Green For Danger
Last updated: 13/06/2008 - 10:18
Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth and William Hurt star in brand-new Marvel superhero blackbuster The Incredible Hulk.
A sort-of sequel, sort-of ‘reboot’ to 2003’s Ang Lee's 2003 feature film The Hulk, which starred Eric Bana The Incredible Hulk kicks off an all-new, explosive and action-packed epic of one of the most popular superheroes of all time.
Click here to watch the trailer for The Incredible Hulk.
In this new beginning, scientist Bruce Banner - this time played by Edward Norton (Fight Club, American History X, Down In The Valley, Primal Fear) desperately hunts for a cure to the gamma radiation that poisoned his cells and unleashes the unbridled force of rage within him: The Hulk.
Living in the shadows—cut off from a life he knew and the woman he loves, Betty Ross played by Liv Tyler (Empire Records, The Lord of The Rings: Fellowship of The Ring, Stealing Beauty) — a role taken by Jennifer Connelly in the earlier film - Banner struggles to avoid the obsessive pursuit of his nemesis, General 'Thunderbolt' Ross - played by William Hurt (Alien) - and the military machinery that seeks to capture him and brutally exploit his power.
Monstrous Adversary
As all three grapple with the secrets that led to The Hulk’s creation, they are confronted with a monstrous new adversary known as 'The Abomination' - played Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover), whose destructive strength exceeds even The Hulk’s own. One scientist must make an agonizing final choice: accept a peaceful life as Bruce Banner or find heroism in the creature he holds inside — The Incredible Hulk.
Acclaimed filmmaker Ang Lee's concept for his 2003 film adaptation of the Marvel Comics series – actually called The Incredible Hulk, just to confuse the non-comics readers – attempted to combine all the elements of a blockbuster visual effects-intensive superhero movie with the brooding romance and tragedy of Universal's classic horror films.
In depicting The Hulk as both a superhero and a monster - as both a 'hero' wish fulfillment and a 'body horror' nightmare - Lee and his team seemed to be trying to stay true to the subversive spirit of the classic comic book character, while completely updating the character - projecting him into the dangers and aspirations of contemporary times. Slightly too prosaic for some fans and critics – a fair few who wanted more superhero smack-down action and less reflection the film was also strangely lacking in a proper ‘super villain’ character – something that seems to have been rectified in the new movie.
Here's what James O'Ehley had to say on the Sci-Fi Movie Page: "Instead of 'Hulk smash puny humans!' action, director Ang Lee proved that his name should have been Angst Lee instead (groan). Too much drama and not enough Hulk hurling army tanks about action..."
Here's what some of the critics have made so far of the latest take on Marvel's green goliath:
"The ending battle between The Hulk and Abomination is one of the most spectacular and exciting things I've ever seen on screen. If the downtown Los Angeles robot battles of Transformers impressed you, this puts those to shame." - Jeff Otto (ReelzChannel.com).
"To the green giant’s rescue comes his punier, pinker alter-ego. Edward Norton, still enormously underrated despite such money-spinning turns as this, is phenomenal...He is somehow able to be entirely convincing as a guy terrified that he’ll double in size and crush the bones of anyone nearby." - Ed Holden (MSN Movies).
"Blandly directed, ham-fisted sound and fury battering your brain for attention...Where is Ang Lee when we need him?" - Anton Bitel (Eye For Film).
"At times on par with the first Spider-Man, some of the original movie's problems are replaced by new ones, but none that completely ruin the enjoyment every time the Hulk comes out to 'SMASH!!!'" - Edward Douglas (ComingSoon.net).
"If it's not the best Superhero film since Batman Begins, it's still an early contender for one of the Best Films of the Year. This Hulk is Incredible!" - Clint Morris (Moviehole).
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For more information on The Incredible Hulk, visit the official website: www.incrediblehulk.marvel.com
For even more comic book fun at the movies in July and August, why not head down to London's South Bank for the first part of a mini fantastic film festival: Graphic Images - Comic-Book Movies
For Graphic Images - Comic-Book Movies, the British Film Institute (BFI) Southbank and BFI IMAX have teamed up for a big-screen extravaganza of films adapted from comics, presenting the breadth and depth of the genre with an eclectic programme that will include Christopher Nolan’s hotly anticipated next instalment of Batman, The Dark Knight (2008) which opens at BFI IMAX 25 July and Superman the Movie (Director’s Cut) (1978/2001), starring the late Christopher Reeve.
This jam-packed season has something for every comics movie crossover fan - including Joseph Losey’s extravagant slice of 60s Eurocamp, Modesty Blaise (1966), Mario Bava’s Danger: Diabolik (1967) - with a score by Ennio Morricone - offer psychedelic adaptations of European comic strips. Out at the Pictures – a dedicated Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender strand – contemplates the gay sub-text of X2 (2003) and considers the role of the superheroine in the masculine world of comics with a screening of Tank Girl(1995). For younger audiences, June’s Film Funday sees Flash Gordon (1980) making a spectacular return to the big screen plus comic-book based kids’ workshops. Other screenings during the school holidays are Annie (1982) with Albert Finney, and the underrated gem The Rocketeer (1991).
The Incredible Hulk is in cinemas nationwide now.
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