Review: The Incredible Hulk (2008)

[Scott Mendelson]

When discussing The Incredible Hulk, one must also discuss the first
Ang Lee Hulk picture that was released in June, 2003.  Since I re-
viewed Hulk literally twenty-four hours before seeing the not-quite-
sequel, a true comparison can be
made.

While Ang Lee's mangled epic is still not quite a good film, it is a
fascinating failure, an interesting artistic experiment. It is
challenging, thoughtful, and adult. Its main flaws are its length,
it's suspense-less action (it's immediately established that Hulk
won't kill anyone and we know no one will kill the Hulk), and it's
screenplay which constantly tells us about its characters issues
instead of showing us.

What still stands out is its remarkable visual style, which uses
split-
screen to create living comic book panels and uses bright, bold colors
to tell a somber, sorrowful tale. Plus, there is a refreshing maturity
and realism to how the characters talk to one another. Betty Ross and
Bruce Banner (Jennifer Connelly and Eric Bana) obviously have a
history, both romantically and professionally. They are very close
friends, equals in the scientific realm, and they interact with each
other in an unforced manner that sells their complicated relationship.
The relationship between the leads and their respective fathers (Sam
Elliot's General Ross and Nick Nolte's David Banner) feels naturally
embittered as well, even if the plot gets silly. These are real people
thrust into this comic book situation and the drama feels potent, even
if the action never does.

Now we have The Incredible Hulk, which brings literal meaning to the
phrase: "Dumbed Down".

Obligatory Spoiler Warning...

The Incredible Hulk
2008
114 minutes
PG-13

With Marvel terrified of anything resembling the adult, meditative
character drama that Lee gave them five-years ago, we have a new
version that is actually far worse of a picture. Edward Norton, Liv
Tyler, and William Hurt are thin and cardboard, where Bana, Connelly,
and Elliot were complicated. William Hurt gives one of the worst
performances of his career, as he can't decide how villainous or
compassionate his character should be.

The action is frantic and difficult to follow, where as the original
had an odd, poetic elegance to its major set-pieces. The special
effects are better, I suppose, but the effect that they create is not
the least bit special. There is no beauty, no sense of discovery and
wonder in this new Hulk picture. There is no tragedy because we don't
care about these people. This is assembly-line film making which is
intended to appeal to the lowest-common denominator of comic book
fans. It's for those who prefer Super Friends to Justice League.

The story is basically that of a chase picture, with elements from the
original Hulk TV show, tossed in with the original Fugitive. Banner
hides out, Banner gets found, Banner Hulks out and escapes, lather
rinse, repeat. This film is not specifically a sequel to the Ang Lee
picture, yet it trots out the origin story in the opening 150 seconds,
and then expects the audience to be invested in these characters in a
manner as if we seen them in a prior film.

The film contains far less concentrated action than the previews would
have you believe, and the action suffers from the same problem as the
first film. Once again, The Hulk never is shown directly killing
anyone. There is a line in the opening act where Hurt states that Hulk
is wanted in connection with a few deaths, but Norton later implies
that none of that is true. So, is The Hulk a threat or not? Yes, lives
may or may not be lost in off-screen chaos or this explosion or that
one (it's less obvious than in the Lee film), but there is no sense of
jeopardy to those who dare do battle with the green monster. And of
course, no one, not the army not 'The Abomination', is going to
inflict any real damage to our hero.

The first set-piece, which concludes the first (and best) act, is a
direct steal from Batman Begins. But while Batman Begins used the
'Batman as monster in the shadows' as a set-up for a crowd-pleasing
pay-off (even one that aped Burton's opening scene in Batman), there
is no real climax for Incredible Hulk's shadowy showdown. Even the
much anticipated climactic smack down between The Hulk and The
Abomination (Tim Roth is bored here, and I don't blame him) is mostly
foreplay, with much of the running time dealing with set-ups to
fighting (ie - Hulk and Abomination run at each other, Hulk and
Abomination get ready to strike) rather than actual fighting (I'd
wager the Metropolis smash-up in Superman II has more combat). It
doesn't help that the fight almost immediately leaves the crowded city
streets and begins to resemble the far superior climactic fight of the
first Spider-Man (that fight had real stunt work and real stakes).

More troublesome than the lack of jeopardy is the absolute lack of
chemistry between Norton and Tyler. This is where the neutering of the
material is most obvious. In Ang Lee's film, the relationship between
Banner and Ross was messy, complicated, and adult. There were hints of
romantic discord, the tinniest hint of past abuse, but they truly
loved each other as human companions and friends. Jennifer Connelly's
Betty Ross was a completely three-dimensional character with her own
wants and goals, her own ideas and ambitions, and her own demons. Not
so here.

Liv Tyler's Betty Ross is only a love interest, a prize to be won in a
battle between her boyfriend and her father. She is reduced to the
most conventional sort of love interest, existing only to drop her
life to aid her long-lost lover without the slightest regard, making
moon eyes at her man because the story gives her nothing else to do.
She literally has not a line of dialogue for the first thirty-seven
minutes, and almost none of her dialogue is anything other than the
usual 'No!', 'Don't hurt him!', and 'Help!' variety. While Connelly
was an intelligent and independent scientist, Tyler is never once
shown doing anything scientific, and it's almost impossible to believe
that she is an educator. Jessica Alba's Sue Storm from the Fantastic
Four films is a more credible scientific genius, since we actually see
her partaking in science from time to time. Even for this genre, the
thin and empty role given to the female lead is rather pathetic.
Apparently, and this is the disturbing part, making a film more
appealing to the masses means not allowing 'the girl' to be anything
other than 'a girl'.

Of course, as I referenced the other day, I can only wonder what the
deleted footage contains. Does it give Betty Ross a life of her own?
Does it give more background to General Ross? Hopefully there is more
footage of Betty's current boyfriend, Ty Burrell, who's lone scene
with Hurt is the best scene in the film (it's one of the few where
adults act like adults). What is left is proof that Norton and
director Louis Letterier were right in their fight with Marvel, a
losing battle alas. This is the film Marvel wanted: a shorter,
character-less, and allegedly action-packed ode to dumb. And, in
hindsight, it's a good thing that Norton and Letterier's fights went
public, because now no one can blame them for this unfortunate result.
It's so thin and so dumb that it is actually far more boring than the
admittedly bloated 2003 Hulk. Ironically, this just proves Roger
Ebert's old rule: no good film is ever too long and no bad film is
ever too short. Even at it's truncated 110 minute running time, The
Incredible Hulk is much too long.

Grade: Hulk - B-
Grade: Incredible Hulk - C-