We are now officially knee-deep in the summer of superheroes. It began May 1 when "Iron Man" made its way into multiplexes (it's still showing in many theaters) and continues now that its Marvel counterpart, "The Incredible Hulk," is showing nine times a day and pulling in millions. July will bring audiences two more, "Hellboy II: The Golden Army," based on the Darkhorse Comics character, and "The Dark Knight," director Christopher Nolan's continuation of the Batman story.
"The Incredible Hulk," which is not a direct sequel to Ang Lee's 2003 film "Hulk," is a solid entry in the genre and fits nicely into the storyline Marvel is attempting to construct before it releases "The Avengers" in 2011. Although information about that film is only slowly becoming available, it will probably star Iron Man and The Hulk, and might potentially include the superheroes Captain America, Thor and Ant Man, all of whom have their own motion pictures due out sometime between 2009 and 2011.
In contrast to most superhero flicks, "The Incredible Hulk" dispenses with its hero's creation story in the opening credits. We learn, in brief snippets, that gamma radiation has turned an ordinary scientist, Bruce Banner, into a hulking green giant, capable of incredible feats of strength and uncontrollable bursts of rage. When the audience meets Banner (Edward Norton) he's on the run from the authorities, hiding in a Brazilian suburb, and carefully monitoring his pulse and anger levels. Extreme stress, we discover, can trigger Banner's transformation from a normal person to the superhuman Hulk.
Through a twist of fate, Banner is discovered by the army and tracked down by General "Thunderbolt" Ross and a squad of commandos, including career soldier Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth). What follows is an exhilarating chase through the city streets, which culminates in a fierce battle royale in a bottling plant. From there, Banner escapes Brazil and heads north, back to his home in the United States.
"The Incredible Hulk" has just what you'd expect from a superhero movie: plenty of action and spectacle. In addition to the fight in the Brazilian plant, there's a rousing skirmish on a Virginian college campus and a brutal street fight in Manhattan. Spread among those action set-pieces are scenes of humor and serious tenderness. The scenes between Banner and his estranged girlfriend Betty (Liv Tyler) are especially touching.
Only in the third act does "The Incredible Hulk" begin to lose momentum, as it becomes increasingly bogged down in violence and destruction.
The summer of superheroes has scored two hits, but it's far from over. "Hellboy II" arrives July 11 and "The Dark Knight," perhaps the most highly anticipated movie of the bunch, premieres a week later. It will be interesting to see how each stacks up agaisnt "Iron Man," "The Incredible Hulk" and the ever-expanding Marvel universe.
*** out of ****
1 comment:
Nice review. Technically Hancock will also provide some superhero action although it seems like it's going to be more of a commentary of how a superhero would be viewed in the real world than the standard superhero fare most people are accustomed to.
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