Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Universal Studios Home Entertainment – 138 mins – 2003 – Rated PG-13 – 1080p Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85: 1 – DTS-HD Lossless Master 5.1 Audio

The Incredible Hulk is one of the most famous characters in comic book history, so obviously a big screen adaptation was highly anticipated, being that his other Marvel comrades, Spiderman and the X-Men had already made a successful crossover. The idea of a big budget Hulk movie became more enticing when it was announced that Ang Lee would be directing it, coming off of the huge success of the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and rising star Eric Bana would be playing Bruce Banner. The film had everything going for it, but somehow something went very wrong, leaving moviegoers very disappointed when the film was released in 2003. Hulk was previously an HD-DVD exclusive, but now it’s available on Blu-ray from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. The Hulk deserved a better movie than this, and now he’s very, very angry.

THE MOVIE

Everybody knows the story of the Hulk, and the movie is faithful to the origin, it’s just the other stuff they added that makes things messy. Erica Bans is Bruce Banner, a scientist who is obsessed with two things, science and the girl of his dreams, Betty Ross, played by Jennifer Connelly. This stuff is fine and fits the comic, but Ang Lee, who previous films are mainly dramas dealing with human emotions, inserted the character of Bruce Banner’s psychotic father for dramatic tension, and Nick Nolte plays this part to perfection, because he himself is insane.

Banner gets a hit of gamma radiation, then when he becomes angry his body transforms into a mammoth green indestructible brute that loves to kick ass. Face it, seeing the Hulk causing massive destruction is the main draw of this movie, so the scenes that show the green man doing just that are the best. It’s the lame father and son relationship that really pulls this movie down, not because you just want less talk and more action, it’s just that their relationship is so over the top that it’s not interesting. Nick Nolte is completely outrageous as daddy Banner, looking like his real life mug shot with wild-man hair and a gleam of un-cleanliness.

Ang Lee attempts to make the film not only play out like a comic book, but also look like one as well, featuring on-screen comic panels at certain points that really don’t work, and are actually unintentionally funny. Just imagine watching The Dark Knight and seeing comic book panels appear during certain scenes. Wouldn’t it remove you from the narrative? It may work in Sin City, but that was the style of that film. Every film, particularly a comic book movie, should have it’s own style, but Hulk missed the mark it was going for.

The main standout scene in the movie has to be the Hulk vs. the military sequences. If the majority of the film had this much excitement, it would have given Hulk fans what they wanted. Just seeing the Hulk jump across the desert terrain, smash a tank and throw it at helicopter, then hang onto a fighter jet as it soars through the skies is what we want to see. Also, Eric Bana has proven that he’s a good actor, but as Bruce Banner they really don’t give him much to do. Unlike most superhero movies where the actor plays dual roles, here once the CGI Hulk shows up, no one’s thinking about Bana anymore.

Ang Lee’s Hulk is not a bad film; it’s just not a good comic book movie. He’s great at drama, but maybe popcorn action is not his thing. But to be honest after seeing the latest Hulk movie, The Incredible Hulk, it had all the action and destruction you could desire, but the story was paper-thin. Will there ever be a great Hulk movie? Being the new Hulk made just about the same amount as Ang Lee’s film at the box office, that question is still up in the air.

VIDEO

Ok, this is the reason why you own a Blu-ray player. With a full 1080p image and a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, (Note: the back of the box list the ratio incorrectly as 2.35:1), Hulk looks absolutely fantastic. And if you have a HDTV that is more than 40 inches, this is the ultimate show off material. The movie is filled with bright colors, with the green giant himself being the main attraction. Flesh tones are smooth and backgrounds are crystal clear, showing off every detail. Even the night scenes are filled in a way that gives the actors and the scenery a glow that that stands out. Being that the Hulk is a complete CGI character is also a plus, but is also is a con because you can really see how fake and balloon-ish the character model looks. If you want to impress your friends with the beauty of Blu-ray, pop in the Hulk then sit back watch their jaws drop.

AUDIO

Hulk smashes with a DTS-HD Lossless Master 5.1 mix, and just like it’s image quality, you are sure to be pleased with the sound if you’ve got the home theater power. All five speakers are put to good use, and with a combination of tanks firing grenades; jets streaking across the sky, and evil hulk dogs, there are plenty of sound clips to show off. One complaint is that at times dialogue does seem to be muffled in certain scenes or drowned out by other actions, but it’s decent. A full 7.1 sound mix would have been the icing on the cake, but you won’t be disappointed by the results.

EXTRAS

Universal has loaded a nice batch of extras on this Blu-ray; all of which are in standard definition because it was ported over from the DVD.

Director Ang Lee provides an audio commentary track, and even though it’s interesting in places, it also drags because Lee, while being a great filmmaker, is not exactly a comic book aficionado.

‘The Making of the Hulk,’ runs a half hour and dives into the cast and filmmakers involved, the film’s stunts, the music, and the biggest draw, the special effects created by Industrial, Light and Magic. There are some good moments in these segments, but it also seems very Hollywood fluffy in places.

There are also several featurettes about the production of the film; ‘The Dog Fight Scene’ looks at what went into one of the film’s biggest action scenes. ‘Evolution of the Hulk’ talks about the history of the character, starting from his comic origins, hit TV show, to his debut on the big screen. ‘The Incredible Ang Lee’ is just basically a highlight reel about the director. ‘The Unique Style of Editing Hulk’ discusses the director and editor’s decision to use comic book panels.

Six deleted scenes totaling about eight minutes don’t add much too the film, and it’s obvious why they were omitted.

Universal’s U-Control allows you to watch behind the scenes footage and interviews via Picture-In-Picture for certain scenes.

BOTTOM LINE

As a film, Hulk was a let down to many fans, because it just didn’t hit the mark of the comic book. But as a high-definition Blu-ray, this disc is recommended because of its incredible picture quality, ear shattering sound, and a solid set of extras. If you own a Blu-ray player and you want to upgrade that old DVD copy of the Hulk that you have sitting on your shelf, this is the way to go. 

SCORES (out of 5):

The Movie: 2.5

Video: 4.5

Sound: 4.0

Extras: 4.0

Bottom Line: 3.5