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Movie: The Hulk Director: Ang Lee Actors: Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Nick Nolte, Lou Ferrigno |
The Hulk was my first comic I got it when I was a little kid. Most comics we read here in Holland were popular Belgium or French ones like Kuifje (Tin Tin), Asterix and Obelix. Superhero's of the Marvel universe where released very limited in those day (thank God we can get US comics everywhere now). But somehow, my mom got her hands on a Hulk issue and introduced me to the wonderful world of Stan Lee. I've read every Marvel comic I could find since that day but The Hulk was still one of my favorites. Probably because the green monster scared me a bit but the character also intrigued me. The Hulk went from comic to the small screen a couple of years later. I watched Bill Bixby transfer into Lou Ferrigno every Thursday evening and totally believed The Hulk was for real.
Finally the Hulk moves from the small to the big screen. This time no body builder painted green throwing cars over in slow motion but a Hulk made by the computers (and talented artists) of Industrial Light and Magic. Things got even better when Ang Lee was going to breathe live into my little comic book. I mean, this is the director of The Ice Storm and the masterpiece Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, a filmmaker you wouldn't ask to direct a mainstream superhero blockbuster. Universal and the producers took a chance by hiring Ang Lee but it also proved that they wanted to make The Hulk something special.
The story in a nutshell:
The Hulks starts off with an introduction of Bruce's father (Nick Nolte). Seems that he is the key to Bruce's (Eric Bana) cursed double life. This is one of the smart changes screenwriter James Schamus has made to the original story. I liked Schamus' version a lot, it gives the characters much more depth. I'm not gonna spoil the whole shebang but the story revolves around Bruce Banner having an anger problem, his (ex-)girlfriend Betty, played by Jennifer Connelly, caught between the evil plans of her father general Ross (Sam Elliott) and his ex-employee Bruce's Father. Betty is also the only one who can help Bruce when the Hulk makes his entry and things really get out of hand.
The Hulk isn't your ordinary Superhero flick and Ang Lee is responsible for this. He didn't make a popcorn kid movie but an interesting study of characters fighting the beast within. He brings out great performances of the actors Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott and of course Nick Nolte who superbly plays his troubled character. The story is amazingly written by James Schamus who looked at the original story from a different point of view. What also makes the Hulk special is the daring editing. It sometimes feels like you're really reading a comic book when you can choose what panel you want to view. This new editing style is subtle and handled at the right time, bet editor Tim Squyres will get an Oscar nomination for his work.
I've read a lot of stuff about the appearance of the Hulk, that it didn't look real. The Hulk looked pretty real to me and still scared the shit out of me just when I was a little kid. It takes a while when we finally get to see Bruce change into the Hulk but when it happens you'll be trembling on your seat. Later on you'll see the transformation from beginning to end with no cuts made, these guys at ILM under supervision of Dennis Muren and Ang Lee are the Rembrandts of today. They brought the Hulk to life, his movements and even acting is impressive and totally realistic.
People could have problems watching the movie, some find it dull or too long. Ang lee made a different kind of Marvel movie and it took a lot of guts to do so. I was overwhelmed by this movie, I think it's a masterpiece, a perfect combination of great acting, drama and groundbreaking special effects. The movie had the same impact on me like the first time a read my first comic: The Hulk.
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Written by Reggy 21/07/03
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