DELIVERED
Sure, the CGI may have been more than a little sloppy, but there’s plenty to admire about Ang Lee’s Hulk.
James Croot is the editor of Stuff to Watch. Listen to the Stuff To Watch podcast by hitting the play button below, or find it in podcast apps like Apple or Spotify.
OPINION: Before the Marvel Cinematic Universe came into being, Hollywood was ruled by X-Men and Spider-Man in the 2000s.
However, one director dared to make the ultimate comic book-inspired film and was pilloried by the fanboys.
But now, in the face of the world’s largest franchise embracing visionaries of varying sensibilities (Scott Derrickson, Ryan Coogler, our very own Taika Waititi), it’s time for Ang Lee’s Hulk to find its proper place in the pantheon of groundbreaking blockbuster cinema. .
Ang Lee’s 2003 version of The Hulk
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After tackling Jane Austen (Sense and Sensibility), a Western (Ride with the Devil) and a 1970s drama (The Ice Storm) with confidence, Lee had combined Eastern philosophy and Western technology to a pleasing effect on audiences in the Oscar-winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. However, it would always be a tough task to take on Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s less-than-joyful green giant, especially with CGI still in its infancy and the 70’s and 80’s TV series still revered by many. .
It’s true that Lee never quite convincingly solved the first problem, but what he came up with is a truly memorable take on what a comic book movie can be.
Beford Edward Norton and Mark Ruffalo, Eric Bana played Bruce Banner in Hulk. from Ang Lee
From the inventive credit series, with scientific notes and experiments, to the ingenious comic book style framing and editing (photos come to life, the screen is fragmented into two or three different shots), Lee in 2003 breathed new life into what was fast becoming a to become a difficult genre.
At that time, virtually all capited crusaders drew the same dark, gloomyly lit line. But here, instead of following a formula, Lee created his own, breaking the cinematic rules to create a massive 137-minute strip that can appeal to teens and adults alike. Sure, Hulkamaniacs may struggle with the lack of action in the first hour, but by taking the time to create three-dimensional characters, Lee turns what could have been your standard popcorn movie into something much more substantial.
Credit must go to Lee’s longtime collaborator James Schamus, whose story offers enough mystery and depth to keep the adults intrigued without bringing the action to a halt, while Australian actor Eric Bana, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas and most importantly a luminous Jennifer Connelly succeed managed to mine the pathos from the high-concept premise.
Add in Danny Elfman’s nicely balanced score and, at the time of Hulk‘s release, it was arguably the best comic book movie since Michael Keaton hung out with a butler named Alfred and it’s definitely worth checking out again today.
Hulk is now available to stream on Neon. A version of this article first appeared in May 2018.