Thursday, June 26, 2008

Now Playing: The Incredible Hulk

I'm usually more on the ball with the movie reviews (as in, write them up as soon as I get back to Timmy), but I will admit to a hectic week and a lax attitude to updating. I am sorry gentle readers - I know you wait with baited breath for my posts. ... as if.

some history:
- I thought 2003's Hulk, with Ang Lee at the helm, was an absolute disaster. Most people decided it had been too cerebral for our favourite green guy and tired too hard to be so much more than "Hulk Smash!" Why bother? But I knew it was going to be bad, the minute they announced a certain Banana to play the good doctor. I can't emphasise how much I hate that guy's version of "acting" - he irritates me to no end.
- My personal bias: as a toddler, I simply loved the TV Show and had become a party attraction with my growling, neck-straining imitation (some would think that this may have been damaging to my child psyche... but I digress). Between Spiderman and the Hulk, I spent a lot of my formative years swinging from various heights of furniture. So, you can understand that Mr. Green holds a special place in my heart.

On to The Incredible Hulk! Much much much better. I was as sceptical as anyone else when I heard Ed Norton would be taking on the role but then I remembered the genius that was the TV show - using Bill Bixby and Lou Ferigno instead of trying to get one to play both Banner and the Hulk. So, Ed Norton as a nerdy geneticist? I can handle that (way better than Bana at any rate). Boy, did Norton deliver - I thought he played the doctor with just the right amount of geek and suave. I totally believed he was in love with Betty Ross (the oft-open-mouthed Liv Tyler) and his running scenes were fab. I know Norton wanted to make rewrites and have the Hulk be a thinking man's hero, but I'm glad Leterrier reigned him in and kept the Green Guy where he belongs - roaring and using police cars as gauntlets. But my favourite part of this entire movie? Tim Roth, hands down. Can this guy be topped as the abominable Emil Blonsky? I don't think so ... he fairly oozes villainy. The first fight scene between Hulk and Blonsky on the campus of UofT.. er, I mean, Culver University ... was just gold. In fact, all the actors were really well picked and really brought it to the table.

Weak points? The script definitely. There were some real clunkers in there. The horrible non-disguising of Yonge Street for New York is another. I mean, come on... where in New York is there a Zanzibar and a (now-defunct) Sam's? Plunking an Apollo in the background does not the Big Apple make. But really... that's it. Consider the franchise restarted! Good to see you again, Dr. Banner. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

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