The last time I saw the Hulk, I was with my dad and we both walked away sorely disappointed. For this Hulk, we were together again and walked away with a much better taste in our mouths. This Hulk is a completely different story to the first Hulk movie and does not reference it really in any way. It starts with Bruce Banner trying to control his anger issues in Brazil while working in a bottling plant. There is a mishap and a drop of his blood makes it into one of the bottles. Someone drinks the bottle back in the United States (customary Stan Lee cameo) and the army tracks Banner back to the bottling plant. Bring in special agent Emil Blonsky for the trip and the stage is set ladies and gentlemen. Blonsky and his group engage Banner in a thrilling chase through the villas of Brazil that ends back in the bottling plant and the Hulk finally emerges. The Hulk escapes and Blonsky’s pride is hurt and he wants a second crack at it.
General Ross then uncorks the super-soldier serum, so conveniently colored blue (Captain America tease) and injects Blonsky. Banner begins the trek back to the United States to find help after being on the run for we find out later turns out to be years. He finds Betty and he also finds the army and a doped up Blonsky. Hulk SMASH puny human and escapes with Betty. The army thinks that if Blonsky is going survive, he will be a paraplegic, only to find out that the super soldier serum fixes him as good as new in about two days time. The General is stunned, but pleased as Blonsky says he is ready for round 3.
Meanwhile, Betty and Bruce make it to NYC to find Dr. Samuel Sterns, an expert in radiation poisoning who thinks he can devise a cure. Unbeknownst to Bruce, a blood sample he gave to Sterns has since been synthesized into hundreds of samples. Bruce says that after the procedure, they must all be destroyed. Sterns argues but they agree to proceed with the test on Bruce before they do anything further. They succeed in subduing a transformation, but still do not know if they have cured Banner completely of the Hulk when Blonsky and his strike team hit. Blonsky is sorely disappointed when Banner does not transform and stays behind with Sterns as Banner is carted away to be dissected at an army base. Blonsky then threatens Sterns to dose him with Gamma radiation and some of Banner’s blood. Thus, we have the birth of the Abomination. Sterns is thrown across the room where some of Banner’s blood samples drip into an open wound in Sterns’ head, which swells slightly. Can anyone say “LEADER”?! Anyway, Abomination destroys the rest of the lab and then starts wreaking havoc. Word gets back to the General and Banner tells him he is the only who can fight him. We have one of the most amazing fight scenes ever, Hulk wins, and then he runs away to the Canadian countryside.
Now that you have the synopsis, here is the review. AMAZING. Really well done all around. First off, they got everything right for the most part. They took liberties with little things, but it is ok. I also love the references to everything that came before them. Betty buys Bruce a few change of clothes including a pair of purple sweatpants (reference to the original comics) and Bruce makes fun of her for it. Also, they play the music from the Bill Bixby/Lou Ferrigno Hulk TV Show whenever Bruce is hitchhiking along from South America to NYC which was a stroke of genius. Add in that Lou plays the voice of the Hulk when Hulk yells “HULK SMASH” and they really did justice to the past and the present. The visuals were stunningly real and you really felt for the characters. Everyone gave a great performance from William Hurt as the General, Tim Roth as Blonsky, Ed Norton of course as Banner, and Liv Tyler as Betty, who looks so hot throughout this movie. Incase she ever sees this, I love you Liv, please contact me for a good time. Hahaha. Having Robert Downey Jr. come in at the end as well to talk to the General about the Avengers was also a great touch on Marvel’s part, which means Hulk WILL be an Avenger. Whether or not it will be Edward Norton is another question. Avenger watch, Iron Man and Hulk are CONFIRMED now. Also, I like how at the end they had Banner in the Canadian countryside trying to learn not to suppress the Hulk, but to control him. This gives them the open of having intelligent Hulk in the coming movies. Also, the hint at having the Leader as the next villain is brilliant and I think the obvious move for them. All around, the movie was solid. It did drag at a few points, but the entire Hulk series is the build up to when Banner actually Hulks out so you cannot fault them for that. Overall, great character development, superb special effects, an amazing plot, and Liv Tyler make me one happy comic book geek. The Hulk successfully smashes 4.5 out of 5 stars.
-Ray Carsillo
1 comment:
this new hulk is a lot more fun than the first one with Eric Bana... as usual Ed Norton has gravitated to a "split personality" role
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