Aside from The Matrix Reloaded and the third installment of Lord of the Rings, The Hulk may be the most anticipated movie of the year. The true question is can Ang Lee and his crew pull off a CGI version of The Hulk and make it believable?
After seeing this film I must say the answer is, “Yes.” The animated green guy has such a presence on the screen and he looks great. The performance by the massive monster is just as impressive as Gollum in Lord of the Rings. Attention to detail was paid at every level and when he begins his tirades you can only sit back and enjoy. He can crush tanks and helicopters, catch fighter jets, and flick a man across the street like he were a bug, and leaves you wanting more due to the drawn out storyline.
What, drawn out? Yes, drawn out.
The Hulk is the story of Bruce Banner (Eric Bana) and his journey from childhood to HULKhood. Before Bruce was born his father (Nick Nolte) was studying genetic transformation and uses himself as a test subject. When Bruce was conceived some of what his father’s experimenting passed on to him and slowly over the years grew and just needed a way out. Well, it got its chance when Bruce sacrificed himself to save a fellow scientist, and ends up exposing himself to enough gamma radiation to kill anyone, but, due to what was inside of him, it only made him stronger. In the time following the accident it was soon learned that you did not want to make the tiny little Bruce Banner upset, because “You are not going to like him when he is angry.” Well, maybe you will. I did.
Unfortunately, to tell this story, Ang Lee takes two and one half hours, and toward the end you are really starting to realize just how long the movie is.
Besides the length of the movie Ang Lee grabbed hold of the directorial reigns in superb fashion and presented the movie as if it were a comic book. Several different wipes and fades were used to transition between scenes and sometimes there were up to four different frames of the same scene shown at once. It made for a very original look at the movie and the first few transitions catch you off guard and add to your excitement.
Overall The Hulk is a “good” movie, excellent special effects, a guest appearance by the bulked up Lou Ferigno as a security guard, a slow beginning, and not the greatest ending, but if you are thinking you will wait to see this movie on DVD, think again. The big green guy is definitely a reason to plunk down $8.50 or if you prefer to save a few bucks and attend a matinee do so, either way, if you have any interest in seeing this flick be sure to get into the theaters and not wait for the DVD.
