Bruce Banner (Eric Bana) is a genetic scientist–one of the best in his field. When one day an experiment involving gamma radiation goes awry–Banner finds himself in a predicament, now full of gamma radiation himself, and unable to control the side effects of his condition. With the failed experiment, Banner finds himself becoming the Hulk–a massive green monster controlled by anger. As pieces of his past begin to make their way to the forefront of Banner’s mind, his ability to control himself slowly begins to dwindle. At this point, Bruce will do all that he can to find solace and to find peace within himself.
One of the most common complaints regarding superhero-related films is that they can veer from the fan-favorite storylines, alter the beloved characters, and ultimately fail to live up to the hype of the source material. Hulk aims to skip the criticism and appeal to fans of comic books, rather than competing with the materials that they had fallen in love with years before. While I know very little about the comic books that came before, Hulk does something that not many other comic book-inspired films do, film in tiles to mirror the aesthetic of those comic books. Seeing the same scene from numerous angles at the same time, adding suspense, and helping to develop characters in a unique fashion is a play right out of the comic books, and it works wonders for Hulk.
Eric Bana was the first live-action Banner, and Hulk was the first live-action showing of the Incredible Hulk since the The Incredible Hulk television show in the 70’s and 80’s. Bana had big shoes to fill, as Bill Bixby was beloved in the role of Banner, and the teams at Universal and Marvel had a lot on their plate, because the original Hulk, Lou Ferrigno is still considered to be incredible himself. While this may not be the best rendition of the Hulk character, it’s possible that this is the best Hulk solo film to date. There’s certainly a discussion to be had regarding Hulk and The Incredible Hulk, but there is so much good present in this film that the argument can certainly be made for Ang Lee’s project. Bana holds his own, slipping into the role of the nerdy Banner, and effectively supplementing the massive green superbeing that leads the film.
Superhero films typically focus on the superhuman. There are often enhanced individuals in both protagonist and antagonist standpoints present in a film of this nature, but Hulk does things differently. While the Hulk character has always been a testament to the human psyche–a Jekyll and Hyde if you will–this seems to be the primary focus of Hulk. There is no superpowered foe (not with any significant stock in the grand scheme of the film) playing opposite Hulk, and the antagonist becomes, regardless of everything else that occurs, Hulk himself. While the film plays out, Hulk battles Banner for control of the body–and while the world may not understand this sentiment directly, they know what it feels like to battle their own demons. Hulk ultimately becomes more than a superhero film. It’s a thriller, a drama–and it reaches far into the depths of humankind, and the world understands everything about the titular character and his alter ego as a result.
There are a number of superhero films that have come after Hulk, none of them developed in the same fashion. Eric Bana brings to life an entirely new version of Bruce Banner, and the titular Hulk sees the big screen for the first time–breaking ground on not only what this superhero can be, but on the potential of superhero films in general. Ang Lee does a spectacular job of creating a riveting superhero film that focuses almost entirely on the real, on the human mind–and Hulk, with everything that has been released since, has remained relevant, and truly entertaining, in the grand scheme of superhero cinema.
Directed by Ang Lee.
Written by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, James Schamus, John Turman, & Michael France.
Starring Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, Nick Nolte, Paul Kersey, Cara Buono, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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