Special Edition Podcast

Special Edition – The Incredible Hulk

Show Notes

It’s iFanboy at the Movies! New iFanboy staff writer Paul Montgomery sits in for a vacationing Josh Flanagan alongside Conor Kilpatrick and Ron Richards to talk about The Incredible Hulk. Strap on a backpack, hang your head, and start walking down that long lonely road.

Running Time: 00:28:58


And now we have one of the most unique of all entries into the summer movie super hero sweepstakes — the reboot!

Not that reboots of superhero franchises are anything new (see: Batman, Superman) but it’s rare to have a reboot so soon after the original and after only one film.

I am one of the few who really liked Ang Lee’s Hulk and it’s examination of the darkness within us all. But that’s not what most people wanted and I understand that. From the looks of the trailers we’ve seen so far for Louis Leterrier’s The Incredible Hulk this film appears to be taking a different tack. The people wanted more action and it looks like they are going to get it.

Are you going to see it? Of course you are! So let’s talk about it!

If you are reading this and you haven’t seen it yet – there’s no post-credit scene!  At least there wasn’t one at the screening we attended.

If you haven’t seen the movie yet be forewarned — there be SPOILERS ahoy! So don’t scroll down any further if you are sensitive to that kind of thing.

 

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Comments

  1. I am probably going to see this movie tonight.

    However, im with you Conor. I actually LIKED the first Hulk movie (Except for the acid trip at the end.).

    I dont have too much hope for this one because I wasnt too big of a fan of the TV series. I hated the fact that they varied from the comic book and put the gamma accident in a lab. Yes I was a geek even back then.

    Additionally, from first look, it appears that the CGI does not look as realistic as the first one did.

    That being said, the movie will get the money it takes for me and my family to go, and I just hope I dont feel too ripped off.

  2. I enjoyed aspects of the original as well. that climax just kills me though. But I can see why people didn’t like it, but it’s not as bad as everyone makes it out to be.

    that said? this movie KILLED that movie and buried it in different plots in the nevada desert.

    i don’t know what you all thought, but i HIGHLY recommend it to everyone here! i hope it’s as much a success as Iron Man was because I enjoyed it THAT much. and i was really surprised as to just how much they ignored the first movie. i figured it just wouldn’t be mentioned, but they actually changed everything around. so in this movie, the first instalment literally never happened.

    it was awesome! definately give it a shot!

  3. oh, and I had NO problem with the CGI, thought it looked amazing. but then, i thought the first Hulk’s cg was good, so whaddoiknow?

    didn’t see that whole LEADER thing coming either. VERY cool!

  4. Three hours and counting – I love my half-day Fridays!!

    I also liked the Ang Lee movie – glad to see some of my iFanboy brethern agree. But the ending was bad. In my opinion, the only thing that flick needed was the Hulk hitting something – the Superman Returns movie was missing the same thing.

  5. Lets keep this pattern going – I really like the Ang Lee film and agree that the end was, hmm: awkward? But a spectacle to watch indeed! Eric Bana played the Banner role exceptionally well and Sam Elliot took Thunderbolt Ross somewhere that noone else is going to reach, easily matching Downey Jr.’s performance as Stark.

    This week I grabbed the movie-inspired Hulk game for XBox and my only dissapointment in the game came from the voice-acting. It’s probably hard to act when you’re not acting, yet somehow cartoon voicers do it emphatically on a regular basis and a play-thru of GTAIV will show you that it can be done in games as well. But video game voicing and Edward Norton don’t mix.

    Norton’s character may be running a bit dry. I think you can only play yourself in so many roles before your just jack nicholson playing jack nicholson. Does that make sense? Anyway, I’m sure he’ll do a fine job. A bit harsh of me to say this all before even seeing the movie.

      

  6. I too am on the Ang Lee train. Despite an… ‘interesting’ finale I thought that film was superb. Bana and Elliott were both great casting choices.

    I simply have no desire whatsoever to see this new film. The trailers have done nothing for me, the cast seems uninspired (and yes, I mean Norton as well, who I think’s been treading water artistically for a few years now), and as silly as Ang Lee’s ending may have been to some, I’ll take a character deconstruction over two sets of pixels hitting each other for 20 minutes any day.

    Having said that, if you’re excited about and looking forward to this movie then I sincerely hope that it’s good. We’ve been on a great run of comic movies lately and, even though I’m not excited, I’d hate to see this break that streak.

    Bring on The Dark Knight! 

  7. All the people who remember the Ang Lee film fondly: did you ever see it a second time? I thought it was pretty good myself and thought the bad rep was unfair, so I recently rented it to watch again and by the 1-hour mark all I could think was, "God, why could this DVD not be scratched like everything else Netflix sends me? Ohhh here come the gamma poodles."

    Every time I see or hear the phrase "the CGI looks fake," a couple thousand of my brain cells that control patience burn out forever. The shark in Jaws looks totally fake; that’s why Jaws is such an awful movie, right? Yoda’s an obvious puppet; that’s why everyone hates The Empire Strikes Back. Please to be giving me a break, yes?

  8. @Dan Finally, someone who AGREES. Superman Returns would have been EXCELLENT if the Hulk was in it and hitting things.

     "Hulk smash baby Kent!"

    What, radioactive dogs are appropriate but not alien children?

  9. @Jimski – Not only have I seen Lee’s Hulk again, I proudly own the deluxe box-set. And I bought a replacement copy of the movie disc when a friend lost the original. I even like the gamma poodles! 🙂

    I’m with you on the CG argument though, good or bad effects do not affect a film’s quality. Unless you’re The Phantom Menace. 

  10. @jimski, I just sat down with my girl to watch the original, and we still liked it. I actually liked it BETTER this time..

  11. I can see the way the wind is blowing here: consensus is not in my favor. But bear in mind, again, many of my patience cells are gone for good.

  12. @Jimski – I own it as well. Everytime i watch it it gets better. Think I’m going to watch it again after we see the new one this afternoon.

  13. @jimski, don’t get me wrong, there is a good deal I DON’T like about the movie, but I just don’t think it’s worth all the malice it gets. When I put it next to other attempts like Catwoman, I realize how bad it COULD have been!

    Either way, when this new one hits DVD, I don’t think I’ll ever need to watch the Ang Lee version ever again.

  14. so really, all it takes to make a comic book movie good is….action?!?!? Sorry guys Lee’s version is still better than this movie, in my opinion. A lot of the complaint(that I can recall) of Lee’s version was that the CGI looked to big and fake right? Hulk looked just as much if not more fake and goofy in this film! PLus there was abosulety no chemistry between Ed and Liv if you ask me. On that note I thought Tyler would bring this film down, boy was I proved 100% wrong. She saved this film, from an acting stand point. All in all yes, you crazy’s got your ACTION MOVIE EXTRAVAGANZA but come on can you really say this movie holds a candle to the achievments set by Batman and/or Iron Man? Search your feelings ifanbase, you know it to be true!! LOL

  15. @Joshua.  I’m really surprised that you liked Tyler’s acting.  Its one of the main things that brought this movie down for me.  It was so overdone and cheesy.  You are right about there being absolutely no chemistry between Betty and Banner though.  Some of their scenes were just awkward and hard to watch.  

     Overall, I liked the movie though.  It wasn’t bad by any means, just not great.  It was rather formulaic, following a run, army shows up, Banner tries not to change, Banner Changes, Hulk smash army, rinse and repeat layout.  

     Favorite action scene of the movie, hands down was the "Round 2" Blonsky vs. Hulk fight.  The way Blonsky moves in that scene is amazing and needs to be looked at by whoever directs the Captain America movie.  That’s how a super soldier should move! It just seemed so effortless.  Perfect.  

    Who else thought it was funny when Stark said "The super soldier program is on ice"? I was the only person in the theatre (midnight showing) that laughed out loud… a little awkward since it was a full house.

    My friend claims he saw spider-man’s reflection in the glass of one of the New York buildings in the first scene when they’re in New York. I didn’t see it, but did anyone else? 

  16. I have no idea what everybody finds so facinating about Ang Lee’s Hulk.  Saw it in the theater when it came out, and can’t tell you one thing about it from memory other than ‘boring’.

    Stan Lee didn’t create the Hulk as a insightful examination of human psyche, he wrote him as a character that his fans (and himself) thought would be interesting and fun to read.  Ang’s version was definately interesting, he just forgot the ‘fun’ part.

    Hopefully this version can strike a better balance.

  17. @DanLikesBeer – Stan might not have created him that way, but Peter David’s classic run on HULK was in that vein.

  18. @conor – As a casual Hulk fan, never read the Peter David run.  I’ll have to see if it’s been digitized for marvel’s digital comics site.  But the question remains the same, was it ‘fun’?

    Examination of mental issues/problems in an effort to make a character interesting, can have a decidedly opposite effect. (see: Sentry)

  19. I loved planet Hulk.  I think if we could get a Hulk movie along the lines of that it would be awesome.

  20. @DanLikes – It was fun, but then so was Ang Lee’s HULK.  But that’s neither here nor there – back to INCREDIBLE HULK!

  21. I will go see is as long as they worked in the "The Lonely Man" music from the TV show.

  22. @DustCoveredTravis – Liking one does not preclude liking the other.  They are two completely different types of movies.

  23. @Conor – I’m not saying it completely precludes it, I’m just saying they’re two different types of film for two different types of people. If you liked the Ang Lee one, you will almost certainly like this one less. It’s possible to enjoy both if you’re open to different types of film or you like different things, and a lot of people do, but if you really know what you like they’re going to appeal to very different audiences.

  24. I saw the movie at a midnight screening here in San Diego last night.  I thought it was great… some things that especially impressed me…

    1) The effects were a LOT better than what I was expecting (granted, I wasn’t expecting much)

    2) Norton as Banner was perfect … i reeeeeeally hope he will be back for a sequel and the Avengers flick

    3) Stan Lee’s cameo 

  25. @DustCoveredTravis – Yeah, I don’t agree with that.

  26. I’m looking forward to seeing this tonight and I too am a fan of Hulk, although I did have to see two or three times to come around.  While I think this one is going to be good, I can’t stand it when studios/filmmakers scream "do-over!" just because a film wasn’t well received.  If fans and critics had been more positive and it had made more money, IH probably would have been a direct sequel.  People using Batman Begins as a term now to descibe a darker more serious direction of an already established franchise or movie doesn’t make any sense either.  The original Batman franchise that started in 89 was 4 films that had run its coarse.  To make another Batman movie with a different tone made sense, but Hulk only came out 5 years ago.  I would have liked the same cast even if they wanted different writers/director; but if your going to go with a different cast and type of movie, you can still acknowledge the first film.  But with that said I like Ed Norton and the director seemed really enthusiastic at the NYCC, so it should be fun.

  27. I enjoyed The Hulk. Good movie. Penetrating Ang Lee material. It’s held up on follow up viewings too.

     

    Now, The Incredible Hulk? Liked it too. Completely different kind of movie. But Good. Liked it better than Indy 4, but not by much. Effects: cool. Norton: fine, fine Banner. Tyler: she’s…okay (and is developing man-arms; the legs still awesome, arms…not so much). Roth: good. Hurt: workmanlike performance. Tim Blake Nelson: creeepy as all get out, and will be back in one of the Marvel movies with his spooky, gamma brain.

    Stayed past the credits. My guess is the Ross/Stark meeting was the "stay after the credits" scene but got moved somewhere along the line. The Banner ending seemed like the "real" ending. The barroom meetup was too forced to have been orginally intended to be the pre-credits end.

  28. @RobAbsten – I agree about the past credits thing, but I’m sort of glad they stuck it before the credits, I had to pee.

     

    @Conor – Guess we’ll have to agree to disagree. I’m probably wrong, I was just trying to make fan’s of the Ang Lee one not mad at me. I hate confrontation. What did you think of this one?

  29. Well that was anticlimatic.

    The Ang Lee thing still wasn’t better… but this new Hulk still suffered it’s shares of pitfalls.  I’d rather have gotten more of suspenseful chase by the military than what happened here.  It made Iron Man look that much better, but was still better than Batman Begins.

    I loved the little Bill Bixby tribute, and the ‘don’t make me hungry’ bit. 

  30. I personally loved the movie.  The Hulk was okay, but it seemed a little too preachy for a blockbuster.  I also like this Hulk character better as a huge entity, but not the size of a building as he sometimes was in Lee’s version.

    I think my favorite aspect of the whole thing was that Banner could take care of himself a bit.  He was book smart and street smart.  Plus he threw a guy in the street that was cool.  I would love to see this acting/directing team back for a couple more rides in the future.

    My only complaint is that my theater printed "Hulk" on the ticket.  I guess the time stamp will have to do.

  31. @YoSoyJu – Agreed. Honestly, you pointed out one of the things I disliked the most about the Ang Lee one. THat the Hulk kept getting bigger and smaller depending on how angry he was. I know it was supposed to illustrate that but in application it just made me feel like they couldn’t get a uniform CGI down. I like the hulk at about 16 or 17 feet tall.

  32. I was a big fan of the Ang Lee version, namely because I am an Ang Lee fan. When the general consensus seemed to be that there wasn’t enough action, it was a surprise because I wasn’t left clamoring for it afterwards. X-men had a comparable amount of action in my opinion. CGI wise, what example of a huge green giant is realistic? My only gripe was that I did not like Bana at all as Banner.

    Incredible Hulk is just a different movie. Hulk was more cinema, IH is more of a "movie". IH was good in that it captured the spirit of the Hulk mythos while appealing to those clamoring for action. The action was excellent in this film, especially the battle at the campus. The humor was good when it was there but this had a sad undertone throughout (enhanced by "The Lonely Man" theme) that left me feeling very sympathetic for Bruce and I guess Betty as well, whereas with Ironman there was more of an eager excitement for the next adventure.

    All in all I’d say this was an RBI Double for Marvel

     

  33. I just saw it. I liked both movies, but this one was way better. It was actually fun.

  34. Still processing. I will say my favorite part of the audience reaction was when Lou Ferrigno’s cameo happened; five people cheered, and then you quietly heard the sound of 37 sets of parents explaining to their kids why we were supposed to give a s*** about that security guard.

  35. I liked it a lot! 

  36. @ benjy.  the music is in it.  All of my friends and i laughed during it (which is during a serious scene) and the entire theatre kinda shot glances our way like we were mean or something.

  37. Good times with Hulk.  If Iron Man is a 5 I’d give it a 4 1/2

  38. Ok, so I saw the new film and I really liked it alot. The story elements were sparse, but they filled in the spaces between the action, were pretty well acted, and basically they just didn’t screw any of it up. The action was great and most importantly, the Hulk fought a definitive villain at the end where the fight was easy to follow. I note this about the end of the movie because this is where the previous Hulk movie died, IMO. The end of the Ang Lee version was very muddled. It was unclear exactly what the villain was and the "fight" was completely incoherent. This is completely unforgivable in a superhero movie. Artistic license, character moments, plot development, human emotion and behavior studies can all be interesting, and in some genres you might even argue they can make a complete package in whatever artistic medium you choose. However, the essence of superheros are the battle between good and evil. How can you have any kind of superhero work without a defined "evil" that the superhero fights and a clear victory?

  39. oh, as far as ratings, I would give the new Hulk an 8 out of 10 (In comparison with a 9 out of 10 for Ironman which had a much meatier story and was slightly better overall)

  40. Can’t wait to see the Incredible Hulk.  I’m a huge fan of Ang Lee’s Hulk, especially the first half.  I think it got mostly negative reactions because people wanted fun instead of drama.  For one, I would love to see more drama in comic films!  Keeping my fingers crossed that this will be Incredible!

  41. So after seeing the new IH I just had to watch the Ang Lee version again, perhaps to solidify my opinion between the two films. Some thoughts which occured to me were:

    Bruce Banner is not the most charismatic character in the Marvel Universe, he’s not Tony Stark. So it’s not that difficult to play the role. Then who played the part more effectively: Bana or Norton? Too many fanboys are going to jump into Norton’s corner, even before seeing the film, just because they love Fight Club and American History X. It’s why they put him there, Duh! And it worked (go figure). And while he did play the role well. It was not perfect. It was acceptable. So calm down and go dry yourself off already.

    I sympathized with Norton as Bruce Banner. But then, I’ve always sympathized with Bruce Banner, spec. when they play that damn song from the classic television series! So why can’t I help feeling Norton was so dry? The answer’s simple: scripting. While Bana may not have blown the doors off the role either, he atleast had a natural flow to his dialogue (less exposition please).

    The most important factor in my preference between the two is the recognition. I can’t get away from the fact that Norton is "the guy" from Fight Club and Derek Vinyard from American History X. That’s who I see. Just like when I see Samuel Jackson as Nick Fury I can’t help but see Jules and Mace Windu. Sure, Bana may have played some roles, but none that I’ve watched as much as I’ve watched Fight Club and American History X.

    So who wins the best performance role as Bruce Banner? Bill Bixby. Hands down.  

    How about the other actors? They were important, too. Right?

    Liv Tyler vs. Jennifer Connelly: Liv Tyler’s never been a great actor. Jennifer Connelly has. It’s come up within this particular post that Tyler and Norton’s chemistry wasn’t entirely believable. Well, don’t blame it all on Tyler. Maybe Norton’s dryness had something to do with that as well. But then, maybe Tyler’s just one of those girls that cries so much that you’ve begun to lose your compassion for her?

    I don’t feel that way when Jennifer cries though. It hurts me. She always has the look of "I wish we could be together but you know it won’t work". It’s the look every guy who’s had his heart broken knows all too well. Her relationship to the General was also much easier to accept. Don’t blame it all on Connelly though. Sam Elliott rocked!

    Our winner for Ms. Betty Ross: CONNELLY

    General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross/ Sam Elliott vs. William Hurt: This is a very sensistive area for me and probably what infuriates me most about Marvel throwing in the towel on the Ang Lee directed film.

    Imagine if Iron Man had gone twenty minutes too long and people decided that the movie, as a whole, was terrible just for it. So five years later Marvel decided to revamp the movie and fill the role of Tony Stark with Charlie Sheen. I mean, he’s got dark hair. He’s cocky and arrogant. Why not? Because Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark, even before he played the role. That’s who he is. He’s barely acting.

    William Hurt’s a fine actor. Just like everyone else in the new film. He looked the part and he acted the part, but Sam Elliott was General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross. Now he’s just a casualty of the american public’s attention deficit disorder. 

    General Ross: Sam Elliott

    The villain role/ Nick Nolte vs. Tim Roth: I think a lot of people un-privy to Bruce Banner’s ‘actual’ past were thrown off by Nolte’s role as Bruce’s father. Most people don’t realize that Bruce has a history prior to the gamma bomb. I was one of them. And it bothered me, too. It didn’t seem necessary. But when I watched the film again in an effort to make sense of it I started to appreciate it. Each time I watch now I accept it a little more.

    David Banner’s a creepy dude who’s been in lockdown for a long time. Nick Nolte’s a creepy dude who’s been drunk for a long time. Eh, close. So Nolte’s a little over the top with the role. But what do we know of the character? I’d say the general public don’t know jack. Take it and run with it Nolte!

    *check out this vid and the other NBK vids on youtube for a comedic look at nolte and a greater appreciation for what a crazy f#*k he is:

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=q29CY76Mo9U

    How about Tim Roth as the Abomination? Not bad. Not great. A common theme in this new film? I don’t know, don’t you think that as a Super Soldier, or even before that, he might have been a bit more physically presentable? Was he threatenting as scrawny as he was?

    His elusiveness on scene during the fight with Hulk.. top o’ the line, boyo! Yes, let us hope that the Cap’ will move just as well in his feature film (come on and get here already 2010). The Abomination’s role, however, a tad short. I hoped he would get a chance to breath before his final (?) fight, but that’s okay – still fun to watch.

    Nick Nolte vs. Tim Roth: Undecided.

    The truth about these two films is thus: Ang Lee’s film, a work of art that went over most people’s heads. Might have been twenty minutes too long. But great if aeasthetics and depth are your thing. The new film, more practical and easy to accept. Amusing yet shallow. A great film nonetheless. A true Hulk fan, which I am, will tell you that he/she liked both, which I will. I won’t say that one was better than the other because it’d just be my opinion and someone would be more inclined to argue with what I’ve said.

    Add. Notes:

    The CGI Hulk in the new film, much cooler than the last. Wish they could put him in Ang Lee version.

    Lou Ferigno was also in Ang Lee film.

    I think it would be more fun to have put the Stark cameo after the credits and keep the pattern going, but I didn’t wanna wait either.

    Watch Ang Lee version until you get it.

    Poodle. Not poodles.

    Finally: Hulk is at his best when he’s most threatening. It’s what made the campus scene so awesome. So much so that I had chills down my spine as he began to fight through the audio waves. Never did I doubt that he would pull thru. The most threatening that he’s ever been was last year during WWH – many chilling moments there. Don’t hate it just cause someone else says it’s bad.

    EXCELSIOR!      

  42. Solid movie…makes me want to see Iron Man again…

  43. Enjoyed the Ang Lee version a lot (I’ll join the choir and say the climax felt befuddled and silly considering it was a Hulk movie. I loved the Banner-backstory and army fight in the desert though). Enjoyed this Hulk movie even more though – I’m a sucker for the old TV series just as much as the next (fan)guy, so that helped, and the cohesive intergration with the rest of the MU really helped it out.

    Random: Consequently, another problem I had with Ang Lee’s version is it just felt so seperate and on it’s own. The small touches, such as the namedropping, icons and cameos IH was able to include, would’ve helped Hulk tremendously, giving it a sense of singularity with all their other properties. Alas, Marvel wasn’t producing their own stuff at the time though, so I’m glad they were able to at least restart this in their studio’s continuity. 

    Anyway, yeah, Marvel’s 2-0. I hope this + Iron Man (which is at what, $500 mil now?) gives them the collateral and clout that they’re needing to do Thor, Ironman2, Captain America and The Avengers correctly. I also hope they don’t rush it (http://www.aintitcool.com/node/37037). 

  44. this movie was much better than ang lee’s movie.  ang lee is not that great of a director anyway, sorry.  he’s capable, but he tends to pick projects that are going to get him attention for the subject matter, or for some new innovation used during filming.  very little of what sells his tickets is his actual directing.  tony scott, spike lee, werner herzog, paul thomas anderson, the coen brothers, ridley scott, scorcese, these are directors who deserve acclaim, not ang lee.

    anyway, i really enjoyed the leader hint, and the fact that the big fight scene was in the city where the hulkster could actually cause some damage instead of knockin over some rocks and…i dont know…shrubs and stuff.  the lab thing pisses me off too, but what are you gonna do.  tim roth was awesome, and liv tyler (while not as hot as jennifer connely, was much more enjoyable in the role.  william hurt seemed a little awkward in that moustache

  45. Never could make it through the Ang Lee Hulk. This was good but not great. I can’t put my finger on it but something was missing. It had a great cast but no one really shown through for me (except for the guy who played Mr. Blue…sorry too lazy to look him up…he was AWESOME).

    I really dug the scene between Hulk and Betty in the cave/rain. I read Hulk Grey a while back but if memory serves me correctly that scene in the movie was very similar to a scene in one of the issues of that great mini (can’t wait for Captain America: White…I think Loeb and Sale need to do Wolverine: Brown next).

    As someone said earlier this film made me want to see Ironman again and very excited for the potential that an Avenger flick now has. I think the Dark Knight is the last summer blockbuster on my list of must-see-in-the-theater-flicks.  

  46. To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t expecting to like this movie much at all. I’m not a huge fan of Hulk in the comics, I don’t think he’s a bad character or anything it’s just not my cup of tea. The trailers did it no justice, they didn’t excite me for it at all and in fact the only reason I went to see it last night was because my friends were going. Let’s just say I was very pleasantly surprised.

    I enjoyed it a lot! I haven’t seen the first movie so I can’t comment on that but really, this is about the new one so I don’t think that matters. Comparisions are inevitable but I think people should try to focus on this as a separete entity rather than look at it alongside Ang Lee’s Hulk movie. I thought Ed Norton and Liv Tyler had great chemistry, they really made me believe in the characters and their relationship. That was possibly my favourite part of the movie.

    Oh apart from Stan Lee’s cameo.

     

    And Tim Roth getting kicked into a tree >.>

  47. @ActualButt — I was starting to get riled until I finished your sentence. I like some of Ang Lee’s visuals, for sure, but I’ll agree with your list of superior directors. Was just watching PTA’s Blood yesterday, and Magnolia and Boogie last weekend – that guy’s incredible.

     @LadyTartan — Totally agreed. The trailers didn’t really do the film justice, but that could almost be a nice surprise in this case. My primary worry of The Dark Knight is that by the time we finally get to see it, the trailers will have clued us in on most of the best parts…

     

  48. Just got back and man was this an improvement on the first one.  The Hulk actually felt like a character in this one instead of just a CGI creation.

  49. Avatar photo Paul Montgomery (@fuzzytypewriter) says:

    Has this been mentioned? 

    Mr. Green

    Mr. Blue

     ….Mr. Orange

  50. Thought it was very very good. Cast played each part great. Good fanboy stuff. Just amazing overall

  51. I thought the new movie was an ass load of fun. The other movie, not so much. It tried a lot harder, and in acheived more in great many respects, but for me, the film spent most of it’s time failing. The plot was convuluted, It was extremely slow, I found the panel effects a little irritatating, though I suppose others might have liked it. The first movie was more "artsy", but artsy is not a word I’ve ever used as anything close to a compliment. Movies aren’t supposed to be artsy. They are supposed to be artful. They are supposed to be good. They are supposed to be captivating. I found the first movie to be all to often awkward and dull. This new movie was merely fun, but it was a lot of fun and it acheived all it was trying to achieve.

    But I don’t want to insult Ang Lee. I think he’s made some great movies. Brokeback Mountain is an incredible, well-directed, subtle movie that will untterly destroy you and look like it’s not even trying. If he wanted to give superhero movies another shot, that would be something I’d be happy to see.

  52. Norton was superb in this movie, as was most of the rest of the cast. Tyler, I’m sorry, was a little beefy for me. She looks like she needs to lose about 15 pounds. She didn’t wear the extra weight well here. Sorry, but babes in U.S. blockbusters can’t be anything less than perfect. That’s just the law of the jungle. She also tends to overact. That was really the only negative, though. 

    As for the Hulk action scenes, the people who complain about watching CGI for the last 20 minutes may want to ask themselves why they went to the movie in the first place. There’s no other way to do it. That’s why Lou Ferregno plays the security guard, and not ‘ol Salad Head.

    One reviewer made a solid point, as well. If Banner wanted to keep his pulse rate low, why did he live in an overcrowded hellhole and work in a greasy, rickety bottling plant just waiting to blow up?

    Quibbling over, I agree with lantern4life above, 4.5 stars out of 5. Iron Man gets a 5.

     

    Can’t wait for Alfred Pennyworth and son next month…

     

     

     

     

     

  53. @PaulMontgomery: Betty also orders something called a "Mr. Pink" when she goes into the pizza parlor.

     

    I loved it. I do really want to see the "Ed Norton cut", though. I’m curious about all the stuff that was chucked out.

    I thought the CGI was really impressive for most of the film. The only time I thought it looked like a video game was when Hulk busted out of that walkway thing on the college campus. 

  54. ‘Hulk’ grabs muscular $54.5M on opening weekend

    LOS ANGELES – "The Incredible Hulk" was a box-office bruiser, yanking in $54.5 million over opening weekend and laying to rest the stigma of his unappreciated big-screen adventure five years ago.

    "The Hulk got a second chance, got angry and came back with a vengeance," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "This was a big question mark going in. The film had a history or a checkered past."

    Ang Lee’s "Hulk" opened in 2003 with a whopping $62.1 million weekend but then rolled over and died in subsequent weeks amid terrible word of mouth. That movie crawled to $132.2 million in sales, seemingly a respectable total but actually meager considering its huge first weekend.

    More in link.

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080615/ap_on_en_tv/box_office;_ylt=ApHNAL2VQAjfe.J9xYQuP.2s0NUE 

     

  55. Hey, good on the big green fella! That’s higher than I thought it’d open, and despite a slightly smaller weekend than Lee’s version the good buzz going around should see it soar past the first one’s gross.

    Like I said before, even though I have no interest in seeing this, I’m glad people are digging it and it’s doing well… It seems we’re on a roll with these babies!

  56. I thought this film was superior in every way to Ang Lee’s version with the exception of Ross, who I felt his motivations were much weaker assomeone who wants to duplicate the Hulk as opposed to wanting to destroy the Hulk.  I was also Hulk not regenerating from wounds was kind of annoying, but other than that, this was truly a better film than the other Hulk in just about every way.  I’d put it right under Iron Man in terms of quality.

  57. One thing I didn’t get to mention on the show is that I much prefer the look of the Hulk itself in Ang Lee’s film to this Hulk.

  58. The Hulk’s face was more Kirby-ish this time around.  And I did like that they managed to keep Hulk and Bruce’s hair consistant where the last one, Bana would have Norton’s hair, but Hulk would automatically get short-cropped more spiky hair.

  59. I thought Ang Lee’s Hulk looked like a cross between Buscema (who is the iconic Hulk artist, for me) and Eric Bana.

  60. Avatar photo Paul Montgomery (@fuzzytypewriter) says:

    I liked both Hulk models.  It’s cool that they can do tow very different looking designs and both are pretty successful. 

     

    I totally forgot.  Best cameo ever:  Martin Starr in the computer lab.  Bill lives!!!

     

  61. Martin Starr was a great cameo.

    Michael Kenneth Williams?  Not so great.

  62. Avatar photo Paul Montgomery (@fuzzytypewriter) says:

    Forgot about that.  My annoyingly unresponsive audience was flabbergasted by Michael Kenneth Williams. 

     A guy screamed "WIIIIIIIRE!" as if he were just waking up from a nap.  

  63. Wait one darn-tootin’ minute! Martin Starr is in this??? That may have changed my mind about seeing this…

    "You cut me off mid-funk!" 

  64. It was mystifying and took me completely out of the movie.  "Why would he…?"  Maybe the answer lies in the 70 minutes of cut footage.

  65. Avatar photo Paul Montgomery (@fuzzytypewriter) says:

    Martin Starr makes a painfully brief cameo as a student eating a slice of pizza in a computer lab. 

     Anyone else recognize him from the establishing shot and not just the close up?  Such is my Apatow mania.  

  66. Aaaaaaand… I’m sold! This new Martin Starr info, along with the Ed Norton sketch on Kimmell, has convinced me.

    Dammit, all they had to do was put Bill in the trailer and I’d have been there opening night! 

  67. I tried to watch the Ang Lee Hulk a few weeks ago in prep for the new one but I honestly fell asleep during it. It’s just really boring and not good at all. I can’t even remember what the story in that one was.  All I know is the Incredible Hulk is incredibly better. It’s not Iron Man good but it’s pretty close up there. I can’t wait for the extended version.

  68. I just want to say I liked the way the abomination looked.

  69. @ NealAppeal – At first I thought the Abomination looked like something left in a glad bag for too long that decided to come to life and kill things, however the exoskeleton deal was cool a cool effect and I liked the evolution from Emile to the Abomination. I think that he was the perfect choice for the movie because he outmatched Hulk added that monster movie thrill to it.  Also, the choice Hulk made concerning killing Abomination or not helped us understand the personality of the Hulk, that he is not a monster that likes to romp around South America beating up factory disgruntled workers just misunderstood.  However these villians that are based directly off the good guys might get a little stale if Marvel Studios keeps this up.  Iron Monger and Abomination are understandable, however I am hoping Captain America isn’t fighting US Agent and instead going after the Red Skull or Hydra.

  70. @Webnet Your point about villains is right on. That’s weak stuff, but It makes it easier to set up a villain in the origin. Not that this was an origin. But for sure the captain america villain has to be the red skull. It’s not only the one logical choice, but it’s crazy aweseom. I just wonder who the villain would be for the avengers movie.

  71. @Webnet – The Red Skull *was* a copy of Captain America – he was the product of Germany’s attempt at the Super Soldier Program.  Germany wanted their own Captain America and thus The Red Skull.

  72. @Conor – I really should have know that and your right Conor.  What I wanted to see is a villian that is not just a beefed up copy, I guess I was wrong to use the Red Skull as an example (I didn’t know he was a German super soldier); However you see what I am saying concerning the same repetive villian that is just bigger and better, having basically the same powers as the hero.

  73. @Webnet – I totally do and I didn’t even make the connection between Iron Monger and Abomination until you brought it up.  That was a great observation.

  74. Soooo… I gave it a shot. And yeah, I really liked it. I can’t believe how screwed over this film was by the trailers, this was so much better than I expected. The Banner scenes were more fun to me than the Hulk stuff, and Norton seemed to be actually having fun. And Tim Roth was ace. Some really well thought out action and structuring too. So lots to like…

    Apart from the end, didn’t like the Abomination fight at all. And William Hurt basically phoned his performance in (I missed Sam Elliott). I can’t believe that was Tim Blake-Nelson, I simply refuse to believe that was him. A well respected actor and director on a level that Blake-Nelson is simply couldn’t end up being the most annoying thing I’ve seen in a film for years. It just wouldn’t happen. Sure, the "credits" tell us it was him, but they must be lying to us, people!!!

    Overall, I still prefer Lee’s film as it has a bit more depth, and I don’t think I’ll buy this on DVD, but I’m willing to eat some crow and saying this was  a hell of a lot better than I expected (or, more to the point again, better than I was led to expect from just a horrible marketing campaign). Glad I saw it on the big screen.

    BRING ON THE DARK KNIGHT!!! 

  75. So this first part is in response to @jimski and I really agree that it is kind of hard to sit through Ang Lee’s version after the first time in theaters. I don’t think there’s been a time where I didn’t fall asleep during it. I really enjoyed it in theaters for some reason, but doesn’t hold up to multiple viewings and its not the action just some of the cast didn’t stand out well for me. I actually liked Sam Elliot and Josh Lucas most in the film. Eric Bana looked too bulked out for a scientist to me and probably trying to hide his accent, and Jennifer Connelly as much as I enjoy some of her work I didn’t buy in the role. I think it was just how the characters were written. Also, I don’t know what villain the father was supposed to be, but I didn’t really care for his final confrontation like most others.

     This new one, it felt more like what I knew of the Hulk. As far as I knew of the original Hulk was basically Frankenstein’s Monster. I believed Ed Norton’s performance over Bana’s since it seemed like he was making it his own character. Liv Tyler I thought did a good enough job that I believed she really cared for him and wanted to believe that a part of Banner was still in the Hulk. I had heard Hurt’s version of Gen. Ross was in line with a trade/arc but I can’t recall which but his performance, motives and looks. I could also see why Betty would hate him so much, but still loves him to some degree. The most surprising thing about this movie was the director. I was not too fond of the Transporter movies mainly the second. This felt like such a departure though that if I didn’t know I would have never have guessed. As it is late, I should wrap this up. I was not surprised by them saying it was not crowded at the time they were seeing it maybe. I saw it twice and it was packed at 5pm on Friday and completely sold out and fully seated on Saturday afternoon. So far this Summer most of the movies I’ve seen have been awesome and look forward to more.

  76. I saw this yesterday with a friend, and was somewhat surprised by it.  My initial reaction was:  it’s ok, but I don’t really get the point of it.  It didn’t really do anything new.

    But after listening to the podcast and reading comments, I think I liked it much more than that because, in retrospect, I had a really fun time watching it. 

    I can’t wait for the DVD because I’m dying to see Norton’s vision for the film (which will hopefully be included in the non-Blu-Ray formats…or I’ll hopefully have Blu-Ray by then….).  A suicide scene in the very beginning?  Color me intrigued.

  77. Avatar photo PymSlap (@alaska_nebraska) says:

    I loved the stuff in Brazil! Dr. Banner’s factory girl from the favela was cute. Meanwhile, back in Harlem… maybe it was because his head was missing the scales and fins, but the Abomination sorta resembled John McCain.

  78. I saw this last night, and I haven’t gotten to the podcast or read through all the comments yet, but I wanted to mention that I really enjoyed it. 

    I have some criticisms — the setup of the first half hour was more interesting than most of the payoff, and I’m not sure any of the characters changed or grew in any way (they’re pretty much back at status quo by the end).  Plus, I’ve never liked Liv Tyler, and the Labcoat Barbie role here didn’t help with that at all.

    But the good definitely overwhelmed the negative.  The movie was well-paced and suspenseful, Norton and the non-Liv-Tyler supporting cast were great, and there were a lot of great nods to comics and TV fandom.  All I was really looking for was a Marvel movie I wouldn’t be *embarrassed* to recommend, and this one far exceeded expectations.   

  79. did you also notice that the kid next to Mcgee character was Jim Wilson? I thought that was a cool nod too.

  80. Also, rumored that part of the 70mins that Norton wanted in the movie was when Banner goes into the Arctic(its a scene in the trailers) he Hulks out and tries to kill himself or whatever and accidentally uncovers a frozen Steve Rogers…

  81. @troy say what?! And also 70mins? there’s another 70 minutes? I think even an extra 20 would be too much, but I hope we get the missing bits in the DVD.

  82. @NealAppeal – What Troy says is correct – there is supposedly 70 minutes of extra footage for the DVD, much of which is supposd to be comprised of scenes of inner turmoil and anguish that Edward Norton wanted in the movie.  Also, the Captain America scene.

  83. I have never really enjoyed reading the Indcredible Hulk and the few issues I have read were part of the K-mart special pack because I wanted the Todd McFarlane Sideways Spider-man issue.  You know how that is.  I saw this movie on Monday and was skeptical because I HATED Ang Lee’s.  I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised.  I generally thought you guys gave a great review of the movie barring the comment about Liv Tyler’s acting and the woman who was "taken out of the movie" by the purple pants.  I loved every nod to the fanboys in this movie and as much as it pains me to say it, Liv Tyler’s acting ability has finally grown out of Aerosmith videos.  (That being said, her lips looked huge in the movie!!  Maybe they were affected by gamma radiation?? or gamma irradiated fluids??  What was up with those things?)  The sad thing here is that you were right about Ed Norton becoming Bruce Banner for me in the bumbling withdrawn style and after refusing to promote the movie because and that whole drama, there is no WAAAAAY he will appear in the Avengers movie and everyone should just stop holding their breath for that.  I’m sure the Avengers will still rock anyway. One thing about Hulk’s new CGI that you missed, it was much more characterized in that you could see in his eyes andon his face what he was thinking.  It was actually bittersweet to see the light from the chopper shine on him at the end and he doesn’t freak, but instead, gives a tired, almost stoic look back to Betty and you know that he knows "It’s time to run again."  Then we are back to the "Dora the Explorer on Steroids" theme of the Hulk.  Swiper, no Swipen or HULK SMASH!!!

  84. @marshak75 — I should, perhaps, concede that Liv Tyler is a pretty good actress considering that she’s handicapped by only having one facial expression.  Possibly a side-effect of the collagen.

    Also, I’m incredibly bummed that Norton seems so unlikely to do an Avengers movie.  I can’t say I blame him, but I didn’t know this when I saw the film and I kept daydreaming about him and Downey playing off each other, which would have been amazing.

  85. Edward Norton, Robert Downey Jr, Samuel L. Jackson (and apparently Marvel are looking for a ‘Brad Pitt type’ for Thor)… How much is this Avengers movie gonna cost? It better outgross Titanic or Marvel are sunk. Not hating, just saying.

  86. I liked how Tony Stark mentioned the supersoldier promgram being "on ice."

  87. I can’t believe how many people like this movie. I loved Iron Man but I thought tha The Incredible Hulk was horrendous. The story was unengaging, the characterization was borderline non-existent, the CGI was horrible, the pacing was screwy, it had next to no sense of humour or sense of fun and, Edward Norton aside, the cast were all underwhelming.

    I liked the Marvel Universe nods, the action was actually pretty decent and seeing Robert Downey Jr even for a couple of minutes couldn’t help but elevate this turkey of a film. Sorry, even Ang Lee’s take was better than this because, hey, at least he tried.

     

  88. @ Eyun Well, if you think about it, Dark Knight has Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhardt, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, and Morgan Freeman all together in the same movie. That had to cost a lot as well.    And Patrick Stweart, Ian McKellan, Halle Berry, Kelsey Grammar, and Hugh Jackman were all in X-Men and there wasn’t any concern over the budget.  Chances are Marvel will go for unknowns to play Cap and Thor and the Pyms.  Lord knows who they’ll pay for enough villains though…

  89. @Tork – The actors you are talking about are no where near the cost level of a Downey and a Norton.  They’re not A-listers.

  90. @Conor – Robert Downey Jr. is (was) no A-lister either (as long as we mean A-list, as in bankability, not talent).

  91. Do we have a price listing for these guys?  Because if anybody’s A-list, I think it’s Caine and Freeman.

  92. @Tork – A-listers are poeple who star in movies and open them.  Freeman and Caine are not those people.  Caine was many decades ago, but now he’s a supporting player.  "A-list" is not about stature or ability, it’s about star power.

  93. @Ilash – Downey is an A-lister now.  He will make A-list money for his next few projects.

  94. OK, fair enough.

  95. I think it’s interesting that no one is talking about the fact that the business for INCREDIBLE HULK has stalled out big-time (same for WANTED).  INCREDIBLE HULK is hovering around $125 million and it’s probably going to end up close to HULK’s $132 million domestic take, which was considered a big failure (and it had a smaller production budget than INCREDIBLE HULK).

    It’s possible that all of these big comic book movies are canabalizing each other’s box office.

  96. @conor  That wouldn’t surprise me at all, esp. with the ‘Iron Man’ overlap.

    I actually remember that the only reason I saw the Ang Lee ‘Hulk’ is that I wanted to see X2 again but it was out of the theaters by that time. 

    I bet it doesn’t hurt ‘Dark Knight,’ but it might well hurt ‘Hellboy.’   

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