about Maverick 管家仔囉哩叭唆

Directed by: Ang Lee
Cast: Eric Bana (Bruce Banner/The Hulk), Jennifer Connelly (Betty Ross), Nick Nolte (Father)

A psychological drama with a CG makeover, Ang Lee’s Hulk is – ironically, considering its subject matter – a Jekyll and Hyde of a film. Too verbose and intense for the blockbuster thrillseekers, but too full of silly monsters and outlandish action to appeal to serious cinema goers, it ended up pleasing very few indeed.

It’s a shame because there’s an awful lot to admire about the film. The cinematography is amazing, the acting (bar Nick Nolte’s mumbling) is excellent and Ang Lee’s gimmick of using comic book framing and split screens gives the film a unique comic book look without resorting to the gaudy visuals usually associated with comics on the silver screen. And while the CG Hulk is not the greatest creation (you half suspect a CG monster poodle was included just to make the film’s Hulk look better by comparison), the big action sequences in the desert – with the Hulk facing off against the full might of the US military – are completely stunning.

However, Hulk can be dull and talky, not to mention a tad pretentious, and the story meanders all over the place. There are some lofty ambitions here, but unlike The Dark Knight, these get in the way of telling a good comic book yarn rather than underpinning it. It’s still a far more interesting movie than its vapid follow-up, though (even though you lot clearly disagree).