But before I proceed, I must take this opportunity to remark upon "Hulk", the horrible Ang Lee film from 5 years ago. "Hulk" starred Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliot and Nick Nolte. "Hulk" was more of a psychological drama with some action sequences thrown in for good measure, an analysis of the far reaching consequences of the most severe case of child abuse ever. Ang Lee shot a beautiful film, but it was NOT a "Hulk" film. Truth be told, Lee would have been better served remaking "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." I daresay that "Hulk" was his "Hunchback," but no one ever accused Victor Hugo of being the writer of comic books (interesting aside: Kenneth Johnson, the creator of the "Hulk" TV show of the late 80s, modeled the story on "Les Miserables", with Banner in the role of Jean Val Jean and Jack McGee in the role of Javert. Maybe there IS a Hugo connection after all). The comics fans and others who drove "Hulk" to an opening weekend gross of over $60 million rapidly deserted the film, and the total domestic gross topped out at just $123 million, not bad but nowhere in line with expectations for the film. Predictably, critics around the country began their usual death knell for comic films as they, per their usual habit, equated a badly made comic film with their false perception of an audience that was tiring of superhero spectacles. Only the comics fans understood what going on. While fans had to give Marvel and Lee props for trying to inject a certain arthouse gravitas to what had primarily been a popcorn genre, Lee's film only served as a reminder that, at their hearts, comics films have to be crowdpleasers filled with action sequences, albeit with special effects that are in service of the plot. Dismayed with the response to "Hulk", Marvel waited until the option for future Hulk films from Universal Films had lapsed and the rights had reverted back to Marvel.
Upon receiving the rights, they immediately commissioned Zak Penn to write a treatment. Boy did he deliver. Marvel then tapped Louis Leterrier, the director of "The Transporter" films. Well, that was all well and good for the action sequences, but did his experiences mean that he would be able to tell a story with the depth of feeling that "Hulk" required (more on this later). Would he disregard the rich history of the Hulk and take the film in an all action/no plot direction? Ah yee of little faith, Leterrier was one of the proteges of the great French filmmaker, Luc Besson (he of "the Professional" and, one of my favorite action/suspense films of all time, "Le Femme Nikita"). I had hope that he would do right by the character. So with the writer and director in place, Marvel set about with casting. Their final selections were perfect. Edward Norton made a much more believable Bruce Banner than did Bana. Bana did a perfectly passable impression of a scientist, but he was too much of a "pretty boy" to be believable as a nebbish scientist. Bana is a big guy, and some of the Hulk transformational impact was lost in translation. In addition to being a top notch, Academy Award nominated actor, Norton brought his skills as a script doctor to the project. Now, there were 4 eyes on the story (not necessarily a bad thing after the mess that was the Lee film). Liv Tyler, William Hurt, and Tim Roth all rounded out the cast, and this cast could not have been better.
So why should making a Hulk film be so difficult. With the right cast, screenplay, and director, it should be pretty easy, right? Well, in any normal situation, this may be the case, but when a studio is dealing with a character that has over 40 years of publication history behind it, the studio must take into account the verisimilitude that the screen story must have with regard to said comics history. A balance of too much on the side of the comic fan and the average movie goer will be shut out. A shift that is too far away from the comics and the result is Lee's "Hulk" film, a film of a type that pleases few. I am pleased to say that, like "Iron Man" before it, Marvel Films' adaptation of the Hulk character successfully walks that fine line.
The story breaks away from conventional comic book films by dispensing with the origin story within the opening credits. By the time the story itself begins, the viewer has an understanding of the origins of the Hulk and why Banner was running. The action picks up very quickly, and the film is punctuated by 3 very intense action sequences. Will action fans be pleased by this film? The answer is a resounding YES! This is the Hulk we have been waiting for, a monster who is a hero. In Blonsky, the Hulk also has a formidable opponent upon which to unleash all of his rage in all of its glory. Without a story, however, action can fall flat, and it is here where Zak Penn and Ed Norton really did their homework. As David Koepp realized with Spider-Man, the story of the Hulk is about a guy and a girl. The guy has a special problem and the girl loves him in spite of it and wants to help him. In truth, some of my favorite scenes in the film involve quiet moments between Bruce and Betty. The chemistry between the main actors was strong, and 2 scenes really stuck out for me. The first is when Betty believes she sees Bruce in the kitchen of the pizza place where she is dining. She runs off in pursuit, calling his name. We see her running into an alley calling out for him, and we see Bruce cowering behind a dumpster, pain on his face, as we see his desire to go to her and his resolve not to do so (for what he believes is her own good). This was a wonderful scene. The second scene was another quiet scene with Bruce and Betty in a hotel while they are on the run. Norton and Tyler's chemistry was such that nothing had to be said in many of their scenes; the audience understood the tortured past and present of their relationship and the value both found in quiet moments together.
As a comic fan, I loved the references to Marvel Comics' rich comics history and the groundwork that was being laid for sequels and spinoffs without calling too much attention to the fact. Some great examples of this:
1. The mention of the "super soldier serum" in the film by Emile Blonsky set the groundwork for the introduction of Captain America. Indeed, when General Ross enters the cold room where the super solder serum is stored in liquid nitrogen cryovials, the name of the scientist who stored the cryovials is clearly visible: Reinstein, the same scientist named by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby when they created Captain America during WWII. Was it necessary for Marvel to pay such homage to Marvel's history? No, but it was a nice touch.
2. Betty's love interest at the time Bruce enters her live is Doc Samson. In the comics, Samson tries to help Bruce deal with his Hulk side and even has his own minor exposure to radiation. In the film, he is sympathetic to Bruce's plight even as Bruce and Betty become fugitives from General Ross. Again, this was a very nice touch that hinted at stories to come.
3. The introduction of Samuel Sterns, the man who, in the comics, will become the gamma powered supervillain called the Leader. We get a glimpse of his origin and nothing more. Sometimes, less is truly more.
4. Emile Blonsky as The Abomination, a name that is mentioned only once in the film, but in a way that calls attention to Blonsky's fate.
5. The correspondence between Mr. Blue and Mr. Green hearkens back to Bruce Jones' wonderful run as a writer on the comic book "The Incredible Hulk." His run was marked by an almost X-Files conspiracy as Bruce was looking for a cure and traveling around the country with just his laptop computer with him. When you see the film, you will recognize the similarities.
6. The nod to the more modern "Ultimates" origin of the Hulk, where Bruce was working on the super soldier serum for Shield before becoming infected. One of the best moments in the comics was when Shield dropped Bruce from a helicopter in the middle of New York, ground zero for an alien invasion. What was the result? "Hulk Smash!!!!"
7. The numerous nods to the TV series, from the forlorn figure of Bruce hitchhiking in the rain to the haunting strains of the famous "walking away" piano music, a musical piece appropriately named "The Lonely Man", from the 1970s series and on to the cameos of the late Bill Bixby and the still very much alive Lou Ferrigno (a wonderful cameo there!). Even the images from the origin sequence in the opening credits of the TV series were played over in the opening credits of the film (the blinking "Danger" sign, the green bullseye on Banner's forehead while Banner is strapped into the mechanized chair, and the subsequent accident). Finally, the introduction of Jack McGee ("Mr. McGee, don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry") brought the TV series within the full universe of the Hulk. Once again, none of this struck one over the head; it was all rather subtle. I daresay that even those people who have no knowledge of the TV show will enjoy the bits that were seamlessly incorporated. How appropriate that, by the end of the film, Bruce is going by his TV alias, David Banner.
8. The purple pants from the comics. You have to see the subtle nod to this to believe it!
9. Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. No, this is not an "Iron Man" review. Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark shows up in "The Incredible Hulk" as well. YES!!!
In the end, even without all of the above mentioned Easter eggs, I cannot recommend "The Incredible Hulk" enough. It is a crowd pleasing action film that has, at its heart, a very real story of the fragility of the human condition. This summer, Marvel batted 2 for 2, and I am looking forward to their next project. I know that I will not be disappointed.
By the way, unlike "Iron Man", there is no need to wait until the end credits have run. There is nothing extra at the end.
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