"Smash" and "Hit" come together for 'The Hulk'

By Jorgio Castro

With the summer blockbuster season well underway, movie aficionados and comic book fans alike have been eagerly anticipating the June 20th big screen arrival of "The Hulk." Universal Pictures, Marvel Enterprises, and famed director Ang Lee team up to produce a visually spectacular film that, although sluggish at first, delivers exactly what it should.

As usual, liberties are taken in adapting the story of the Incredible Green One from comic book pages to the movie screen. Australian actor Eric Bana ("Black Hawk Down") plays the part of mild mannered scientist Bruce Banner. Years after his father David Banner (Nick Nolte) unknowingly passes the results of a self-inflicted experiment onto him, Bruce is exposed to a lethal dose of gamma radiation, yet survives. The odd effect of this series of events is that Dr. Banner transforms into a giant green Hulk with unparalleled strength when angered.

Love interest and fellow woman-of-science Betty Ross (Jennifer Connelly) is pulled deep into the trenches with Bruce and Hulk when her father, General Ross (Sam Elliott) aims to either control the new-found power of Hulk for military purposes, or put the green menace out of commission for good. Between being attacked by giant gamma-irradiated dogs and trying to prevent Bruce's imprisonment by her father, Betty serves as the last link between Hulk and his humanity.

For the first hour or so, the story is excruciatingly slow to develop, but the last half more than makes up for it with one impossibly outrageous destruction-filled sequence after the other, as Hulk smashes tanks, helicopters, and the Golden Gate Bridge in short order. Acclaimed Oscar-winning filmmaker Ang Lee ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon") makes his mark felt on "The Hulk," bringing a distinct and well-integrated comic book feel to the film and its presentation. Lee and his effects teams took pain-staking measures to stay as true to the spirit of the comic as possible, and it shows.

Lee relates his experience in directing "The Hulk" to that of working on "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" saying "If it's too realistic, how can you believe in a green giant or that people can fly?... The toughest thing for a filmmaker is to keep it balanced. It's like walking a constant tightrope and that's a thrill for me." Lee's decision to use CGI effects exclusively in bringing the comic book character to life was a bold move, but in the end the right one. The Green One has never looked so good while throwing a tank several hundred yards, or wreaking havoc on the city streets of San Francisco.

When asked about his work acting as a catalyst for more Asian actors and directors to enter the elite ranks of Hollywood, Lee responded "I think the most important thing is to focus on my work and to be a good example of what Asian filmmakers can do here." With two critically acclaimed box office hits under his belt, it's safe to say that Ang is doing that and more.
Stan Lee, The creator of The Hulk as well as many other Marvel comic book characters, makes his expected film appearance early on as a guard unsatisfied with the level of security at the Berkeley labs where Banner and Company work. On Ang Lee and his work on the film, Stan offers high praise, saying "I was so impressed watching him direct. The man is a genius." Lead actor Eric Bana adds "Ang, I think, I mean, he's just - he's very special. You know? There's no other word for it, and I think that's why so many people are interested in his film."

Ang Lee's success is translating into big bucks at the box office (over $100 million in the first two weeks) and critical acclaim from authorities such as Ebert and Roeper. The merchandising cash cow is also mooing away, as "The Hulk" video game and Hulk toys clog the aisles of toy stores everywhere.

Speaking on the possibility of a sequel, Ang says "I hope so…We have a lot more to explore with the Hulk and his predicament." As expected, the ending sets us up to follow the exploits of an angry Dr. Banner at a later date and time. All in all, "The Hulk" proves to be an engaging, action-packed movie that does more than justice to the Marvel title. While not perfect, it is sure to please faithful fans of The Incredible Hulk, as well as bring a whole new group into the ranks.

July 2, 2003