The Smackdown. HULK SMASH! I'm sorry, but I had to; it's just such a funny, quirky comic book phrase. It's not often you get a Smackdown as clean as this one either where a project has been re-cast, re-conceived and the first director has been sent packing. When you consider that The Incredible Hulk is the franchise follow-up to Ang Lee's 2003 Hulk, you have to take into mind that it's the new Marvel Studios steering the cinematic wheel. Its recent Iron Man proved a ridiculously profitable and critical hit but, quite frankly, I shuddered at the thought of a second motion picture tackling this heroic green figure after the first installment created such a controversial cinematic history (gamma Hulk poodles anyone?). I can see the halls of Marvel Studios one or two weeks ago, brimming with newly starched suits and promiscuous congratulations over Iron Man's $530 million plus heist. Now, a bunch of execs sit around a table -- bleary-eyed, ties loose, coffee cups empty, cell phones nearby -- hoping their new Hulk shares more than the color green with a one dollar bill. So while those overpaid studio execs worry over that, let's have a Hulk-sized SMACKDOWN between Ang Lee's Hulk and Louis Leterrier's The Incredible Hulk. May the best conflicted angst-ridden monster win.
The Challenger. The Hulk returns rebooted under the directorial guidance of Transporter director Louis Leterrier off a script originally penned by Zak Penn and rewritten by Edward Norton. In The Incredible Hulk, Norton plays Stan Lee's classic Bruce Banner, a simple scientist whose brilliance leads to a tragic lab accident. Now a fugitive from a military general who wishes to make him a weapon, Banner longs for a cure to his monstrous alter-ego and the forced isolation it demands. Like Stan Lee's original Hulk, The Incredible Hulk focuses on Banner's struggle to contain this monstrous Neanderthal lurking inside him. In fact, it's the film's petrol, blasting through Bourne-style chase scenes and WWF-style mutant throwdowns. But like the green beast himself, Letterrier's film loses a bit of its humanity when it goes "Hulk." Coupled with somewhat awkward pacing, the film may leave audiences like Bruce Banner after a "hulk-out": scratching your head asking where the hell am I and what the hell just happened? Comparing the shooting script to the finished film, there are a plethora of scenes missing -- mostly character-oriented -- that would've better balanced the film. Banner's therapy session with his lover's new boyfriend and Banner's attempted suicide are among them. On top of this, some of the dialogue -- no matter how good the actor, or how green -- just can't be pulled off.
The Defending Champion. Ang Lee's Hulk hit theaters riding the wave of Spider-Man and X-Men. Lee (Ang, not Stan) brought his trademark abstract thinking and art house sensibilities to the jolly green juggernaut who likes to pound things. In theory, it doesn't sound like that great a match. However, Ang Lee's Hulk embraces elegance, fostering a certain self-contained pacing that earns admiration. In the film, Eric Bana's Banner has not yet become the Hulk. Instead, he is a semi-brilliant scientist unaware of his own mutated genetic structure -- modeled by his abusive father on the regenerative abilities of starfish and reptiles.
When gamma nanodes (your guess is as good as mine) blast Banner, the convenient combination of his genetic structure and the nanodes creates a very-logically-thought-out Hulk -- a depressingly angry expression of Banner's repressed childhood memories. Honestly, as complicated as it sounds, it's a cerebral joy to watch. It's quite engaging, watching a man struggle with his inner rage and his weakness to accept his childhood. It's a very sympathetic story, something Stan Lee also strove for in his comic book heroes. Yet, for all its complexities and deep psychological workings, Hulk just didn't know when to stop thinking and start smashing. That, and it didn't know when to end and, when it did, audiences were begging that the ending given was not the actual ending. Sadly, it was -- for both the film and any chances of a direct sequel.
The Scorecard. Okay, this Smackdown fight rests on one thing and one thing alone: brutal hulk-like simplicity. Hulk doesn't assess the battles odds, plan, strategize, backflip, duck, block -- Hulk smashes stuff. Now, Ang Lee's Hulk is a thinking man's film. It's beautifully illustrated and crafted. There is a genius quality to the comic book paneling that is admirable not only on a cinematic level, but also on the editing level. When those multiple comic book panels come on, Lee is directing four or five simultaneous scenes from various angles and compositions. Not an easy task. But those were typically four or five scenes of long, drawn out speeches or ruminations. Hulk is very light on action, and the action it gives is a bit...silly. Mutated gamma poodles attacking the Hulk just cannot seem cool. It just can't; I have a moral obligation to prevent it. And for a film that takes itself so seriously, and is so introspective, 8-foot monster poodles play as such a betrayal to the audience -- a sort of belittling. Now, The Incredible Hulk really embraces its action, and does so on a variety of levels. There is a certain genius to Letterier's escalation of action scenes. The first action scene is very Bourne Supremacy, a shaky chase through Brazil. This is followed by a fun and dramatic fight between Hulk and the military (a fight Ang Lee's film takes an entire two hours to get to). The last fight is an all out brawl between two super-giants -- it's brutal, it's violent, it's so freggin' fun to watch. In terms of sensibilities, Letterier's action background suited the kinetic, nerve-wrecking pace of Bruce Banner's escape from the militaristic father of his love.
But what about characters? Well, it's hard to top Lee's characterizations in Hulk. He spends a lot of time molding and shaping this complicated, abused child-like Bruce Banner. Eric Bana is a naive, almost child-like Banner struggling with repressed memories. He's pulled through the plot; he doesn't drive it. His character's very...weak and passive. This works for a Hulk movie. Nevertheless, the genius that is so important to Banner seems lacking with Ang Lee. Eric Bana, an actor I greatly respect, also doesn't seem to own Banner. Also, the complex psychological atmosphere of Hulk absorbs Bana's nuanced (yet minimalistic) performance and makes it just yet another abstract quality in an intelligent film. On the other hand, Letterier got Edward Norton, an amazing compensation for whatever skills he may lack as a character or drama director. Norton is very believable as Banner, and very streamlined. He fidgets with his eyeglasses, creates homemade chemical solutions in Brazil, and is sincerely in love with Betty Ross. The slightest facial gesture, the meekest intonation -- it's all there for a reason with Norton. And in a film that moves so fast and so violent, it's an appreciated texture that stands out on its own. The audience will love sitting with Norton's Banner just as much as they love sitting with Maguire's Peter Parker. However, Norton's so good at the brilliant, tortured scientist that his transformations into Hulk are sometimes...awkward. Despite some beautiful CGI-rendering of Norton's face into the Hulk's, there's a bit of a disconnect between the two characters. However, I can't say that Ang Lee nailed this either. This may just be a cinematic flaw with adapting the Hulk for the screen.
Both Hulk movies fiddle with a love story. In Hulk, this is more front and center and resonates with the notion of lost family which fuels Banner's rage. In The Incredible Hulk, the love story is much simpler. However, the chemistry between the actors is far more constant and moving. In one great scene, Banner is spotted briefly by the love of his life, Betty (Liv Tyler), who hasn't seen him in five years. Banner rushes outside and hides from Betty, who stands in a rainy alley calling his name as he sulks angst-ridden behind a dumpster listening. It's painful to watch. As much as Liv Tyler's Betty Ross doesn't stand on her own, when she's beside Banner or the Hulk...well, it's really moving. In another important rain-riddled scene, Tyler really makes the Hulk a believable character with a heavy load of emotion and pain. The love story really hinges back to Banner's loneliness in a real simple way, instead of complicated family issues.
Last and most importantly: the villain. This is perhaps the most serious difference between these two films. Ang Lee made Bruce Banner's father the main villain, a corrupt scientist who is not only indirectly responsible for Banner's mutated DNA but also for the murder of Banner's mother. It's complex and logical, Banner and his father's relationship. It fits like a formula into the reason why the Hulk exists. It's a very tightly woven hero-villain relationship that has no pay-off. Banner's father is a villain. You never really know what he wants or when his needs will be met. Therefore, there's very little stakes to the whole mess. Also, the climatic battle between mutated father and Hulked-out son is just so muddled and boring...it just doesn't work. It comes in as an afterthought; it pushes the abstract tone of Lee's film to a ridiculous level that actually breaks its tone. In The Incredible Hulk, Norton goes up against Tim Roth. There relationship is very simple. Roth is an aging military jerk who wants to be young and strong again. He is willing to take anything and do anything to become stronger and best the Hulk, who takes out his squad early in the film. This leads him to become a hulk-like monstrosity himself. So, instead of an abstract electric sky-fight like Ang Lee's film, Letterier treats us to a 20 minute long brawl in Harlem that is so violent and comic-booky that you can't do anything but just smile like an idiot. I mean, Ang Lee's Hulk always knew to shake some poor soldier or pedestrian out of their vehicle before he threw it. Letterier's Hulk just throws it and let's the people die. There's something...guttural and authentic about that. However, there is a moment in The Incredible Hulk where this rule is broken and it is the film's largest flaw -- in fact, it's almost a groan-inducing film-wrecker.
Also, on a smaller note, the scores to both these films are fantastic. However, Craig Armstrong has created something special here with The Incredible Hulk. It calls back to the TV series while embracing a Bourne-style sound that is both eerie, atmospheric, and beautiful. If you're a film score fan, get this.
The Decision. Hulk is a simple character. Yes, he's deep. But he's deep in a simple, instinctual way. The Incredible Hulk is just that. Simple, but deep in its own instinctual way. It doesn't spell itself out, the caliber of its actors does that for you. Ang Lee's Hulk just gets lost in its own murky head, and only finds its way out to deliver some disjointed action sequences that barely weave into an overly-complex tapestry of fatherly neglect, memory repression, starfish, lizards, and poodle dogs. Letterier's film is too forward moving for heavy-handed thinking. It's got a sharp actor, slick action, and a whole lot of heart to keep it pushing and entertaining on that popcorn level. Listen, in the end, these two films are so vastly different you probably won't think of one while watching the other. But in a Harlem brawl, The Incredible HULK SMASH Hulk. Puny Ang Lee...
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