Kai Lord's spoiler free review (the only one that matters
)
Awesome. A rompin' stompin' comic book adventure with the artistry of an independent film and the acting and directing of an Oscar-bait period film. The writing ranges from typical comic book fare and inside jokes to fantastic and risky material the actors really get to sink their teeth into. Nolte's monologue toward the end of the film while Bana faces him in the chair is the best example.
The split screen editing was utterly brilliant, not only was it evocative of comic book panels, it was just so damn
functional. Sometimes giving two or three perspectives of an actor's performance or reaction, I found it to give a thoroughly enticing "layer effect" to many underlying emotions. And ooooh boy are there ever emotions. More on that in a sec.
Having already been groomed with the split screen approach in Phone Booth, it actually took me a second to realize the point of the technique this time was to give the feel of a comic book. The reason for the lapse is because this technique would have worked in
any movie, not just one based on a comic.
Complimenting the split screens are some
very nice transitions through a number of montages. Ang Lee did an impeccable job of keeping the non-action scenes almost as visually compelling as the action scenes. Almost.
Because those action scenes are just so damn cool. The best damn representation of superhero "combat" EVER. The era of the faithful comic book translation has arrived. Period. If they can do the Hulk, they can do anything. Hell yeah.
I'm not even going to get into details of the action sequences, they're just that damn good, and I don't see the sheer exhiliration factor as even being remotely debatable. If you don't buy into Ang Lee's tale of repressed emotions and damaged childhoods, the action
will make it worth the price of admission, every time, unlike say Matrix Reloaded. Suffice it to say that the sequence of Hulk vs. the tanks is my favorite. And not because some of the soldiers clearly die, despite what previous reviews in this thread would have you believe. I sat through the final fourth of the movie as enraptured as a child so thrilling were the visuals and drama.
And yes there's drama. Like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, underneath the amazing action and choreography is a permeating thread of emotional repression. Instead of just paying lip service as an excuse to cram more "Hulk smash" onto the screen, Ang Lee actually addresses it, and has his actors....brace yourself....
talk about it. Not in a story halting pretentious and unnecessary fashion like Matrix Reloaded, but in a way that seems natural for characters under those circumstances.
This was very important, because when the action
does hit, we all know how effectively invulnerable the Hulk is, so Lee gives us tension not from the perspective of "will Hulk be able to smash the tanks and choppers" (of course he will!) but will there be any undoing of the destructive ramifacations and any chance for a normal life for the poor human being inside.
That is why Hulk is a great movie.
Lee delivered a nearly perfect balance of mind blowing action and compelling drama. Time will tell where this film ultimately stands, but it clearly deserves a place on that exclusive upper shelf of comic book films, right next to Superman: The Movie and Spider-Man, as not
just a comic book film, but a great film that happens to be based on a comic.
EDIT: To chime in on the CGI, I found the Hulk's interaction with his environment to be
spectacular (or should I have said "Incredible"
) in its authenticity while his visual "realism" ranged from a bit below Gollum (usually indoors or when light was low) to every bit as convincing and maybe even a bit better (most outdoor daylight sequences).
