MikeRS
Screenwriter
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2002
- Messages
- 1,326
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.