HULK (2003) Review
Remember when Superhero movies shot on location and had colour??
This coming Friday, I am seeing James Gunn’s long awaited Superman movie. Feedback seems to be somewhat mixed, but leaning to the positive side. No matter what, I am excited. During the promotional tour in the run-up to this film, I couldn’t help but notice how colourful and vibrant this movie looks. Something, which in all honesty has begun to lack in MCU films as they over use CGI, picking up a dull, flat and lifeless look. This excited me and reminded me of another, extremely vibrant, colourful and unique comic book movie from my childhood: Ang Lee’s Hulk.
I vividly recall having this on DVD, being creeped out by the mutant Hulk dogs and everybody around me hating this movie. I couldn’t understand why, I always seemed to enjoy it. Admittedly however, I lazily joined the hate train the last 15 or so years as I could barely remember what happens. It was easier to hate on it, and with the MCU train in full swing, I didn’t bother to rewatch. Until now.
Let me tell you, this movie goes for it. Lee swings for the fences and I couldn’t help but respect it.
Starting with the good parts, casting and plot. The casting in my opinion is great. Admittedly, I have a soft spot for Eric Bana but I like his Banner. He does a good job of balancing the soft spoken nature of a guy who doesn’t really know himself and the inner turmoil of a walking WMD. He’s not redefining acting but he carries his own amongst some heavy hitters especially with what he’s given. I like how they handle Bruce in this film. One user on Letterboxd, Logan Kenny, sums it up perfectly “the movie understands that he’s more than just the hulk, he’s a man not merely a meltdown”. This film feels layered, dealing with themes such as emotional, physical and domestic abuse and repressed childhood trauma. You cant help but think with Kevin Feige and the MCU this wouldn’t get made now.
To me, the real casting standouts are David Banner played by Nick Nolte and General Ross played by Sam Elliot. These two are absolutely perfect casting to me. Nolte gives it his all from start to finish. Special mention to Paul Kersey, who plays a younger version of David Banner. Together these two perfectly encapsulated an obsessive, scientific madman, willing to sacrifice flesh and blood for his own progression. A real Shakespearian, Machiavellian villain to a tee. Jennifer Connolly as Betty Ross is great too, her dynamic with Elliot feels spot on. It feels real. A father daughter duo, on opposing sides with different goals still trying to come together despite their differences, but ultimately, can’t. Josh Lucas is perfect as the cliched, spanner in the works for the love interest, early 00’s jock stereotype. The casting from beginning to end is arguably the films strongest point. It’s a shame we never got Elliot as Ross in later MCU films, I think he’d have been brilliant.
The editing in this film is outrageous. I love it. Lee’s use of a multi-panel, comic book page like structure is terrific. You may find it cheesy at times, but I would counter with that is exactly what it is meant to be. It’s re-creating a comic book. These are put to great effect during the military base breakout, particularly Talbots “fiery” finale and General Ross’ command room. Reminiscent of De Palma and his split diopter, to me it’s pure Kino, hook it up and inject it into my veins.
Now for the not so great, but still somewhat good parts. The Cgi and practical effects. Just like nearly every movie from the early 00’s, aged and questionable cgi is present here. It is hard to ignore no doubt, but I think people exaggerate how bad it is. At the end of the day it’s 2003 and you are watching a 15 foot tall, green behemoth fight a poodle the size of a draft horse. I think you can suspend belief a little bit. To Lee’s credit, I feel that he was aware of the limitations of the technology and accordingly did his best with what he could. The first two hulk transformations take place in the dark, with his first full fight being at night in a forrest. Using the idea of less is more, cloaking The Hulk in shadows, and combined with me suspending disbelief I was able to enjoy it no problem.
That being said, the second act’s daytime escapades of The Hulk taking on tanks in the desert, and rampaging through San Francisco, have not held up quite as well. It looks rough at times I wont deny, the worst parts are actually the transformation scenes and when Hulk is right next to other human characters. Generally the rampage scenes are decent, really benefitting from the practical effects. Again, limited by technology the film blows up real cars, shatters real windows, has real water spraying and uplifts real pavement, while shooting on location where possible. The environment and destruction around Hulk looks and feels real. Therefore, the awkward video game Hulk, is easier to buy into. It’s not perfect, but it’s refreshing to see actual movie sets and not simply green screen flat backgrounds.
Cgi quality fluctuates also later in the final act’s confrontation between father and son. Once again, utilising a nighttime setting a lot of it is disguised and pretty passable if I’m honest. One moment of pure brilliance, seemingly ripped straight from a comic book, is the battle through the clouds. Illuminated by lightning bolts as if Zeus himself was watching, we see Hulk taking on his father in his final form so to speak. Sadly, this all ends in a lake, which given that water to this day is still hard to get right with cgi (shoutout Jim Cameron) was an odd choice by Lee. What we end up with is blur of blue, green, and black on screen which in all honesty was hard to make out and even harder to follow.
Pacing is where this movie struggles the most in my opinion. They retcon Bruce’s origin story somewhat, he’s not caught in a gamma bomb test but a gamma lab test. It doesn’t create the Hulk, but activates the inherited genes he got from his father. Okay, this is all fine. The issue is, it takes too damn long. I love a long movie better than most I’d wager, but it has to be proportionate, 138 minutes for this story is too much. The first hour is a lot of flashbacks, exposition and build up to what we all know is coming. The themes mentioned earlier are carried throughout the film via further flashbacks and inner monologue, as Bruce uncovers his past. The flashbacks feel repetitive though, adding to the dragging feel of the movie. It’s not painfully slow to the point of no longer watching, but I did pick up my phone a few times in the first hour. Kudos to the latter half of the film, once the action starts I was locked back in for the final act.
My return to Hulk was better than I expected. To Superhero movie fans and general movie fans really feeling MCU fatigue, I’d encourage you to check it out. I believe you will be pleasantly surprised by it. The Verdict is, 3/5 stars and a great return to my childhood.
Keep it up well done
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