Sunday, June 15, 2008
The Incredible Hulk
Subtitled "The Apology," this version completes ignores Ang Lee's widely-panned previous effort and actually pays homage to the old TV series, from cameos by Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno, to the classic "Banner hitchhiking" piano music, to the Hulk-making gadgetry. The plotting is tight and rather simplistic, with three increasingly-spectacular set-piece battles. Edward Norton channels some of his old "Fight Club" angst as the isolated, lonely and perpetually-fearful Banner. Liv Tyler is, well, Liv Tyler: enormous eyes, pouting lips, and almost no acting ability beyond a breathy little-girl voice. I particularly enjoyed the intertwining of Marvel history throughout the movie, including references to the Captain America mythos (in this respect, it's more like the Ultimate Universe). The CGI Hulk, however, was a little disappointing; it didn't seem nearly as realistic or emotive as, say, Gollum in LOTR. Overall, a very good effort, though not as incredible as Iron Man.
