like a human being.
And I was right, sort of — the Hulk in this film doesn’t always feel like he’s inhabiting the same space as the other characters, though the CGI work overall is pretty strong. But I found that I didn’t really care because the movie was so much fun.
The opening third is the film’s best, following Bruce Banner as a he lays low in Brazil, learning to control his anger and searching for a cure. The scenery is fabulous, Ed Norton is great as always, and the action (when he is eventually discovered — hope I’m not spoiling anything here) is kinetic and thrilling, and owes a big debt to the Bourne films.
Once back in the states, the film settles into a well-worn comic book movie groove, plot-wise, but it’s a kick to see this unlikeliest superhero portrayed in a way that feels true to its source. I haven’t read any Hulk comic books, but there are villains and scenarios here that I can just tell are ripped right from those much-loved pages. And an applause-worthy cameo at the end hints at some exciting developments in future films.
As an aside, it’s very cool that the hottest actors in the superhero business right now are Ed Norton, Christian Bale and Robert Downey Jr. What’s next, Philip Seymour Hofffman as Captain America?
Meet Me In Montauk 
I’ve read some good reviews on this Hulk, and Ed Norton is one of my favorite actors. He always brings something special to the screen, and I loved his anti-administration talk in Cleveland, one of my best times living there. Maybe we’ll check this out now that I’ve read your comments.
Ooooo, Philip Seymour Hoffman as Captain America — I dig that, man. 🙂 We were thisclose to seeing Hulk in Jackson Hole (where there are a surprising number of screens for such a small town) but got concerned it would be too scary for Daniel. What do you think? Could the wee tot take it? He hid during some of Iron Man but loved it after the fact. We didn’t take him near Indy, and I was glad. Anyway, you’ve made me want to see it, and I wasn’t sure I could deal with all the CGI battles. How was Tim Roth as the villain? Though I guess it’s more predictable to have great, quirky actors in the bad guy role.
Might be a bit much for Daniel, if only because the “hero” is pretty unpredictable and destructive, and the one responsible for most of the damage. You never feel very safe around the Hulk, and he roars a lot with big green teeth and eyes.
Tim Roth is interesting in the role, though he doesn’t have a ton to do. This is one of those movies that could have benefitted from being a little longer, in order to dive more into some of those character issues.
Great review and I agree with you about the CGI. Nicely done by the Marvel group! I’m adding you to my blogroll! Love the site!