Synopsis: A geneticist's experimental accident curses him with the tendency to become a powerful giant green brute under emotional stress.

Now for the Zone's Eye View:

By Scott Maravilla

Director: Ang Lee

Cast: Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, Nick Nolte

It has been a long time since I have actually been completely blown away by a movie. It is by far one of the most intense viewing experiences I have ever seen committed to film. The Hulk was already my most anticipated film of the year next to December's The Return of the King, but Ang Lee managed to exceed even my greatest expectations. It deserves to be mentioned alongside such contemporary cinematic luminaries like The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings trilogies. This is definitely my personal front runner for best film of the year 2003 pushing aside my former favorite Bend it Like Beckham.

This is THE HULK that I read and loved so much from my childhood. I encourage you to go out and buy Marvel Masterworks collected edition of The Incredible Hulk issues 1-6 by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. While these earlier comics were much inspired by the Cold War, the spirit of that early vision is very much present in Ang Lee's film. He is destructive and the living embodiment of fury and rage. Yet, there is something tender about the beast, and Bruce Banner's conscience bleeds through to the mighty beast's mind so that he actually is a hero. 

The film follows Dr. Bruce Krenzler (really Bruce Banner played by newcomer Aussie Eric Bana) as he works alongside former girlfriend Betty Ross (Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly) in a Berkeley lab trying to use nanomeds and gamma radiation to induce instant regeneration of body tissue. They are more successful at blowing up frogs than anything else. That is until an experiment goes awry and Banner is induced with a lethal level of gamma radiation and nanomeds that, instead of frying him, releases something dormant within him. Bruce Banner is the victim of childhood abuse that has led to repressed memories, and the genetic self-experimentation of his father David Banner (Nick Nolte who was obviously cast because of that infamous picture) that has been passed on. His scarred psyche has led him to be unable to express his emotions or connect to other people most notably his ex-girlfriend. But when he does finally express himself it is a diarrhea of emotion. As he is transformed by his anger into the Hulk, the military industrial complex comes after the creature. One faction led by General Thunderbolt Ross is out to destroy the creature. The other led by the smarmy Glenn Tablot (That guy you recognize in films but can't quite place where you've seen him. Folks, his name is Josh Lucas and he was in A Beautiful Mind and Sweet Home Alabama) of Atheon seeks to get a sample of the Hulk's DNA in order to patent it and make a fortune. Also trailing the monster is David Banner who is himself "unique." Fans of the old 1970s series will miss pathetically obsessed newspaper reporter Mr. McGee ("Mr. McGee, don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.")

The film itself is an innovative masterpiece. Ang Lee shot the film in comic book like panels, and some of the films more violent scenes are freeze framed in a color reminiscent of comic ink. The story contains a great deal of depth for a film based on a comic which makes this among the superior adaptations along with last summer's Sam Raimi directed Spider-man. 

The performances are among the best this year in any film. Having seen Eric Bana in the Australian film Chopper, I can further appreciate his talents as an actor. He is unrecognizable in the two films. I can see great things coming for this actor. The Hulk should launch his stateside career much like X-Men did for fellow Australian actor Hugh Jackman.

Jennifer Connelly deserves another supporting Oscar nod for her performance in The Hulk. She is going to risk getting typecast as the woman who picks the guy with problems. Perhaps she should be teamed with John Reilly who is always the dumped upon husband. 

Overall this film is among Ang Lee's best work along with Sense and Sensibility and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I cannot recommend this film enough. I want to build a time machine so I can go into the future and see Hulk 2, I love this film so much. A perfect 10 if there ever was one.

REVIEW #2

By Michelle Snow

Though many people are familiar with The Hulk comic books, the writers deviated a bit in the general storyline. This movie starts at the beginning as geneticist Bruce Banner [Bana] and his colleague, Betty Ross [Connelly], are experimenting with gamma radiation on frogs. In a freak accident, Banner gets dosed with the radiation. But rather than kill him, it makes him stronger. Working late one night, he has a chance encounter with the father [Nolte] he thought was dead. Waves of repressed anger consume Banner, releasing an inner self, awakened by the gamma rays. Yup, you guessed it, The Hulk. 

Of course the military wants in on the action. Led by Betty's father, General Ross [Elliott], the army attempts to capture the renegade "monster". But it seems that Ross and the senior Banner knew each other years ago. In fact, he locked up Banner's father years ago for experimenting with genetic mutations. See where this is going? I knew you could.

There were so many things that this movie could have done right. Instead, there were so many things that were wrong. Surprisingly, the much-maligned CGI effects for The Hulk were not that bad. Given that the animators followed a similar road that Wega did in creating Gollum for Lord of the Rings: Two Towers, I'm surprised that The Hulk more often resembled Scooby Doo as far as realism. But the effects were not as bad as I'd been hearing reports of. The night scenes of The Hulk were the most realistic, with his skin taking on a leathery appearance. But the day scenes definitely looked more cartoonish. 

I was also surprised that for an action movie there wasn't more, well, action. This is an Ang Lee movie, right? Granted, they had to build a story foundation, but I was almost falling asleep waiting for them to do it. It was about an hour into the movie before the appearance of The Hulk, and even then the pace didn't really pick up much. There is one fight scene set in the deserts of the Western U.S. that was exciting, with lots of tanks and explosions-though surprisingly no deaths. But the climactic end duel between The Hulk and another mutated person [who that is, I'll leave as a surprise] was a real letdown for me. I realize they were fighting at night but the animated fight sequences were so darkly colorized that I often couldn't tell who was who. And it's kind of hard to root for The Hulk if you can't tell which creature he is. 

I also didn't like the way the film was presented, often times showing a split screen effect similar to a comic storyboard. Had the film been shot to be campy, it wouldn't have bothered me. But with everyone playing their roles so seriously, the effect just detracted from the film. A lot of the plot developments were predictable, as well.

I will give credit to the actors. They put forth a lot of effort into transforming their characters from the two-dimensional comics into real people. I also appreciated that someone finally acknowledged that if The Hulk shreds all his clothes, wouldn't his pants shred, too. Yes, there is a nude scene as Banner transforms back into his own body, though it is brief. But it's the only time. It seems later he finds a pair of lycra shorts that will expand and contract as needed. Sharp eyes will also notice security guard cameos by Marvel Comics creator Stan Lee and the original TV Hulk, Lou Ferrigno. 

The Hulk could have been a really fun action movie for the summer. But at two hours and eighteen minutes, this film is too long, too drawn out and just not the movie that it could have been. 
4 out of 10