THE HULK
A Universal Pictures Release

review by Joseph B. Mauceri

SYNOPSIS: Scientist Bruce Banner¹s (BANA) subconscious conceals a forgotten and painful past. Still, this brilliant researcher struggles to continue his work in cutting edge genetic technology.  His ex-girlfriend, Betty Ross (CONNELLY), is also a brilliant researcher. During one of the early trials in Banner¹s groundbreaking research a simple oversight leads to an explosive situation. Bruce makes a split-second decision and his heroic actions save the life of his lab assistant. Bruce¹s body absorbs a deadly dose of gamma radiation, but he isn¹t dead.

Something is happening to Bruce Banner. The accident has awakened a presence within, a stranger who feels familiar, slightly dangerous and yet darkly attractive. The trigger is his anger. It unleashes a massive creature. This rampaging, impossibly strong being comes to be known as THE HULK.

The military is engaged to control or kill this creature. Led by Betty¹s father, General ³Thunderbolt² Ross (ELLIOTT), along with rival researcher Glenn Talbot (LUCAS), both man have personal vendettas and familial ties that motivate their actions in dealing with this green monster. As Betty struggles with her own theories about the creature her efforts may be too late to save both the man and the hulking beast.

REVIEW: In the spring of 1974, four friends entered a small antique shop and discovered, way in the back, a metal rack overflowing with comics. Back then we had know idea about what it meant to be a real comic collector. Among the numerous titles on the shelves were a few issues of ³Tales to Astonish² that featured a character called The Hulk. This ³Jekyll and Hyde² like character that was born of an atomic accident fascinated me. Of all my favorite Marvel Comics, this was one of the few titles I collected with a passion and tried to acquired all the issues in the series. What made the Hulk a special character for me is that he isn¹t just a superhero. The Hulk is tragic anti-hero. He was doing good not because he consciously wanted to, but because it was often a case of self-preservation. The series had its share of costumed villains, yet at the center of each new saga were these classic elements combined with a soap opera like relationship triangle between Banner, Betty Ross and the General. But what really appealed to our adolescent sensibilities was the Hulk¹s ability to simply get angry and smash things.

As we get older, in some ways, that appeal doesn¹t diminish. One of the most interesting things about director Ang Lee¹s film adaptation is that instead of having Eric Bana or a stuntman put on a motion capture suite to bring the character to life, Lee became the man behind the movements and emotions of the computer generated Hulk. Not since Orson Wells and John Houseman has a director truly taken the burden of his film upon his shoulders. Many people tend to associate Ang Lee with his international box office hit ³Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, ³ but the majority of Lee¹s work is not action films but dramas. Among his films are the Academy Award nominated and Golden Globe winning feature ³Sense and Sensibility² and, one of 1997's best-reviewed films, ³The Ice Storm,² based on the novel by Rick Moody.

Given the director¹s work on such literary based films, he knows how to tap into the classic elements of THE HULK to create a contemporary origin story for the character. In some respects, Lee¹s tale has even more elements of ³Jekyll and Hyde,² and the addition of Banner¹s father, and his genetic experiments, adds the feel of the classic Greek tragedy ³Oedipus Rex.² >From a strictly narrative point of few, these origin elements that involve Banner¹s father¹s genetic experiments are splendid pieces. The work Bruce does, and how that relates to the birth of the Hulk, is an intriguing plot device. However, it still makes me wonder, if they like the character so much that they want to make a movie based on a comic, why mess around with the origin story? I¹m sure there are a few purists own there who will have a big problem with the liberties they¹ve taken here.

Lee structures his film into four acts, and we need to sit through the first two before the big green guys finally makes his entrance. The reason is that Lee relies on the drama to draw the audience into his film. I know the early trailers disappointed many fans because they felt the effects didn¹t look good. Rest assured, the special effects are fine. However, it doesn¹t really matter. Lee allows the drama to draw our attention away from the effects, and bends them to serve the narrative and drama. The casting is great and Lee keeps the actors center and the performances strong. Still, there are a few moments where you have to scratch your head and wonder what the hell the filmmakers were thing. Case in point, the mutant dogs. And it wasn¹t because they were mutant dogs fighting the Hulk, but one of them is a mutant poodle.

Stylistically, Lee¹s adaptation of THE HULK creates a cinematic comic book. To that end, Lee uses a mix of split screens, computer cross cuts and fades, and multiple images boxes to dynamically move the narrative. It most places it is highly effective, in a few spots, the intense action sequences, the technique becomes a bit hard on the eyes.

THE HULK unravels as it nears the climax. Nolte¹s character precedes the action with a monologue that looks and feels like a stage performance. >From there, Banner junior and senior gets into it, in one of the most confusing battles I¹ve ever seen. Okay, I¹m a comic book fan, and I understood what Lee was doing but I still found it perplexing. I asked my guest if she understood what happened. She replied, ³Well I think Nolte was trying to finish his science project.² I¹d take her answer -- a wink is as good as a nod to a blind person.

If it seems like I¹m dancing around either praising or condemning the film, you¹re right. There are lots of things to like about Ang Lee¹s THE HULK, but it¹s unbalanced. If you¹re looking for more action from this character you might consider the computer game that was released the same day the film opens.

OFFICIAL WEB SITE:
http://www.thehulk.com

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