Hulk
The first thing you have to realise before deciding wether or not to watch Hulk is that it is not a traditional superhero action movie like Spiderman, in fact there really is no hero at all. Instead what you get is more of a greek tragedy. The movie opens with some very stylish looking credits, we see David Banner, a scientist who is experimenting on himself. The result of these experiments is passed onto his baby son Bruce. We then witness some kind of domestic disturbance, a traumatic event in young Bruce's life, after which Bruce moves in with a foster family and we learn that he has repressed all memories of his childhood.
Visually, this movie is a treat, it's as if you're staring at a comic book and suddenly all the pages come to life. There are so many great touches; split screens, cutting from one character to the same character but from a different perspective and even freeze frames. The cinematography is truly spectacular, especially in the desert scenes. The CGI is, on the whole, very good, there are times when it looks a little too obvious but there are also times when it looks truly spectacular. Suprisingly it is the close up shots of the Hulk that are the best, the high level of detail on his face is astonishing, the muscle movement, his hair, everything, and the way he interacts with his environment makes him seem all the more real. In terms of visuals this movie oozes style.
The premise for the story is interesting, if a little flawed. Banner's repressed emotional state is slightly off-putting, many people will get bored with his melancholy scenes but they contrast nicely with the action and provide a sense of forboding, when the Hulk finally unleashes for the first time, when all hell breaks loose and Banner just lets go, the feeling of pure rage is understandable. The action scenes are rather few and far between, but they serve their purpous and have a function within the story. The ending, though, is slightly disappointing, although rather comical, it does let down the movie a little but does not ruin it.
There's a good cast here, and the acting is very good all around. Eric Bana does a good job in the lead role, conveyeing that overwhelming sense of tragedy in his character. Jeniffer Connely and Nick Nolte are both fun to watch but in the end the real star is the Hulk, not only does he express a range of emotions but he acts and behaves realistically, despite being a 15-foot monster. The small touches that have been added to his performance really make a difference, the way he falters at times, as he is still discovering his limitations, the way he looks at the world, with the eyes of a child, he carries a certain innocence with him, but don't let that fool you, he can be quite vicous at times but he never sets out to hurt anybody, he is simply misunderstood.
Overall this is an intrigueing film that is definately not to everyones taste. The lack of action at times will put-off most children while the seriousness of the film will drive away most teenagers. Anyone looking to see a high-octane superhero popcorn flick should look elsewhere, anyone wanting to see an emotional and tragic story in the vein of King Kong will enjoy this, it has its fair share of flaws, mainly the script, but its heart is in the right place.
Rating- 6/10 |
