The Hulk: Frank's Take
01/08/2004 . Source: Frank Ochieng 

In revered filmmaker Ang Lee’s darkly jolting action-adventure The Hulk, the perversely spry comic-book film adaptation continues on as a booming genre flick.

Buy The Hulk in the USA - or Buy The Hulk in the UK

2 hrs. 18 mins.
Starring: Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Nick Nolte, Josh Lucas, Brooke Langton
Directed by: Ang Lee
Rating: *** stars (out of 4 stars)

This must be the preferred season to be rescued at the movies, right? With the onslaught of comic book superheroes that have graced the big screen recently (Spiderman, The X-Men, Daredevil, etc.) it’s no wonder that this particular trend knows no bounds. And why should it? After all, moviegoers get to see their larger than life childhood heroes come alive on the big screen in glorious animated fashion.

In revered filmmaker Ang Lee’s darkly jolting action-adventure The Hulk, the perversely spry comic-book film adaptation continues on as a booming genre. Lee, whose selection of refined films include sophisticated ditties such as Sense and Sensibility, The Wedding Banquet, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, helms what amounts to be a smashing affair of exuberant sci-fi angst.

The Hulk is an intense and hostile escapist flick that delightfully paints an excitable portrait of self-destruction within the indelible psyche.

As a majority of moviegoers are well aware, the anti-heroic raging green-skinned behemoth with the persistent inner demons is the creation of famed Marvel Comics icon Stan Lee.

The ability to incorporate the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde formula regarding a meek scientist named Dr. Bruce Banner who accidentally gets caught up in a freaky gamma radiation experiment only to transform into a massive mutant monster when angered was a masterful concept in a world of comics creativity. Much like the Hulk, there’s a constant struggle to battle with demons that we all hold so close to our fragile and flawed selves.

The tendency to unleash the uncontrollable fury and figuratively jump out of our complex familiar skins is the perfect metaphor for what both Lees (Stan and now Ang) want to parlay in the form of their misunderstood beast of burden. Perhaps this moody CGI creature of chaos takes himself too seriously in Lee’s explosive narrative.

And maybe the campy element, as splattered in the legendary Hulk comic book pages, is sorely missing to capture that certain irreverent spirit. Even so, The Hulk remains one of the most cherished man-beasts to ever grunt and groan the same frustrations we all experience on occasion. This movie can be maddening at times but its overall impact is purely an adrenalin-induced joyride filled with passion and a pithy punch to boot.

The Hulk is an absolute treat when its reckless tirade encompasses all the following: a top-notch cast, crisp and colorful cinematography, gorgeous special effects and imaginative direction. The film, for what it’s worth, is almost as feisty and frothy as its titular leading bulky mammoth that uncannily resembles the beloved Disney character Shrek overdosing on steroids. Australian actor Eric Bana (the depraved madman from Chopper) plays the emotionally aloof scientist Bruce Banner with a somewhat uninspired childhood.

His father, the elder David Banner, wasn’t exactly wrapped too tight as a nurturing support system and suitable mentor for the young Bruce. In fact, Bruce’s old man was a scientist as well and engaged in some unorthodox rituals by testing his formulae on himself with questionable forethought. These daring practices told just how uniquely disturbed but courageously kooky Bruce’s father was.

It’s so clear that a brilliant mind like Bruce Banner is so scarred by his lingering past that the wounded scientist just doesn’t realize how stressed out he really is. His clouded mindset is constantly being entertained by cynicism and despair. Bruce is on the verge of loosing what’s near and dear to him, namely his attractive soulmate Betty Ross (played by Oscar-winning A Beautiful Mind star Jennifer Connelly).

Matters become worse when Bruce is exposed to some erratic gamma-ray project gone awry. The lethal contamination doesn’t instantly affect the man at first. But gradually, this misguided action takes a deadly turn as Bruce starts to undergo a physical metamorphosis in his body chemistry. When he feels antagonized or egged on by fear, the geeky sci-fi guy grows into this incredible specimen that can be described as a green gargantuan of mountainous proportions.

Ruffling Banner’s feathers isn’t healthy for him or for the sinister forces that threaten to irritate him. The menacing makeup that is the Hulk is a massive and muscular green frame that allows him the unspeakable superpower to pound through man-made machinery without breaking a sweat. What becomes fascinating is not only witnessing the alienating factors that continue to plague Dr. Bruce Banner, the tortured soul with the intelligence and inescapable emptiness but his brutish alter ego lashing out on an uncaring and judgmental society that labels this monstrous misfit a liability to the surrounding environment.

The Hulk definitely hits the senses immediately much like an active volcano when it’s ready to erupt. One almost embraces the furious flashes of ecstasy when Lee and screenwriters James Schamus, Michael France and John Turman allow our immensely perturbed protagonist to pound everything in sight as a therapeutic means to stamp out the on-going conflict that rots at the core of this man/beast’s volatile psychological undercurrent.

If there are reservations about the touching attempts to tackle the pain and indifference to Banner’s unresolved childhood problems that followed him into adulthood then it shouldn’t last too long. Lee and his collaborators are savvy enough to instill the sentimental melodramatic lapses with an excessive display of mayhem suited for Hulk enthusiasts that are acquainted with the big guy’s ribald antics over the last four decades.

Whether seeing the Hulk battling the military and all its advanced equipment as if he was kidding around with kindergartners during recess or watching him effortlessly toy around with other mutant obstacles, the filmmakers are shrewd and inspired to let the chips fall where they may and conjure up heaps of havoc in all its glorified outrageousness.

Surprisingly, there’s an odd elegance behind this smash ‘em up session of uproarious sentiment. The tension is brashly cartoonish and definitely feeds into the summertime atmosphere’s need for frenetic frivolity. But by the same token, there’s a poetic pulse and definable poignancy behind The Hulk that refreshingly blends freestyle entertainment with an astute social commentary on the unpredictable human condition.

As with its aforementioned contemporaries such as The X-Men, The Hulk tosses around the profound theme of acceptance while clearly being an imposing outcast in a weaker surrounding existence of vulnerability and suspicion. The need to belong is indeed an inherent trait we all strive for at one point or the other. And the fact that super beings such as the Hulk and his fellow talented oddities need to overcome the personalized turmoil of their livelihoods despite the advantages of possessing skillful crime-fighting powers is all the more intriguing if not challenging.

Technically, the movie is resilient enough to withstand the gimmicky nuances of the editing trickery that’s meant to augment the storytelling so that it’s more compelling. The techniques in which Lee delivers his storyline can be mildly distracting at times. However, the invigorating happenings coupled by the thorough character developments makes this frenzied outing something to ponder with appreciation.

Bana’s Bruce Banner is undeniably bland and seems almost uneventful as the beleaguered man of science looking for missing answers to his pending questions of emotional doubt. Being rather faceless helps Bana’s characterization of the lost Banner because it lends more leverage to the bombastic beast that is the complicated and devastatingly driven Hulkster. Connelly’s portrayal of Banner’s “lost love” Betty is bordering on being flavorless in an obligatory role as the “ideal girl that got away”.

Still, Connelly does bring some meaning and purpose as the ultimate prize possession that Banner cannot manipulate easily like one of his various toxic experimentations. Nick Nolte is our leading lad’s off-kilter patriarch David Banner, an individual whose twisted tendencies have literally claimed this man’s sanity. Nolte is smart to instill the calculating and quirky aspects that encourage the sympathetic vibes for his on-screen offbeat persona.

He never overplays the wayward experimental quack thus allowing the audience to have some concerns for this shadow of insecurity. Rounding out the cast of main players is veteran character actor Sam Elliott as General “Thunderbolt” Ross out to conquer the harried Hulk and Josh Lucas as the would-be romantic weasel Glenn Talbot scheming on securing the wandering affections of Betty right from under Bruce’s loose grasp.

The Hulk will probably be one of the more digestible popcorn pleasers to bluntly hit you over the head with its deeply pulp platitudes. This is an ambitious and high-spirited vehicle that celebrates in the reactionary mode that’s expected. Lee has successfully brought the fun-loving raucousness to the forefront and invites us to look at a visual and stylistic flick that serves as an outcry for anyone that has been phased by an inexplicable disillusionment.

Brawny and boisterous in all his dissatisfaction, the Hulk has dutifully done his job in beating the crap out of everyone who stands in his way. In short, he’s a delightfully tragic figure suited for these heated times of distress and distrust.

And the best part is that we as giddy moviegoers get to viscerally benefit from such an energetic and cockeyed examination of disenchantment.

Frank Ochieng

(c) Frank Ochieng 2003