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Hulk (Full Screen Special Edition)

Hulk (Full Screen Special Edition)

List Price: $19.98
Your Price: $17.98
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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Show some emotion!
Review: I think if I saw a 15 foot tall green "hulk" coming out of the woods, or bouncing around the desert, or ripping up the concrete in San Francisco, I'd probably scream and soil my pants big time!! At least show a little more emotion than heavy breathing. Whatever happened to blood-curdling screams?

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: ... skip it.
Review: I grew up a fan of the Hulk, so I couldn't wait to see the new movie. Imagine my surprise when I saw that they had mangled the story of the Hulk, turning him from an accidental anti-hero into the posterboy for male-bashing.

In this story, Bruce Banner's father is a violent man, with his emotions out of control - his angelic wife loves him but is unable to penetrate through and share her natural female stability with him. Bruce himself is an emotional basketcase, all [messed] up by his father. Then, due to an accident, Bruce is turned into a violent man with his emotions out of control - his angelic girlfriend loves him but is unable to penetrate through and share her natural female stability with him. Do I see a pattern here?

Sorry, but whoever redesigned the story of the Hulk is a misandrist - probably a man filled with self-loathing.

...

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Ang Lee proves: It's not Easy Being Green.
Review: Look, let's boil Ang Lee's rippingly fun new movie 'Hulk' down to its core components: it's about brilliant nanotechnological research scientist Bruce Banner who one day, while working in his lab, gets 'belted' by Gamma rays. What should have been a fatal exposure combines with certain---erm, genetic irregularities---to create some major anger management problems for Dr. Banner.

You see, every time he gets angry---really angry---he turns into a big green man. A big green man with expandable purple stretch pants that assist with his modesty during his transformations from Eric Bana into a completely CGI-generated bright green monster. A big green man that hurls tanks and helicopters about like they were toys. A big green man whose erstwhile captor, General Ross (played competently but shallowly by Sam Elliot), decides to let escape from an underground Area 51-esque base, the better to 'fight him outside.'

Umm, OK. The truth is that Ang Lee brings his stellar cinematic sensibilities (from movies like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Sense and Sensibility") to Marvel's storied Incredible Hulk: like the little nanites that flow through Bruce's body and the gamma rays, the marriage of Lee to the comic book material results in a whole that is greater---and greener---than the sum of its parts. 'Hulk' is solidly entertaining, visually gorgeous, and, especially for a summer blockbuster, an unusually experimental film that manages to entertain and startle simultaneously.

Those who go to "Hulk" looking for stellar special effects will leave highly satisfied---you get:

*green gamma-ray mushroom clouds;
*killer giant poodles;
*Banner's mad scientist father David, who undergoes some startling transformations of his own (seriously: Nolte doesn't just *chew* scenery in this movie, he absorbs it!);
*the incredible battle sequences between the Hulk and his tormentors---be they the hideous hulk-Dogs or the US Army;

The special effects centerpiece award of "Hulk" goes, of course, to the eponymous hero: the Hulk himself is completely computer generated. Does it work? Actually, the Hulk is one of the summer's most sympathetic characters, and displays far more humanity than his alter ego, played with considerable repression by Eric Bana.

The acting here is all top-notch, and there aren't any uneven performances: Bana doesn't exactly reprise his "Chopper" performance, but he's a nice counterpoint to his lab-destroying Green Inner Child. Jennifer Connelly re-affirms her position as Hollywood's most gorgeous underrated actress. And Nick Nolte plays his leering, rasping role to the hilt, and finally steals the show.

There are times where the movie gets a little too awkward and goofy for its own good: I'd still love to know where the Hulk gets his one-size-fits-all purple stretch pants. There's Josh Lucas's death scene, in which they freeze frame the horrified Lucas in front of an explosion---highly goofy, but very comic book, and it works. The Hulk's surrender scene in downtown San Francisco also makes little sense; after all, if the Big Green Guy is so fond of leaping, why doesn't he just leap out of the way of all those army men to Oakland?

And speaking of that, what was General Ross thinking when he figures that it's a good idea to let the leap-loving Hulk escape the underground base, reasoning that it will be easier to fight the Big Guy on the surface?

But even though the running time on "Hulk" makes the movie a little too long, the film ultimately comes together, a testament to the solidity of its actors, the seamlessness of its CGI, and the talents of both Ang Lee and Director of Photography Fred Elmes, who worked with Lee on "Ice Storm" and has been a long-time DP for David Lynch (his credits include "Eraserhead", "Wild at Heart", and "Blue Velvet")---so it's no wonder that such lurid, dark emotions can be shot on such a visually brilliant palette.

Yes, "Hulk" is a Evil Dad vs. Good Son movie---and like so many other films that used the same device to telling effect (think Star Wars, or even, in a lopsided way, Spider-Man), "Hulk" succeeds at a very primal level. "Hulk", after all, is about secrets repressed under a banal, nondescript surface, about the rage that lurks within all of us. Ang Lee's "Hulk" says that if it isn't easy being Green, at least it looks good. Just don't make him angry---you wouldn't like him when he's angry.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Too Much Talk.... HULK SMASH!!!
Review: I don't usually write really short reviews, but there's a first time for everything...

Acting ok.

Special FX, fun.

MOVIE TOO LONG!!

TOO MUCH STORY!!!
TAKE OUT 20 MINUTES OR HULK SMASH!!!
YAAAAAAAGH!!!

You see, this is the spirit of Hulk that we fans are looking for!!

Buh-bye.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Too Much Talk.... HULK SMASH!!!
Review: I don't usually right really short reviews, but there's a first time for everything...

Acting ok.

Special FX, fun.

MOVIE TOO LONG!!

TOO MUCH STORY!!
TAKE OUT 20 MINUTES OR HULK SMASH!!
YAAAGH!!

You see, this is the spirit of Hulk that we fans are looking for!!

Buh-bye.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: True Hulk fans will NOT be happy!!!!
Review: This is by far the biggest let down of the summer. I was so looking forward to this movie being the huge Hulk fan that I am. I love the television show as well as the comic. The movie is totally different than the comic or the tv show. First of all, Banners father was portrayed in the movie as experimenting on his son when he was young, basically saying that it was the senior Banners fault that his sons alter ego was the Hulk. This is not in the comic or the tv show. They basically took the character of the Hulk, disguarded almost everything that the viewer knows about him, and made up their own story on how the Hulk began. They even had David Banner admit that he liked being the Hulk in the movie. Correct me if I am wrong, but isnt the whole point of the Hulk story that of Banner searching for a cure? The CGI didnt even bother me, it was the way the director totally butchered the story of the Hulk. And the end of the movie was so far fetched, it was hard to understand what was going on. There were so many holes in this movie, so many things that happened without explanation. If you dont believe me check it out. Just make sure you have two hours to waste!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Maxed-out mutant anger...
Review: Ok, who's left out from Marvel comics that hasnt been filmed yet?
Well, of all the lines of "super heroes" that have paraded through the screens the last decade this has got to be the most entertaining adapration I've seen even if it's riddled with flaws from beginning to end.
Explanation needed here, and I'll start out with the flaws:
The movie commences in an admittingly very slow pace because those not familiar with the Hulk story need to be introduced to it. Fair enough and it's not that dramatic really as this actually results in the whole film being more compact. It could have been much more pacey and faster when it comes to the first 45 minutes or so.
Then as the Hulk finally makes his appearance (and whoa that is some appearance!) other needless mistakes appear as well such as the Hulk being able to make tremendous mile-long leaps as he literraly bounces off mountain tops. The filming however, is so good that even that doesn't annoy as much as it could have.
Being that the Hulk is portrayed as having such abilities he should be practically untrappable but yet he gets trapped on several occasions all for the need to set up mammoth fight sequences and showdowns.
Then you have the army general responsible for containing da Hulk in his army bases who seems unable to learn any lesson even that involves whole neighborhoods being destroyed or half his personell and equipment being squashed as he gets constantly convinced by his daughter (and simoultaneously Hulk's amore) to "give him one more chance". One more chance at what exactly? Well, the Greenman is beyond such niceties as every time he's loose the earth trembles but no, the general is there again always prepared to go soft and let this indestructible creature wreak havoc extraordinaire.

But then the positives are actually overwhlemingly dominating the negative aspects of the film.
First of all Lee's (the director) excellent editing with multiple frames and freeze frames that pay hommage to the authentic design by the comic makers.
Then of course the action scenes themselves. Once the film kicks in and the Hulk appears you wish it'd go on for another 3 hours. We're talking about some of the most entertaining, funny, and at the same time 100% convincing action scenes seen on celluloid. Now, that is bizzare in itself because it envolves scenes where the Hulk dismantles tanks and throws them 100s of meters away, chews at missiles and spits them back, or holds onto fighter jets to be almost launched into space, and finally, takes on a squadron of fighter hellicopters and blasts them as if they were annoying lil mosquitoes. Huh? Yes, all this does actually seem incredibly believable and filmed in such frenetic pace (in pure contrast with the film's beggining) that it guarantees some serious jaw-dropping.

But there's actually more than just the mindless brute force of the Hulkman that makes this film work. Subtle but hardly unnoticeable political touches are there as well as the Hulk's father (Nick Nolte) tries to instill in him some political conscience with anarchistic overviews. "What about those in uniform and the crimes they've done??" he screams at Hulk in one sequence. "What about the poison of religions" he continues and urges his green creation to keep on the struggle. Nolte incidentally is a very good cast here as he's a glove-fit for this role.
The only character that comes across as being particularly poor is the army general but then again why would anyone with a functioning brain mind that? It is after all an army general and as any person dedicated to destruction and catastrophic "secrets" isn't ferociously smart to begin with the general's IQ makes actually sense. Neither is the Hulk for that matter but this is a different proposition.
He comes across, as, yes, a mindless organic machine set on totally pulverising anything that angers him/it but you can always feel an "agenda" beneath his green skin that you can identify with.
Tremendous action film and adaptation, incredible filming, great camera work, stunning effects are the specialty of the day here.
Makes the Spidermen and Batmen of this world look like kindergarten boys with issues and sets new standards.
The laugh factor in the film is incidentally extremely high even though there aren't more than 1-2 actual funny lines to be heard. That's primarily due to the fact that the Hulk's anger reaches at time hilarious peaks and you cant help it but laugh. Once you see the sequence with the tanks you'll know exactly what I mean...
By all means, DO see this.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Accurate Portrayal Of Marvel's Greatest Superhero
Review: People have bashed this movie since it opened. They say that the "Hulk" looked fake, cartoonish and animated.....well, maybe because the character came from a comic book????? I, being a lifetime Hulk fan - I always loved the old TV show with Bill Bixby - was quite pleased with the look of the Hulk. I think that only the truest comic book fan will appriciate this film for the way it not only portrays the character of the Hulk, but for the way that the film has been produced. The Hulk looked like he had jumped right off the pages of a comic book and onto the screen. The magnificent use of split screen visuals was an ingenious move on the part of Ang Lee. The movie felt like I were actually reading it, and not watching it. The acting was fantastic in this film. Not since Burton's "Batman" has a comic book movie had such a wonderful supporting cast. Jennifer Connelly radiates her breath-taking beauty in every scene, and she's the perfect one to play Fay Wray to Eric Bana's wonderful job of Bruce Banner. The true sceen stealers though were Sam Elliot in a deliciously over the top portrayl of Gen. Thunderbolt Ross; and Nick Nolte in the role of David Banner, Bruce's father. I have to say that the only thing that I did not like about his movie was that it turned confusing during the showdown between the Hulk and David Banner. Actually that, and the fact that he never once said "HULK SMASH!" Maybe thats for the sequel. Otherwise, I thought that the Hulk was much like Daredevil - a dark, gritty, and faithful adaptation of arguably Marvel's finest superhero. Let's face it, unlike Spider-man, or Daredevil, or Wolverine or even the Punisher, everyone has a Hulk hidden inside them. We all have the occaiosnal 'Hulk-out' where we've had enough and our rage gets the best of us. We can all relate to the Hulk, which is ultimately why I think that this film is such a wonderful success. Can't wait to see Hulk 2!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: The HULK, ...who let the plot out?!!
Review: After viewing the much anticipated and overly hyped Hulk movie I have to say I was extremely disappointed. Ang Lee's "King Lear" based version of the story drudged on and on and on -establishing character, background stories, sub-plots and yack yack yack. The Hulk does not actually appear in the first third of the picture. There was so much story that there was almost no creature and therein lies the main problem with the film. Viewers want a large green rampaging monster with a human side tortured by the fear of releasing a monster on humanity. What we got was an intellectually intense complicated story with constant yack yack yack yack yack dialog. Where was the monster? As far as the story it was intelligent, involved and worth watching as a struggle between father and son. But I came for an angry green behemoth pursued by a world that did not understand or want him. In general, there was a lot of plot getting in the way of a good movie.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Astonishingly bad
Review: I have to say I'm surprised how many people seem to like this movie. It is mind-numbingly bad! The plot wallows in some supposedly meaningful dialog as everyone does their best to be brooding and deep. The computer generated Hulk is itself a major disappointment, they were turning out superior CGI well over ten years ago. In fact it reminded me of the old stop motion photography they used in the 50s...
Still, I suppose it shows what 21st century marketing can do. Taking over $60 million on opening weekend is no mean feat.


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