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*** Official "THE HULK" Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

MikeRS

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:emoji_thumbsup:

I loved it. A true dramatic work about inner rage, fathers, sons, and daughters. And the second half of the film kicked so much ass on a pop fun level, I was giddy.


It will not be for everyone, especially if you go in expecting Spider-man or even X-Men. One thing's for sure, it's not especially humorous, which may very well be it's true Achilles' heel at the box office. It's an extremely serious picture, and even though the second half has enough thrills for 3 summer pictures, not really designed like the typical summer blockbuster. A brooding dramatic film, through and through.


I found the action organically tied to the story too, so even though it had gargantuan spectacle, it didn't stick out as something jarring to the *drama*. The creature and all his escapades are so inextricably part of the beautiful, haunted story, it felt seamless. So the thing that amazed me most about the narrative was how deft and canny Lee was tying the HULK SMASH! aspects to a extremely serious narrative. There was no conflict for me with this aesthetic *marriage*.


I loved the creature. Although he doesn't have a voice (except for one beautiful nod to the fans), he is amazingly expressive creation. Anger, fear, love, inquisitiveness...... He can be scary, touching, heartbreaking, sad, and every moment ILM and Ang Lee put into this fella, counts. He definitely deserves to join the pantheon of great fantasy film creatures. You care about the big lug. You really do.


I think regardless of how well it does this summer, it will be a film that ages like fine wine. This is a work of art with affecting performances, a powerful narrative, focused themes, and finely orchestrated scenes, which build to something extremely emotional and haunting. Right now, I can't wait to see it a couple more times this weekend. :)
 

Seth Paxton

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See, I can agree with some of what Mike is saying. I did like the Hulk himself and I did think the basic human drama was interesting. But I also know where Robert is coming from when he says
it makes the action feel scripted when it finally comes through.
I'm thinking of going again, but part of me thinks I got it right the first time and would only be letdown more by a 2nd viewing that I would have to pay for.
 

Seth Paxton

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I do like Berardinelli's allusions to King Kong, which is probably similar to the JP/Lost World vibe I got. I think its fair to say that this is much more a monster movie than a superhero movie.
 

Matt Stone

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Okay, I see what your saying. I'll have to be more discerning on Friday, and see if it still works as well for me.
 

Norm

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The Hulk was always a misunderstood monster in the comics. Its just that he would end up battling supervillains for one reason or another.
 

Norm

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Hulk 2 Update Thursday, June 19, 2003 1:48 CDT

USA Today reports from the Hulk premiere:

Hulk producer Avi Arad already has the film's screenwriter/producer, James Schamus, working hard on Hulk 2. Schamus says his script further delves into Bruce Banner's epic struggle with his inner demons, resulting in the emergence of an evil, gray-hued Hulk. Shamus says he's toying with the idea of incorporating two possible villains: The Leader (described by Lee as "a giant-head brainiac") and The Abomination ("a big ugly guy the same size as the Hulk").

But will Lee return to direct? "Maybe," he says, but first "I need to de-Hulk this process."
James Schamus is the guy changing the storylines! I can't believe he's thinking of doing it again. The Hulk CB fans need to tell him to quit changing everything!
 

Norm

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Someone pointed out I may have misinterpreted my above post. I sure hope I did because I'd hate to see Abomination & Leader as one character.
 

Seth Paxton

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Okay, now that many reviews have come up and Rotten Tomatoes can give a decent reading, we see it running at 70% vs the 88% of Spidey and the 87% of X2, which I certainly agree with.

Please note that even in the positive reviews you are often hearing language like
At times it can seem as lumbering as its lead character is, well, hulky.
(Bob Logino - ATL)


I guess I'm saying I don't feel totally crazy now. The film has shining moments and my 7.5 is still a solid matinee recommendation. But it's also shoddy at times, or at least messy/mixed.


But a 70% is still great for a summer action blockbuster, just less than I hoped from Lee. Logino does make a point about Lee's varied career which I strongly agree with. His effort on Hulk is certainly an artistic one, experimental rather than lazy. Missing in that way is a LOT better IMO.
 

MikeKaz

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I'm not sure about this- but about six months ago when the first actual trailer came out (not just the one where he messes up the house), i remember actually seeing the hulk for the first time and thinking, geez this looks pretty corny, he looks like he is glowing and pretty much looks artificial overall, especially when he is in the desert flinging the tank in the air. but I saw a trailer yesterday for the movie and I remember thinking, wow, he looks a lot darker than i remember him in this shot and appears more natural. did they tweak some of the effects and shading in this film from the time they put out the trailer a couple of months ago to now?
 

Andy Sheets

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did they tweak some of the effects and shading in this film from the time they put out the trailer a couple of months ago to now?
I'm sure they did. It's not uncommon for the CGI effects in a film to be tweaked even up to the week before release.
 

Dennis Pagoulatos

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I hope we see a Lee Director's Cut on DVD...that was probably vastly different to what is being released based on what I've been reading. He had to make many compromises to Universal (ie voluntarily, but to my mind, that sounds like he really didn't have "final cut") They even completely scrapped the musical score he wanted! So that kind of stuff tells me this is a very compromised film we're seeing...and I have yet to see. :D

I'll post again when I do watch it, hopefully this weekend...

-Dennis
 

Malcolm R

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The review in the local paper (via Knight-Ridder News Service) gave it :star: 1/2.

Even Hollywood Homicide got :star: :star: .

I expect I'll see it, since via my recent DVD purchases I'm entitled to a refund of the ticket price regardless. :D
 

Chris Atkins

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Opinions are amazing things.

For instance, Seth's "problems" with the HULK are very similar to the problems I had with the MATRIX RELOADED.

I wasn't very forgiving of RELOADED. I will be interested to see how I view the HULK.
 

MikeKaz

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I knew I might get a response like this. :) I know how they change things in the actual movie until the last second. Ok, now rephrasing the question- Does anyone else think the trailer they released recently is actually different from the trailer that was out several months ago, even though they are trying to pass it off as the same set of clips?
 

Robert Crawford

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This thread is now designated the Official Discussion Thread for "The Hulk" please, post all comments, links to outside reviews, film and box office discussion items to this thread.

All HTF member film reviews of "The Hulk" should be posted to the Official Review Thread.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.


Crawdaddy
 

Chris Atkins

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How can I take a review seriously that starts like this:

By now we've all laughed at the trailers for "The Hulk," starting with the Super Bowl promos showing the ridiculously cartoonish monster-hero bounding through the desert.
He then goes on to say that some "forgive" the CGI because they like the story.

How presumptuous!
 

MikeRS

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The CGI is friggin' awesome. Trust me guys, it's technically and artistically amazing. What happens when you give an artist the keys to the tool box. ;)



Here's what David Poland had to say about the CG:


If you are seeing the new commercials for The Hulk, you are getting a much better sense than ever before about what the film is all about. I won’t be writing about the movie until I have a chance to see it again. But I will say that the third act Hulk is as believable a piece of CG as has ever been created, including the ocean of The Perfect Storm. Don’t bother writing me to tell me about the Super Bowl commercials anymore, okay?
 

Scott Weinberg

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Only a few hours until the HTF Movie Brain Trust starts pouring in with their opinions! I really do hope that all the purists out there enjoy the movie. My bet is people will be split right down the middle.

Me, I'm in the :emoji_thumbsup: camp. My review is accessible via the link below should anyone care what a dork like myself has to say.

Now all I have to look forward to is a weekend of Kate Hudson and Kelly Clarkson. Scott smash.
 

David Rogers

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The script was very poor. Tremendous changes were wrought in the origin, turning it from an accident that releases his repressed rage into a genetic anomoly passed down by his father. This, obviously, leads into a tale of father-son angst/rage.

The problem is, the characters are all written without depth or dimension. Some lack even a single dimension. I respect and enjoy Eric Bana, Sam Elliot, and Nick Nolte as actors. Their parts were under, if at all, written. Complete lack of any sense of attachment or identification with these characters. Poor Jennifer Connelly, they gave her a part that was a joke. They really just wanted a dark haired beauty to stare longingly into the camera; they could have gotten a no-name actress and let Ms. Connelly do something more worthy of her than this script was.

The most sympathetic and emotive character was the Hulk himself, and he has fewer lines than Kurt Russell in Soldier (a film I've heard many slam for being wooden). The CG Animators did a tremendous job, but even with the action the movie fails.

The most interesting and enjoyable Hulk sequence is the second one, where he saves Betty from the Hulk Dogs. Even though I was thinking of Kevin Smith's tale of his Superman Script (on the Evening with Kevin Smith dvds, where he talks about his dealing with Jon Peters), where the line is "and he needs to fight something here, maybe a polar bear or something?"

The Hulk Dog fight was a "ooh, time for action", very poorly set up. However, it was the best fight as it gave Hulk something to be fighting for and over; he was fighting to protect and save Betty. When he sees Betty for the first time, then gently lifts her, then places her in the car for safety before going at it with the dogs, good stuff. The fight was fairly nice, and then ended well. Probably the best whole scene in the entire movie.

Things just happen for no apparent reason throughout the script. "I'll keep him sedated for the rest of his natural life." General Ross tells Betty, then after a one minute conversation Bruce and Betty are walking around up top. Then suddenly the even more one-dimensional character than the already poorly written main characters shows up to be mean to the Hulk again.

Launching us into probably the centerpiece action sequence of the film; Hulk vs the US Military. General Ross requests "every available asset to deal with the threat", okay probably one of the better lines (telling you how bad most of them are, poor Sam); but this results in four Commanche(?) helicopters, followed a few minutes later by four Abram tanks. Over quickly, and as in as silly a manner as the script moved Hulk into this fight, Hulk is away from it and bouncing along again.

The best part of the movie was the clever and, I thought, very story-additive way Lee used comic book type panels as cuts and edits throughout the film. Hard to describe in just a sentence or two if you haven't seen it; the screen splits sometimes to show multiple angles and views of the same scene in 'real time', and some cuts are done with CG. I found the cutting technique to be very effective and thought it enhanced the storytelling. It would be nice to see it used on a movie worthy of the device.

If you take just the Hulk action stuff, I guess you'd have a very expensive CG cartoon that runs about thirty minutes. It'd be a far better film than what Ang Lee proferred up on the movie screen I was sitting in front of thirty minutes ago.

I rank this in the bottom of all comic / superhero flicks. As an action flick, it's also in the bottom. As a dramatic story, it's down in the area where you have to use expensive lab equipment to figure out just how bad it is. I had no high or even hopeful expectations for Hulk, but I truly did expect the action would at least be vaguely entertaining or interesting just because I always enjoy a good show. But even that was stripped of any sense of interest or enjoyment.

The Hulk animation itself is stunningly good, very well done. Effects are not this movie's problem. Use of them is; the backdrop they're used against is, the lack of real and interesting characters is.

FWIW, I found CTHD to be an extremely enthralling and VERY well told story, that also included very carefully done chorography that added depth to the story. Hulk shows none of the brilliance or touch CTHD did. Daredevil was slammed earlier this year for being somewhat flat and unengaging; I found Daredevil to be mostly enjoyable even if occasionally flawed.

Looking over the IMDB listings for the two credited scriptwriters, nothing strikes me as a worthy or enjoyable script on their resumes (one has almost no credits, the other some dramatic stuff of varying degrees). But as bad as the script is, Ang Lee holds the ultimate failure here since he decided to shoot with the script.

Heck, the Legally Blonde 2 trailer the theater ran before the movie had a better story than Hulk. :frowning:

Based on the turnout at the theater, and the comments I heard folks making on the way out, I'm kinda thinking it probably won't make it to US$100mil. I'm seriously wondering how it's opening will go; if it doesn't open at atleast US$30mil, I don't believe it'll even make it to the century mark. Regardless, I expect it'll have a huge dropoff from week one to two, and it wouldn't surprise me to see a Sunday dropoff on opening weekend either.
 

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