Certain critics have attacked Ang Lee's adaptation of the Incredible Hulk comics and quite rightly so. After all, how dare an action-packed summer blockbuster contain plot and character depth, not to mention profound statements about anger and the relationships between fathers and their children.
Ang Lee has never made a less than very good film and in my view, Hulk is no exception. It is an extremely ambitious picture both visually and in terms of content.
The basic story from the comics concerns scientist Bruce Banner, who is exposed to dangerous gamma radiation causing him to transform into a gigantic Hulk every time he gets angry. The plot of the film however, goes considerably deeper, with Banner's abusive and possibly insane father being responsible for his son's unusual powers. Add to this repressed childhood memories, a complex web of relationships between all the characters, and it makes for quite an intelligent film. Of course it has the requisite action and explosions, but for once they seem to support rather than dominate the story.
Eric Bana plays Bruce Banner and has clearly been cast because he doesn't look like a movie star. This was a brave decision and works reasonably well in the film's favour. Jennifer Connelly is quite good as the love interest. On the other hand, Nick Nolte as Banner's father is outstanding. The direction from Lee is stunning, especially in his use of wipes and split screens, giving the constant impression you are watching a moving comic strip. The special effects are excellent (if a little too bizarre at times) and Danny Elfman contributes his best music score in years.
My main criticism is the film has virtually no humour. If Steven Spielberg could invest a film as serious as Schindler's List with moments of comedy, then surely a few laughs wouldn't go amiss in the Hulk. It takes itself far too seriously and adding comedy would have enabled the audience to suspend disbelief better, as well as enhancing the human drama.
Despite this, I liked the film a great deal. It's an unusually different summer blockbuster and deserves praise for that. It also has an interestingly ambivalent attitude to anger. On the one hand anger is shown as a great emotional release, enabling Banner to confront his repressed memories, and on the other it shows it to be destructive as the Hulk goes on his rampage.
If the film is ultimately judged a failure, then it's one of the most interesting failures of recent years.
Ang Lee has never made a less than very good film and in my view, Hulk is no exception. It is an extremely ambitious picture both visually and in terms of content.
The basic story from the comics concerns scientist Bruce Banner, who is exposed to dangerous gamma radiation causing him to transform into a gigantic Hulk every time he gets angry. The plot of the film however, goes considerably deeper, with Banner's abusive and possibly insane father being responsible for his son's unusual powers. Add to this repressed childhood memories, a complex web of relationships between all the characters, and it makes for quite an intelligent film. Of course it has the requisite action and explosions, but for once they seem to support rather than dominate the story.
Eric Bana plays Bruce Banner and has clearly been cast because he doesn't look like a movie star. This was a brave decision and works reasonably well in the film's favour. Jennifer Connelly is quite good as the love interest. On the other hand, Nick Nolte as Banner's father is outstanding. The direction from Lee is stunning, especially in his use of wipes and split screens, giving the constant impression you are watching a moving comic strip. The special effects are excellent (if a little too bizarre at times) and Danny Elfman contributes his best music score in years.
My main criticism is the film has virtually no humour. If Steven Spielberg could invest a film as serious as Schindler's List with moments of comedy, then surely a few laughs wouldn't go amiss in the Hulk. It takes itself far too seriously and adding comedy would have enabled the audience to suspend disbelief better, as well as enhancing the human drama.
Despite this, I liked the film a great deal. It's an unusually different summer blockbuster and deserves praise for that. It also has an interestingly ambivalent attitude to anger. On the one hand anger is shown as a great emotional release, enabling Banner to confront his repressed memories, and on the other it shows it to be destructive as the Hulk goes on his rampage.
If the film is ultimately judged a failure, then it's one of the most interesting failures of recent years.