I'll work up more for my gig at Popdose.com, but this one's pretty rote: Simpler than Ang Lee's picture, but uninspired, and the Hulk (and Abomination) just don't cut it in CGI. The effects are variable, to say the least, and a blah Edward Norton and a blank Liv Tyler do not sweet music make. Between this and THE HAPPENING not a great Friday the 13th for genre pictures. Good news: 104 minutes.

Well, the film is officially open and doing surprisingly well with critics.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_incredible_hulk/

Director Leterrier stated that some 70 minutes (!) were cut from the film by the studio, including a cameo by Captain America.

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news08/080611i.php

The NY Times called it "The Adequate Hulk," which is about right.

Oh, and I was wrong: 112 minutes. But 104 if you bolt at the onset of the credits.

....but not this one - who decided to voice his irritation with the film in 'Hulk-Speak'
(some spoilers, obviously)
Guardian Hulk review

I just remembered this Onion story from a few years ago:

Why No One Want Make Hulk 2?

By The Hulk

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/33980

:D

Several things like the suicide scene were cut.

The most off putting thing for me was the rush ghost edit. The film floats around so randomly and intermittently throughout with no flow or rhythm. In the end we have the film the director wants, the film Norton wants and the film the studio wants all clashing with each other, only to be topped off with an additional voice coming in and doing their own edit, that unfortunately is also rushed, which makes for a delirious ride that never gets on track as anything other than a fever dream that is instantly forgettable. Hopefully they will let the director go back in and streamline all these disparate voices into one and present one solidified cut, however long.

The Norton character dance with the Hulk seems to be taken with a great deal of care and energy, but it certainly doesn't translate to the screen for me. Not for lack of effort, just sometimes it just isn't in the cards for someone to work well as a certain character.

They dub Lou's voice throughout in the Hulk scenes.

Tim Roth is the best thing about the film IMO. I want to see him playing more bad guys.

Isn't that all that Roth plays? :) Bad guys, sleazies, informers, crazies--even as a family man in FUNNY GAMES, he's kicked around, tortured, humiliated...not that we don't love him for it. (No one gets the crap beaten out of him better than Tim Roth.) Personally, I thought he hung back in HULK, like he wanted to be loonier and funnier but was intimidated by the expensive big-studio production.

My own puny Banner-sized thoughts... went to see it last night with two comic-loving friends and a whole big audience of Marvel fans (judging by the applause at the Marvel logo and various Hulk in-jokes). It is a decently-entertaining summer blockbuster, never quite hitting the clever heights of Iron Man and the like, but never descending to the robot pee-pee jokes our eyes usually get desecrated with each summer season. Setting itself up as a sequel to a movie that doesn't exist (opening credits replicate lots of the TV show credits, right down to the color correction*) the movie is free to riff on Hulk ideas instead of introducing them, leading to a lot of cute and clever ideas. The cast is generally good, but rarely allowed to really explore the premise with their performances. For example, Roth's character is supposed to be astonished after seeing the Hulk for the first time, yet Roth's performance and dialog is so tepid and rote compared to what he's capable. Tyler has only one or two interesting moments, but thankfully stays looking every inch a crush-worthy dream every second she's on camera. Her love scene with Norton was amusing, both in how she gets him a little too hot 'n bothered and how all the kiddies in my audience went "ewwwwww" when all the mush 'n goo romance started. (Even better, a guy a couple rows behind me yelled out "No means no, woman!") The CGI is also never quite "incredible" but never terrible either, with the best aspects of it regulated to the nifty solutions Hulk comes up with in combat. I love his version of brass knuckles and I definitely want more of that sort of thing in the inevitable sequel.

In short, this will appeal to you only based on how much you want another Hulk movie and how tempered your expectations are. I went in as a fella who knows Hulk mostly from my exposure to the TV show in my kindergarten years... and I had a good enough time. A pleasant appetizer before the real deal with next month's The Dark Knight and Hellboy II (the trailer of the latter title was wisely attached by Universal to this release, getting a good reaction from the crowd).

* For comparison's sake, dig this...
THE INCREDIBLE HULK, old school opening

*some mild SPOILERS*


I thought it was a bit much when The Big Guy slow roasted Betty over the helicopter gasoline fire. Fortunately, she turned out to be fire proof so it was okay.

The first 20 minutes of TIH were decent and the last 40 minutes were flat-out awesome in spite of LXG-level CG. Everything in between? Whoah! I'm surprised that fans have been so forgiving of this movie. There's some stuff in the mid section (and throughout) that was X3-level bad.

At a certain point, I stopped trying to keep track of the plot holes and lapses in logic and started to wonder if William Hurt was actually going to start dozing off while the cameras were rolling. I usually like William Hurt, but any exposition scene with him was painful in this one. It isn't so much that his acting was bad as it was non-existant. During those long stretches where he was talking about something or other to Tim Roth, the movie just died and I could feel myself getting sleepy, sooooooo sleeeeeeeeeepy!!

It was around the point that Hulk and Betty started bonding in the rain (she was clearly not bothered by third-degree burns) that I actually started to get interested, but it takes a looooooooong time to get there. From there until the end, I did really like it. Especially the angry Betty stuff. I wanted more of that. Liv's quiet line reading of "You, zip it!" was probably my favorite small pleasure in the entire film. I wanted more of that.

The CG wrastlin' was a lot of fun. I want to see more movies in which the hero beats the villain with a cop car. It was a little bit odd to see The Hulk repeatedly have his ass handed to him, but I suppose that's important to having him be a hero of finite resources. If he's completely invincible then there's never any tension.

So, I ultimately liked it, but it feels like an assortment of strong moments in a movie which is alternately sloppy and flat. Weirdly, I sort of feel the same way about this HULK as I did about X3.

Oh, and that overexposed final scene feels like it should have been left as an easter egg for after the end credits. The movie would have ended much better a scene earlier and the entire audience sort of groaned and booed when they saw that there wasn't an easter egg.

A few more bits of helpful info, which might help some Mobians on the fence about seeing this flick: It's practically The Banner Ultimatum for a good deal of the running time, with Paul Greenglass/Jason Bourne action scenes filled with hand-held camera work, quick edits, close-ups, and some of that parkour stuff the kids are listening to nowadays. Plus, Jason Bourne must have fixed Banner's visa, because he hops continents with just as much ease. I figure this will be a deal-breaker for some.

As Tom pointed out, other than finding a specific name or confirming that Harlem was actually Toronto, there isn't anything waiting for you at the end credits. I think I missed dialog during the loud applause and cheers that received every cameo appearance. Robert Downey Jr's quick and quiet style of delivery didn't have a chance against all the yelling around me. Ferrigno? Forgeddaboudit.

Yeah, there's something consistently gets screwed-up with putting good actors in this General Ross role. Elliot was a barking dog and Hurt was well... it was like Hurt and Roth were pitching their energies at a Sci-Fi Channel movie level.

Yeah! She spent most of the movie in sweet 'n dreamy nice girl mode, then out of nowhere comes this really funny hot-tempered stick of dynamite. A sassy cocktail of piss and vinegar that I loved... then gone. Made me wanna see her in a She-Hulk movie!*


* (spoilers) Actually, I was hoping, during the Harlem rooftop climax, that Tyler was gonna pull a Marion Ravenwood on The Abomination with the helicopter's mini-gun.

Know what would be funnier and cooler than Bruce Banner scoffing and not wanting to wear purple stretch pants? Being REALLY EXCITED about wearing the purple pants. My current concern is how much superhero adaptations do or do not want to achieve the loony heights of fantasy in the source material. I know you can strip away the yellow spandex and make the human drama of X-Men more believable and relevant to non-geeks. In 2008, everyone's a geek.

All in all, INCREDIBLE HULK is more Marvel-Universey than not. Way more than FANTASTIC FOUR, slightly less than IRON MAN. Seeing sf weapons like pulse cannons (WTHell?) out of nowhere and S.H.I.E.L.D. in action, that's a step in the right direction. See, the suits or whoever wants access to stories like Dark Phoenix and characters like Venom, but they're too ashamed or shy or scared or something. If you don't do Secret Wars, and have a Reed Richards who lives in an NYC with Spider-Man, you don't get to do a Venom story that makes sense. I see that in addition to making fun, jampacked good time entertainments, Marvel Studios is actively trying to rectify this. Tony Stark cracks wise about the WWII super soldier program being "on ice," and for me that was the moment of "OMG, they're really trying and they... they CARE!"

So why is INCREDIBLE HULK pussyfooting around the gamma bomb, and writing out Rick Jones? This is useful stuff! Anyway, the class of 2008 is doing a bang-up job of reinventing superhero movies. But Marvel Studios needs to seriously turn up the weird, the mystical, the aliens, the gods and mutants. THOR is a great opportunity to do some of that. End goal here is: DOCTOR STRANGE movie, and do-over on "The Coming of Galactus".

In my humble, DC is officially screwed.

I think the best way to approach a THOR film would be to play up the Asgard/Loki/Odin stuff to appeal to the LOTR/NARNIA crowd for the majority of the film and then have the final battle with Loki (or Ulik or whoever) spill over into our world through some magical means (maybe they plummet off the rainbow bridge and "fall" into Midgard?) leaving Thor stuck here at the end. Thor's "Doctor Blake" origin was always fairly weak anyway. The thing I'm wondering is how you sell Thor's flight powers - hanging onto a thrown hammer makes for great static comic pages but it's gonna look pretty awkward unless they really work at it (or just have him fly under his own power). And who do you cast? You need a muscular guy but no professional wrestler is a good enough actor or can emit the kind of nobility you need for Thor (I guess, I mean, I know nothing about professional wrestling).

DOCTOR STRANGE, that's a whole 'nother kettle of potential landmines (to mix a metaphor) but also some great possibilities. Would people come, though? Who knows....

I think we have to accept that they've blown the Galactus thing already.

Way to blame the victim, Bob! :P

Hey, if we can visualize Captain Caveman flying while hanging onto his club, then Thor and his hammer should be a breeze.

Tangentally, isn't it time that someone greenlighted a CAPTAIN CAVEMAN AND THE TEEN ANGELS live action film? Tarantino can write the script and Spike Jonze could direct it.

And they could do a SHLEPROCK film after that starring the unlucky shmoe character from that teenage-Flintstones cartoon (Bam-Bam sure grew up to look like a bully, huh?).

Or skip another FANTASTIC FOUR movie and just do a live-action version of that THING cartoon ("Thing-ring, do your thing!")

On a slightly (but only just slightly) more serious note, I actually think a funky, swingin's 70's, Tarantino-esque POWER MAN & IRON FIST movie could be great fun!

Didn't think much of this one at all. I'm beginning to think that, being a comic geek, I'm turning up to all these superhero movies out of curiosity rather than because I think I'll enjoy them. Every so often I'll see one that tries something new, or has a unique visual style to make it more interesting, but the majority of them are just, well, a bit samey. I'm looking forward to The Dark Knight, but otherwise I think I'm just getting bored of these films.

Aside from offering nothing new, the film was hampered by Norton being a charisma-free zone (I know that many think he's a Very Good Actor, but I just don't get it) and a rather drippy Liv Tyler was even worse. That's not a good start.

On top of that, the effects were far from great too. A lot of the Hulk effects improved over the naff effects in Ang Lee's version, but many didn't and the Abomination was just garbage. If the CGI flops from I Am Legend mated with Dick Durock's man-in-a-suit Swamp Thing, this character would be the result. Well, this character and a really disturbing sex scene.

Neither movies have been great, but I think Ang Lee's edges this one, and no amount of fanboy in-jokes or TV series references is going to change my mind. In fact, I'm reminded here of my experience of watching Hostel 2 - the appearances of several Euro-cult veterans only reminded me how much I'd prefer to be watching one of their movies than Roth's nonsense. This film had much the same effect with each and every TV series reference.

William Hurt looked so much like Paul Newman in this film he had my mouth watering for salad dressing! All in all I enjoyed this HULK a lot more than the last one, which only had the scenes with the Hulk jumping around fighting planes in the desert to recommend it. I also got a kick out of all the nerdy in-jokes (that would drive me up the wall anywhere else), and the mini WAR of the GARGANTUAS remake at the end. I admired the producers' audacious decision to pretend that so-called "thinking man's Hulk movie" never happened.

Whenever I raise doubts about Norton, somebody invariably blurts "Didja see PRIMAL FEAR, didja, didja?!!"

No, but I saw RED DRAGON and I still can't get the stink out of my house!

:lol:

If only Mobius quotes appeared on DVD sleeves and film posters, #17: RED DRAGON

THOR is very much on mind in the sense of "Oh, in the name of Odin, please do NOT screw this up!" Matthew Vaughn would have ti run to Kuwait to escape the wrath of Thor's fans and followers.

I think setting it in Asgard is a great plan. It appeals to the LOTR crowd, and is really the best setting for Thor to come out of. I always disliked the whole alter ego thing that Marvel tried. The idea of the Thunder God inhabiting a mortal body like that... Ugh.

But I really enjoyed Vaughn's STARDUST, so i think he may just pull this off.

INCREDIBLE HULK was good. Dragged a but here and there, so regarding the complaints of wanting a longer time... I'd have to go with Marvel on that decision. It does seem choppy right before the big battle, though. Don't know if they'll get ed Norton back for another one or THE AVENGERS movie, unless he signed up in advance. Bu who knows, these new adaptations are attracting stellar casts, so anything can happen.

I just hope the rumors of Marvel trying to lowball Favreau on IRON MAN 2 are wrong. I'd hate to see them shoot themselves in the foot, after getting so much right.

As is his wont, Vaughn walked.

Vaughn is developing a habit of walking out under pressure. Maybe he's not really good for big budget movies.

Wait a minute...HOLY CRAP! 300 MILLION!. WTH is this, a James Cameron film?!

I could do the whole Twilight Of The Gods for almost half that price.

Sheesh.

Well, keep in mind he was a producer longer than he's been a director - maybe he's walking out under bulls**t pressure...

Very true. And quite possible. I will admit that the X MEN deal was a real mess, for any sane man.

I found this goofy fun, not a great movie but goofy fun. I thought it started well and just tanked a bit at the "Betty Loves Banner" stuff but, hey, it's gotta be in there. Tim Roth was a little broad for me (ducking head - sorry, sorry), effects still mostly pretty blah but some things were cool (the pulse cannon, the visual presentation of physically beating someone into the ground) and I thought they did a good job with the ever present threat of heaving violence and how much it would suck to be Bruce Banner. Stan Lee's cameo was as good as his Iron Man one, which is to say I laughed and smiled.

I'll be the comic book geek and admit I smiled when Doctor Matt Freweresque was set up as The Leader. Silly, but I grinned.

If there's another movie, I want more of the character of The Hulk (hey, he gets to talk! I loved that soft warning from the cloud of steam after the first transformation). I want to see the Hulk wandering in the forest or jungle, eating beans, communing with nature, being the Hulk he always wants to be except guys are always shooting him in the eyes with machine guns whenever he wakes up. I want more of that. Hulk & Betty sitting in the rain was kinda nice...

And yeah, I want Rick Jones as well!! What's the late aught's equivalent of a small-town, southwest hepcat beatnik (whatever actor lands the role can double up and do Snapper Carr in the JUSTICE LEAGUE movie)?

And if only Sam Raimi had walked out when Avi Arad started dictating the shape of SPIDER-MAN 3...

Yes,yes,yes. I wish Sam Raimi had put his foot down more firmly, as I keep seeing the really good movie in the mess that became SPIDER-MAN 3. And now with talks of the next two being a 2 part arc, I'm thinking that Spidey's becoming way overblown. Hopefully, I'll be wrong.

Not sure about another HULK movie, though. THE INCREDIBLE HULK had a 60% drop in business on it's second weekend. Not good. Maybe DVD will boost things up, as I'd love to see another one with The Leader in there.

Either way, they've got things nicely set up for Hulk to be in the AVENGERS movie

Ro be honest, I think Spider-Man painted itself in a corner, by setting up that the son would come back as the Green Goblin in the first two movies... they couldn't not use it after so much set up in 1 and 2. And most (granted, not all) of the problems with S3 come directly or indirectly from that whole subplot.

Fate of Hulk Uncertain

I never thought a Hulk movie was a good idea to begin with, and I'm not sure why it took Marvel two films to figure out what I already knew, especially considering they have Captain America, Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. and several other characters that could be terrific film franchises. The Hulk is probably Marvel's least interesting major character. An Ant-Man movie is a better idea than another Hulk sequel.

If Marvel wants to make a zillion dollars, hire Fred Ward (or Lance Henriksen) to star in NICK FURY: AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D., hire Jim Steranko to storyboard or work as a visual consultant, forget any dull origin story--if you want, explain Fury's war background (Vietnam, I suppose) in a two-minute flashback or exposition scene--ask someone like Roy Thomas or Gary Friedrich to, if not write the screenplay, then serve as a polisher or advisor, and get a good, craftsmanlike director who can handle action with a light touch, e.g. Martin Campbell, Michael Apted, Ted Kotcheff (!), Jonathan Mostow.

Biggest grossing film of 2010, folks.