Cast: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth

Director: Louis Letterier

Screenplay: Zak Penn

Running time: 1 hr 54 mins

Genre: Comic Book/Action



CRITIQUE:


Ang Lee’s HULK was a misunderstood monster. A good hour into the film, there’s a lot of talk, and less balls-to-the-wall crashing and banging. To many, the $150-million budgeted flick was a ponderous, dragging waste of time, and received mixed reviews from critics worldwide. Because it seemed Lee’s vision was less-feted, and Eric Bana and Jennifer Connelly weren’t sufficient enough, they needed a recasting. A whole upheaval of the franchise and a change of director later, we have Louis Letterier, the man behind the TRANSPORTER flicks, on board along with Mr ‘Fight Club’ Edward Norton and Liv Tyler as conflicted scientist Bruce Banner and pained love-interest Betty Ross, respectively.


The result: an extra word attached to the title that scream of superlatives, but it stays nothing short but adequate. A few minutes into this newly-charged superhero movie, sidestepping the opening credits montage, we get an abrupt retelling of backstory through images, crammed in a space of a single breath. Instead we are told of an experiment gone wrong, a slight distortion of the real story; so when we finally get our oxygen molecules back, the scene is set. The Brazilian favelas become the setting, and the anguish-ridden plot of its predecessor transforms into a Bourne-like fugitive escape. The sequences are quick, concise and brutally effective, but if you’re looking for characterisation, you’ll be disappointed. Norton’s Banner is a frail-looking scientist on the run, with the military hot on his heels, and lacks the wrath and Freudian angst that Hulk is supposed to possess. Doesn’t he get very mad to turn into the smashing monster, and not relying on the pace of his heartbeat? Norton delivers the goods, but despite of his involvement of the script writing process, the plot leans on heavily on finding the cure instead of understanding the monster within. But that flaw is somewhat saved by the film’s warmest heart in the form of Liv Tyler as the feisty, sacrificial Betty, and she shares a few of the film’s best moments.


Still, it could not quite cover the fact that this regeneration of HULK needs a bigger, better spectacle. So they bring in Tim Roth’s Abomination, a reptilian-like mutated monster, in a knuckle-gnawing city showdown, like an over-amplified, adrenaline-busting episode of a WWE smackdown, except that one uses splintered cars as boxing gloves and tear around buildings without a rink. It’s all enthrallingly entertaining, and the fight-fest finale is a guilty pleasure to watch – but as soon as the dust settles, there’s very little depth here. While Ang Lee’s version is nonetheless very flawed, it still remains the superior one in many aspects. His was an arthouse film covered in comic book movie wrappings. Letterier’s is an action-cum-wrestling-match that offers little of emotional core. At least his HULK doesn’t leap from peak to peak, and doesn’t have stretchy pants.



VERDICT:

A passable adaptation. Letterier’s style is a hasty, no-nonsense stab. Effective, yet it falls short of Ang Lee’s visual panache and id-analysis. This HULK lacks the gravitas and meat, and rather goes for the rampage and smash.



RATING: B-