| |
 |
|
If
you have been listening to talk about Ang Lee’s
HULK, you have heard comparisons to other stories: Beauty
and the Beast, King Kong, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the
entire Frankenstein sub-genre. Of course The Hulk is a
comic book character, not archetypal source material;
what’s laudable about this treatment of the Marvel
character is the director’s vision. A heavyweight in
the arena of action and CGI technology, HULK also slams
viewers with plenty to think about.
You know the story: the victim of stray radiation,
scientist Bruce Banner transforms into an angry bundle of
muscles with green skin whenever he meets up with severe
emotional trauma. A rarity among Marvel heroes: Banner’s
powers are but a reaction, though the big mute figure
does use his strength – and immediate healing –
for the cause of good beyond the revenge targeted at a
given stressor. Indeed, we like the big guy because he
saves others, Superman-like, and displays human
intelligence – at least until he is forced to react
with more rage toward his pursuers.
The team of screenwriters portrays a military man,
General Ross (Sam Elliott), as the most relentless
persecutor. Elliott does a marvelous job as the ram-rod
straight four-star general, a very hands-on keeper of the
peace who confronted Bruce Banner’s scientist father
David long before Bruce suffered the first tinge of
greenness. Elliott physically resembles Peter Parker’s
editor from Spider-Man, but his General Ross is a rounder
character. Although Elliott has been accused of “almost”
overacting in this role (appropriate in such a campy
role, no?), he plays Ross as a by-the-book commander and
a genuinely concerned father to Banner’s ex-girlfriend,
Betty Ross (Jennifer Connelly).
Perhaps a bigger conflict in Bruce Banner’s life is
Mr. Talbot (Josh Lucas). Talbot is the least developed
villain in the piece, a puppet that stands in for the
greedy military-industrial-scientific complex (President
Eisenhower’s original phrase). Lucas functions well
enough in the part of a fearless and uncaring fiend out
to make a buck from the Hulk’s DNA, if only he could
harvest some.
Jennifer Connelly’s character, Betty, faces a
quandary that truly engages us. Once intimate with
colleague Bruce Banner, she keeps a friendly distance now.
What an uncommon situation! A story lacking a physical
love interest would seem to be a hard one to tell today,
but director Lee sculpts a believable relationship
between two young scientists who essentially do not get
the chance to show their love. Connelly’s acting is
the most transparent in the piece.
Eric Bana as Bruce Banner turns in a good portrayal,
though his brilliance as a scientist is not promoted
enough: at times Bana’s vacant stares dull the hyper-consciousness
so necessary for Banner’s predicament to be fully
moving. It’s fair to say his clearest foil is his
father, the discredited scientist David Banner (Nick
Nolte). The elder Banner has a hand in a most curious
subplot, and Nolte demonstrates his experience and
expertise in ranting on a par with the best actors of his
generation.
This movie has good looks: Ang Lee apparently camped out
in the digs of Industrial Light and Magic – a first
– and the results are both sumptuous and subtle. For
instance, the language of comic books is stylish and
understated, as Lee and his editors split the screen
several ways, to further the story as well as to build
transitions within and between sequences. Further, the
computer-generated images and effects surrounding them
appear seamless. And it would probably take pages to
explore the extensive imagery that Lee spreads throughout
the story. For one, we spot repeated shots of mottled
organic structures, patterns of vegetation, swirling
molecular designs, weathered and striated wood, snippets
of mental images shooting through Banner’s feverish
brain as he finds himself chased through the plains and
rocky passes of Monument Valley. All these shots, along
with variations on themes from downright deep stories,
give us a serious adaptation of the plight of the Hulk,
himself one of the least graceful of heroes.
But there are also cool chases scenes, including loads of
fire power and an over-the-top shooting gallery among the
desert canyons. Lots of interaction between the Hulk and
his surroundings holds us fascinated. What Ang Lee has
put together is a solid companion piece to other films
made from graphic texts, and an artful exploration of
conflicts both external and internal.
Related
Links:
Copyright ©
1997-2003 Bjørn
Erik Hundland. All rights
reserved.
Film related properties mentioned herein are ©
to their respective owners. Best viewed at 800x600
with IE and/or Netscape. Hosted by Digiweb Norge. |
|
|
 
|
