HULK....SMASH!!!!

Also Tony was too busy being with three supermodels to help out.

 

I never saw the Ang Lee version (as a Hulk fan from waaay back, I didn't want to look at it ) but this new version is pretty much in line with what I'd expect from the story. Edward Norton is a perfect actor for the role of Bruce (thank you, no David!) Banner - a weedy, scrawny intellectual with courage and heart to match the fiercest warrior. The best part of the movie was him hiding out in Brazil, living by hope and wits.

I was skepitcal about Liv Tyler's ability to pull off a smart Betsy Ross. Someone more along the lines of Jennifer Connoly or Hillary Swank would be the more obvious choice, but she did fine. She and Norton had real chemistry and sold the love story part of the movie.

Ole Hulky himself was a cypher for most of the story but towards the end, we got small glimpses of him having an actual personality separate from (but reflective of) Banner. Hopefully future movies will move this along and delve into his contempt of Banner and surpassing love for canned beans.

I'm not sure the CGI is quite there yet - Hulk and Abomination looked too plastic, like animated action figures - but I started to buy into Hulk as a character towards the end, when he was losing the fight and using his Banner-esque wits and courage to pull it off.

Overall, a solid beginning.

 

I love Iron Man, but that would the ultimate in fanwankery.

 

And then Ben Stiller shows up and says, "This is incredible, Hulk."

 

Yeah Liv Tyler Cannot act worth a damn. All she can do is stand there all misty-eyed and look sad or make out with the leading man of the story...Thats about it.
Also if you watch the making of extras you can see how Norton basically tried to direct himself in the role. He's telling Lettier what he wants to do basically saying yeah Ill do it this way and not really giving Louis a chance to direct him. So I guess I can see where the story of Norton wanting to do a slightly more character driven piece over the version we got came from. I mean Norton is a good actor and all but let the director direct for christ sake...
I still prefer the 08 version tho. If the 03 version had the 08's cgi'd hulk version and a better villian for him to fight at the end I would probably like the 03 just as much...

 

I didn't see any indications that he was anything but regular U.S. Military in the film, though it's possible I missed subtler references. In the Ultimate line, Ross was both U.S. Military and head of SHIELD (in the Ultimate line, a U.S. institution), until injured in an explosion and retired from active duty. But the films are picking and choosing from across the breadth of the various comic book incarnations, and inventing some stuff of their own too. For instance, the Ultimate versions of Betty Ross and Abomination are quite unlike those from this film.

Creditorly yours, the Rent Woman

 

Thankfully, since there's little chance of getting Ultimate Betty over as a sympathetic character and the Abomination/Hulk fight in Ultimates 2 lasted right up until the point the Hulk ripped the guy's arms off and beat him up with them.

Of course, with Stark being the head of the US Military's biggest contractor, it's no surprise that Ross would know him. I bet a load of the weapons, especially the sonic guns, he used against the Hulk were Stark designs.

 

I remember in the novelization, Stark showed up at the end of the battle with a set of huge-ass handcuffs to cart off Abomination.

That would have also been an acceptable cameo.

ETA:

Yeah those sonic cannons were Starktech. The opening titles showed schematics and the SI logo.

 

Meh. I think I might have actually preferred a version of Betty Ross who could hold her own. Better than the glorified housewife that was 616-Betty, for sure; or even the film version, who you'd think, as a cellular biologist, might actually have been a partner to Bruce Banner, instead of spending her time being the doe-eyed damsel in distress.

Creditorly yours, the Rent Woman

 

There's some middle ground between that and Ultimate Betty who is somewhat unlikeable, IMHO.

 

I bought the super secret Target version.

Pretty nifty box.

I was amazed at how many scenes were deleted.

 

There probably will be:

Producer Gail Anne Hurd told MTV that Edward Norton's not done going green. "It's all going to depend on the screenplay and where his character goes in any sequel, because he does have a multiple-picture deal," she said. "[Norton's situation] is the same with every franchise like this, when you have one of the top actors of his generation." So he's got some time off? "Next, he's likely to appear in an 'Avengers' movie, but that's completely up to Marvel," she said. "It's wonderful that Marvel now controls so many of their own characters, and they can create a Marvel universe in film and populate it with so many of their characters who naturally exist together. I think an 'Avengers' film is a very exciting prospect."

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=18566

 

^^^

That I would pay "real money" to see!

 

I hope there is another stand alone Hulk film. I loved the most recent one. Fine comic book movie.

 

So no CapAm cameo and/or picture?

 

I was glad to clink the MTV link and see its a dateline of 10/23. I was worried it would be an old pre-release article.

There really does need to be another stand alone Hulk movie and the next best time is foreseable post-Avengers. It allows for a new stage to be set for which the characters can play.

 

Agreed! It's odd that someone claiming to be a fan from "waaay back" would avoid this film, especially when it seemed so heavily influenced by the older books of (especially) Bill Mantlo and Peter David!

 

I avoided it because

1) Eric Bana is totally wrong for the role. Miscasting Banner is a deal-breaker for me. Banner needs to have an almost savage intelligence that is the counterpart to the Hulk's savage strength. Very few actors could be said to have a savage intelligence, but Edward Norton is one of them.

2) The stuff about Banner's father sounds like idiotic psychobabble to me. A comic book movie should get to the point, be clean, lean & mean and not belabor or overcomplicate things.

 

Did you watch/like Iron Man? I've noticed that you never talk about that around here.