“The Hulk” (Universal Pictures)
“The Hulk” is the latest comic book incarnation to make it to the big screen. Directed by Ang Lee, this film is the “dark” story of a man and his rage. While having some hilariously funny moments, some intentional and some not; the movie relates the angst of bad relationships between fathers and daughters and fathers and sons. How this will sell to the teen-age ticket buyer will be more interesting to watch than the entire film itself.
David Banner (Paul Kersey) is a scientist working on various forms of mutated material. Banned by the Army from using humans for experiments, he injects himself. With no resultant behavior except for acting strangely, Banner does not know if his experiments are a success. Meanwhile he and his wife (Cara Buono) have a child, Bruce.
When Bruce (Eric Bana) reaches adulthood he also becomes a scientist. He works closely with Betty Ross (Jennifer Connelly) on some bizarre experiments of his own. One day there is an accident in the lab and Bruce is exposed to atomic rays of some sort. He at first feels fine but later when he becomes angry at something, he becomes the “hulk.”
This is simplifying the plot to the extreme as it is much more complex than those lines indicate. Still the basic premise is that Bruce Banner turns into this monster when he gets mad. This makes the movie a “Dr. Banner and Mr. Hulk” story of good and potential evil. It also has traces of “King Kong” as the Hulk is also entranced by the beautiful Betty.
When Bruce becomes the Hulk he is more watchable than when he is in human form. Bana is the worst thing in the movie. As Bruce he exhibits no “star power.” He is moody and wimpy with a petulant mouth and no sparks to his personality. There is nothing there to attract a beauty such as Connelly. But when he is the Hulk, watch out. This character is macho to the max and full of raging temperament.
Nick Nolte and Sam Elliott are in the film as the respective fathers of Bruce and Betty. Nolte gives a wild man, over the top performance which is somehow in keeping with the craziness of the movie. Elliott is the stiff by the numbers military man who loves his daughter but wants the Hulk destroyed.
Josh Lucas plays Talbot, the man who wants to harness the power of the Hulk, and also wants to win Betty away from Bruce. This is the maximum comic book character in the movie and is totally out of step with the rest of the film.
The film is rated PG-13 for profanity, violence and brief nudity.
Ang Lee uses split screens, fading frames, and a number of other inventive devices to tell his story. Some of these work and some don’t, and that is the problem with the entire film. Some of it works, and some of it doesn’t. When it is good it is very, very good, but when it is bad… well you catch my drift.
Is it worth seeing Absolutely. It has enough punch and power to keep your eyes glued to the screen. But it isn’t a masterpiece. It is a flawed telling of a complex story, that also features a weak leading man.
I scored “The Hulk” a bulky 6 out of 10.
