The Hulk film review

certificate_12A

THE HULK

The Marvel bandwagon continues to roll and thanks to the unusual choice of having Ang Lee in the director's chair, the latest comic book adaptation is a much more thoughtful and talkative film than recent examples of the genre such as Spider-Man and Daredevil. Clearly Lee has taken a much more psychological approach in bringing the Green Giant to the screen and while it is not a complete success there is plenty for both fans and non-fans alike to chew over.

There's a moment early in the film when Lou Ferrigno (TV's original Hulk) cameos as a security guard. His appearance leads to the realisation that even though it relied on unsophisticated 70s special effects, nearly each episode of the show was forced to be continually action-packed, while Lee's film version is much more contemplative.

Predictably enough the plot involves a young child having some sort of accident involving chemicals, an overbearing mad scientist father, a gradual realisation that there is some superior form of strength, and use of said power in extreme situations.

Eric Bana (unrecognisable from his standout debut in Chopper) wanders through the film in a daze, the grown-up child who has to unearth just what exactly happened to him as a kid. Jennifer Connolly is the love interest and Nick Nolte is over-the-top as the nutty father.

Unfortunately, some viewers may get fidgety waiting for the first appearance of The Hulk, which takes a good forty-five minutes to arrive. His on-screen representation will please some viewers, as he certainly appears giant-like and full of fury. However, others may complain that the CGI effects are just a little bit too obvious.

To be fair, things do brighten up in the second half of the film but only thanks to some decent desert cinematography. The plot also livens up - once the psychological background is out of the way and the fury is unleashed, quite an engaging game of hide and seek begins as the army attempt to track down and capture the Hulk in an array of picturesque and well-shot sequences.

Incessant shot of microbes under the microscope and a Danny Elfman score by-the-numbers don't help matters however. There is little sense of fun in this film and there is a definite feeling that everyone concerned took the whole thing far too seriously - an occasional moment of light relief would have been welcome.