A little over a month into the summer 08 season, I've been quite pleased with what I've seen so far. Last May, the season started off so disappointing with Spider-Man 3 and Pirates 3. Both of those movies seem to throw as much as they can on the movie screen at once, surrendering narrative suspense for mindless imagery. That can still work, but the images have to really wow me, which they didn't.


But this summer really started off on a high note, that note being Iron Man. It's been everything and more as a movie: It certainly pleased the Marvel maniacs who lined up on opening day, but it also really seemed to please the rest of movie crowd. Compared to Spider-Man 3, it was fresh, funny, not emo, and it didn't have Venom showing up for about 8 minutes only to get defeated by pipes. Don't bring an infamous character into a movie if you don't know what to do with him.

What the movies have done so far this summer is not only entertain me, but also inspire me to bring back the blog; you know, the blog where I struggle to put down original thoughts that I hope don't come across as indulgent and embarassing. To stray away from that, I want to try and put down words about the things that I love, that being the movies that I continue to waste my money on every week.

So, move all the way down to the weekend of June 13th. To begin with the retelling of Marvel's Frankenstein, there was the Incredible Hulk. To start off, I'd like to say that I actually enjoyed Ang Lee's 2003 take, un-incredibly titled, HULK. His version seemed to focus on things not yet touched in the comic book adaptation yet; rather than rely completely on action, Lee seemed to consider bringing the style of comic books to the big-screen. Shots were composed like they were in a comic book, and I thought it was pretty neat to see on the screen. Sometimes, it definitely was a distraction from the narrative, but it was creative and original. Also, I thought the music of the first film was excellent. I believe it was Danny Elfman, but I'm not for sure on that. I remember it was very different from what I expected; quiet, anxious, and haunting. Not what you'd expect for a not so jolly green giant. The music really added to the pathos that I believe Lee wanted to bring to the character, a being who Roger Ebert pointed out, is a superhero who sees his powers not as a gift, but as a curse.


Sadly, many people hated, hated, hated this moody, wimpy Hulk. I understand that. I too have my gripes. For one thing, the conclusion of the first movie tries to combine art and action. We see Hulk fighting off his father, who has transmutated his DNA as well to blend in with the elements of the earth. The fight that we watched on screen seems to be happening more on a molecular level; the images are interesting, but ultimately not justified to carry the conclusion for a summer would-be blockbuster. So what happens? 5 years later, we get a new, and improved MMA Hulk.
And this time he's labelled Incredible.

The good thing is that the rehash is a good movie. But it's not Incredible. There were times throughout that I could sense a whiff of formula, of studio control stepping in to make sure that the Hulk everyone wanted five years ago is here. Trust me, he is, but that seems to be all there is. The rest of the characters in the movie seem to exist simply so that Bruce Banner can have reasons to let his emotions go and Hulk out and punch things really hard. Liv Tyler's Betty Ross does nothing more than coo over her long-lost fugitive boyfriend. Her character is about as flat as they come. ALso, William Hurt's General Ross has nothing to brag about either. He growls a lot to get the Hulk, and that's about it. The only character despite Banner/Green Guy that I liked was Samuel Sterns, played by Tim Blake Nelson. He seems to have mixed intentions, which is more than I can say for everyone else. But then again, that's probably because of what he becomes in later Hulk stories, which is played out in a really cool way in this movie.

What this movie really is, then, is a showcase for its hero. Edward Norton is ideal for Bruce Banner; he's a little guy with a brooding tension around him. We believe him when he's on the run, that he is terrified of what's inside him. The opening shots in Brazil are outstanding as we see him training his breathing to suppress his anger. He's very believable as a scientist and a renegade. But it's his alter ego everyone wants to see. And what can be said? The special effects are fine. I thought that both visualizations of the Hulk were great; this one has a darker skin, and doesnt hop like the other one did.

The best part about this movie is, unsurprisingly, the action, This Hulk knows how to smash and punch. Each action scene pits Hulk against Blonsky; it's interesting to follow how Blonsky graduallyu progresses against the Hulk throughout. I was really happy with the fight on the college grounds. It showed Hulk out in daylight, and the effects held up really well. The final fight was a bit of a letdown, in that they didn't fight as much as I wanted them to. ALso, I really did not like Hulk and Blonsky's Abomination being able to talk. It may be necessary for the Avengers movie, but hearing Hulk say HULK...SMASH!!! was geeky. I didn't like it. What I DID like was what Hulk does with a police car. The previews tease you with it, but its delievery on the big screen brought a gasp.

Louis Leterrier has successfully made a Hulk movie. That takes away nothing from Ang Lee's conception; I liked both. Leterrier had some great scenes; I was very appreciative of his parallels with Frankenstein, King Kong, and Cloverfield. The action was top-notch, with some of the best choreographed fights of this year. The sound, especially Hulk's yell, is better than the first film's, but the music lacks the pathos that Elfman's brought to the character.

By the way, I really hope Tony Stark can and does assemble his team.