If there was any doubt left that the latest cinematographic
trend is to bring superheroes to life from the pages of comic books onto the
silver screen, then it will be shattered. The 2003’s mixed-reviewed production
“The Hulk” is returning in theatres, taking another chance at fans’ tastes and
box office profits.
The 2008 ‘Hulk’ suffered some re-thinking and returned
totally re-branded: new director, new cast, new green. “The Transporter’s” Louis
Leterrier took over Ang Lee’s directorial chair, Edward Norton took the
responsibility of the protagonist, replacing Eric Bana and Hulk’s love
interest, geeky scientist Betty Ross is now played by Liv Tyler, instead of
Jennifer Connelly. In order to generate a full amnesia of the 2003’s gig, “The
Incredible Hulk” opens with a recap of what happened to scientist Bruce Banner
and how Hulk was ‘born’ and any reference to the previous movie is forbidden
(thank you Lord).
So now we have a fugitive Bruce Banner, hiding in a
Brazilian favela, working on a soft-drink assembly line. His major
preoccupation is to determine whatever gamma matter altered his cells and
remove it from his blood. He has become his own personal anger management
trainer, as should you not know, when angry, Banner transforms in a huge,
uncontrollable green monster. So, what’s essential is to keep his pulse rate
under the danger zone of 200 that alters his coy personality into an
anti-social creature. (What’s notable is that his bright green complexion was
replaced with a darker, grayish-green – maybe not to be confused with an ogre?)
But why is Banner hiding in South
America? Army Gen. Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (William Hurt) has
sensed that Hulk’s hubris could be used in Pentagon’s favor, and he is thinking
of Hulk as a potential weapon. Therefore, he sends mad-dog soldier Emil Blonsky
(Tom Roth) to track Banner down and bring him back.
Blonsky is efficient enough to find Bruce, however, he is
not fast enough to catch him. The scientist goes back to America, where
his former girlfriend appears to have moved on (only an appearance though). Why
the two of them can’t be together? Besides the green seizures, Betty’s father
is no one but “Thunderbolt” Ross.
What could not elude in this rendition of the Hulk story? Of
course, we’re talking about a battle between our protagonist and his nemesis,
the Abomination, who is in fact Blonsky, who volunteered to try on his own
cells the monster-transforming gamma matter.
Given the success obtained by “Iron Man” not long ago, Marvel
Studios’ initiative to re-edit the adventures of Hulk is not far-fetched at
all. Both Marvel Comics’ characters have an army of fans behind the pages of
the books and the production arm of Marvel Entertainment thought it might be a
prolific idea to bring this army in front of the silver screen. The fact that Robert
Downey Jr. (the protagonist in “Iron Man”) has a cameo role in “The Incredible
Hulk” says it all: Marvel Studios’ movies are not in a competition against each
other, but they are ready to augment each other’s successes.
Movie Type:Action/Adventure, Adaptation and Sequel
MPAA Rating:PG-13 for sequences of intense action violence,
some frightening sci-fi images and brief suggestive content.
Running Time:1 hr. 54 min.
Directed By: Louis Leterrier
Cast: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt,
Christina Cabot
Released:June 13th, 2008 (wide)
U.S.
Box Office:TBA
