Monday 16 June 2008

The Incredible Hulk

Two things you must know about The Incredible Hulk. First - he is Incredible.
Second - he is a Hulk.

I really enjoyed The Incredible Hulk. Here's how to build this movie. Start
with the TV Series. I was as surprised as anyone that this was the case, and
confidently predicted otherwise, but it's at its heart quite a lot like the
show, in that it focuses on Banner, on the run from the authorities, trying to
keep a low profile. Also, he's attempting to find a cure on the internet.
Presumably he gets a lot of spam about the size of his hulk that way.

Anyway, long story short, the military go after him, Tim Roth tries to even the
odds by injecting himself with the same Super Soldier Serum that made Captain
America; this proves to be not enough, he injects himself with Banner's blood,
and turns into something utterly huger than The Hulk. Carnage ensues.

This is where it diverges from the TV series, and in a serious way. The TV
Hulk, well, god bless Lou Feringo (who cameos. Stan Lee also cameos. Robert
Downey Jr cameos too. By 2011, Marvel hope to release an film solely consisting
of cameos) - god bless him, but he was only a big muscly guy painted green.
This is proper comic book hulk - eight foot tall, fists bigger than his head,
immune to small arms fire, mildly annoyed by anti-tank weapons, who casually
throws cars at people.

And this is all great stuff, to be honest. It's smart enough for a summer
superhero blockbuster, doesn't spend too much time waffling, and finishes on a
bloody good street brawl between The Hulk and The Abomination. Marvel have
essentially done what they did with Iron Man, which is present a fun, by the
numbers film which delivers what you *want* it to deliver, without making any
great attempt at great art.