Hulk (2003)

Director:

Ang Lee

Writers (WGA):

Stan Lee (Marvel comic book character) and
Jack Kirby (Marvel comic book character) ...

Release Date:

20 June 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Unleash the fury!

Plot:

Bruce Banner, a genetics researcher with a tragic past, suffers an accident that causes him to transform into a raging green monster when he gets angry.

Plot Keywords:

Radiation | Monster | General | Technology | Scientist

Awards:

2 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Eric Bana	...	Bruce Banner
Jennifer Connelly	...	Betty Ross
Sam Elliott	...	Ross
Josh Lucas	...	Talbot
Nick Nolte	...	Father
Paul Kersey	...	Young David Banner
Cara Buono	...	Edith Banner
Todd Tesen	...	Young Ross
Kevin Rankin	...	Harper
Celia Weston	...	Mrs. Krensler
Mike Erwin	...	Teenage Bruce Banner
Lou Ferrigno	...	Security Guard
Stan Lee	...	Security Guard
Regi Davis	...	Security Guard
Craig Damon	...	Security Guard

Also Known As:

Big Green (USA) (fake working title)
The Hulk (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, some disturbing images and brief partial nudity.

Runtime:

138 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX | SDDS | DTS-ES

Certification:

Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | Iceland:12 | Portugal:M/12 (original rating) | Malaysia:U | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Canada:PG | Denmark:11 | Finland:K-11 | Germany:12 (cut) | Germany:16 | Ireland:12 | Mexico:B | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:All | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 (certificate #39955)

Filming Locations:

Arches National Park, Moab, Utah, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Creating the Hulk in CGI was one of the most complex tasks Industrial Light & Magic had ever undertaken at that time. The computer model used 12996 texture maps, and required 1165 muscle movements and 100 layers of skin. It took the combined work and efforts of about 180 ILM technicians (69 technical artists, 41 animators, 35 compositors, 10 muscle action animators, 9 CG modellers, 8 supervisors, 6 skin painters and 5 motion-capture wranglers), over 2.5 million hours and one and a half years for him to be effectively created and portrayed in the film. With all that work, some of the public complained that the Hulk looked too fake, comparing him with Shrek (2001).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: After the Hulk kills the dogs and goes to the river to cool down, from the rear Bruce Banner appears naked, but as he approaches the car where Betty is, you can briefly see he is wearing skin-colored underwear which he tries to cover with his arm.

Quotes:

Father: Stop your bawling, you weak little speck of human trash.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Making of 'Hulk' (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

Song for Classical Guitar

almost got me teary, and frustrated me at the same time

It's late, so I'll just bullet point my thoughts.

1. Hulk as CGI - works most of the time, some of the time it doesn't. Nobody can argue with that. But, like Gollum, the expressions of the face and the fantastic body language made you WANT to believe. Unlike Gollum, some of the shots just don't work at all. The big CG breakthrough for this movie - the manipulation of real settings was just SPECTACULAR. I fully belived that San Fran was getting torn apart.

2. Too long. Cut a half hour.

3. The comic book style - hit and miss.

4. Most of my friends hated the movie, yet.....

5. ..... I found many of the scenes to be incredibly moving, which took me by surprise. Though I secretly hoped that the Hulk would just be ICE Storm with Hulk in the Joan Allen role, I have to admit that Lee pulled off one helluva feat. I sympathized more for the hulk than the entire MATRIX cast (of both movies) combined. And I'll take a faulted movie with emotion over almost any big budget vehicle any day.

The L Man