Worst comic book movie

[GreenScar]

Originally Posted by Monkey_Boy

With this movie, it's obvious they're going by the origin from the show, wherein he experimented on himself to further the limits of the human condition... or sumpthin' like that. (I can't remember if he did this under the supervision of the army or on his own.)

I think your pretty much right. I think they were working on endurance for the Army or something. I do remember that there was an extended scene on the blu when Ross and Blonsky are talking in the hanger that explains it better than it had in the actual release. But they did reconstruct the same machine used in the television series (he was working on tapping into strength in the series).

In the comic, Banner runs out and saves a stupid kid who happens to be in a bomb test zone. In the '03 version, Banner rushes to the aid of a fellow scientist. He actually didn't have much time to think about what to do, so he jumped between the man and the machine... whether he truly would've saved him or not is irrelevant. He rushed in to help at the expense of his own life. That's a heroic action in my book.

I seem to remember that Harper was having trouble and Banner was on his way in the room anyway when there was a short and the procedure began. Banner helped get Harper unstuck and then shielded the Gamma Blast (I agree very heroic). In the Comic the blast was supposed to be on hold when he went to get Rick out of the Blast Zone. The other jealous scientist pushed the button to get rid of Bruce. It's actually a situation that could be argued whether heroic or not. While it could probably go either way, I prefer to see it as heroic as well.

I never said that The Hulk himself was a hero in that movie. He was mostly just trying to get away from whoever was trying to hurt him and resorting to violence when he felt cornered. However, it seems you forgot about him saving Betty from the mutant dogs. (I know alotta people thought that was stupid, but I found it to be a helluva fight! )

Forgot about that part

Yes. I know there have been numerous reasons for his changing in the comics at various points in continuity, but anger has always been the most popular one. I quite enjoy the psychiatric aspect of The Hulk and it seems like such a cop out to make the reasons for his transformations physical. The Hulk (for me) has always been a creature that was a result and the manifestation of pure rage in his best stories. The line EVERYBODY knows (and the one he tried to use in the movie) is "You're making me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.", NOT "You're making my heartrate reach 200 bpm. You wouldn't like me when my heartrate reaches 200 bpm."

You are aware that the TV show made that line popular (you had been arguing against using the TV show in adapting the movie...just saying... )

In Lee's version, you get a transformation out of anger. Everytime he changed, he was in some sort of mode of pissed off. My favorite change happens in Talbot's house. The way he starts slamming the floor... MAN! That dude was PISSED!

I think that this was something that may have bothered me in the movie. Not the actual transformations mind you, I liked them as you did, but he seemed to go through a personality change after the accident. If you watch him before the accident vs after it's almost as if he's playing two different characters. While I liked the way he would struggle against the Hulk (in his mind) in the comics (and I think this was Lee's way of showing that struggle) I just didn't think it worked on film in the way it was meant to. (I know I'm being nitpicky ) Edit to add: Just to be a little more clear, he would get angry at almost nothing, where before the accident he was Mr. Happy-go-lucky so to speak.

He wasn't experimenting on his son! His son was a result of his experimenting on himself! He was taking samples of young Bruce to see if he had contracted what he was working on and then came to the conclusion that he had to save him! Sure. He didn't actually beat on Bruce... but he did kill Bruce's mother right in front of him. And that was only because she was trying to stop him from killing their son! So, I'm sure there would be some kinda mental instability from that.

It's been too long since I've seen this I guess. I need to buy it on blu soon. I think what bothered me was having his father so heavily involved with him and the story. In the comics he was regulated to some Flashbacks during the Peter David era (if I remember correctly).

I will agree that Bana had more weight, but his muscles weren't as defined as Norton's were. As I typed, they'll always draw skinny dudes with muscles in comics, but in real life we know that ain't nowhere close to true. Bana really looked like he needed the power of The Hulk to do ANY fighting whatsoever! Norton looks like he could kick my @ss (even if that wouldn't be very hard )!

The first rule about Fight Club...

I already told you that the director HIMSELF had said that he wouldn't have The Hulk jumping from place to place. He (and most others) thought that that ability was rather stupid. So how he got from one place to another so quickly is a loophole I think the director needs to fill.

I would really love to see this interview, not because I don't believe you, but because I thought I had read and saw EVERYTHING pre TIH. So to hear this has me intrigued. I think as fans of the Hulk we have to assume that he jumped to get there (not everything needs to be shown). In the Script there were two moments where he did the 'super-jump,' once there where he went from Brazil to Mexico and then at the end when he left Manhattan. It really was too bad that they didn't put it into the film. I do like the jump, but I hated the bunny hopping of the first Hulk. I like the single multi-mile jump from a standing position. Also the super-speed in the first film had me rolling my eyes I can't recall any instances of the Hulk running super fast in the comics. (there I go nitpicking)

And this explains why I love Lee's Hulk more. Stupid-- or "Mindless Hulk" has always been my most favorite incarnation! You shoulda seen my face when I was reading the "Onslaught" storyline and Jean Grey managed to shut down the Banner part of The Hulk and the mindless brute came out to play! I was all, "WHOO HOO! It's been too long!" in the most nerdy possible way! When he started beating down The Abomination with the car, it wasn't so great to me. I mean, nothing is more satisfying than burying your own fists into whatever is pissing you off! Just like when The Hulk was just pounding the living crap outta his father at the end of Lee's. Now that was anger!

I think this is the crux of the difference in our paradigms is which was our favorite Hulk incarnations. I loved the child-like Savage Hulk from the very early days. When they went away from that they never did really go back to it. I thought the Hulk in TIH was closer to that Hulk than the first film.

Actually... I did! Not at first. At first I was all, "What?! Is that it?", but after repeated viewings (watchin' him in that desert to San Francisco scene was worth the price of purchase alone!), it couldn't have ended better! Yeeeears ago, I remember a story where The Leader managed to take The Hulk's power for himself, but it was too much! He couldn't control his rage and nearly destroyed himself along with his lab before Banner managed to defeat him and take back his power. It was showing that nobody can control or contain The Hulk's rage except for Bruce Banner himself. This was what Lee was saying at the end of "Hulk" and I admire that he kept that concept. And I loved the unrelenting rage The Hulk was unleashing at that moment as well! (I also like the added touch that Banner's final thoughts of his father as the movie fades from the scene is a tender moment between father and son. In the end, a child will always love their father, no matter what kinda bastard he is.) I'm not sure what it was about the end fight in "TIH", I just didn't get into it. I don't know if it was because I was so annoyed with all of the changes or what. It just wasn't that great to me.

Everything you said are the things I did like about the first movie. I just didn't like the choice visually to go with a mushroom. It would have been better to show Nolte in some form struggling in his own body (or at least something resembling a body). Again nitpicking

NO IT DOESN'T! I just went there! And after googling to find out what the budget was, I got several links that said 150 mil and several that said around 137 mil.

Since you typed in all caps I thought you might be frustrated at not being able to find it. If you click here it takes you to the page on TIH. You can click on the link there from Variety that talks about The budget from TIH.

It's funny we both nitpick about the films (because we love the characters). It probably doesn't sound like it, but I really did like Ang Lee's Hulk. While I had some minor problems with it, it was an effective film. I personally chose to look at it as a "What-if" version of the Hulk and that's helped me enjoy it more. I do enjoy your posts and would like to see you post here more often.

I'm all for more Hulk movies!

Edit to add: I think the differences you are seeing in the budget are for the prints and advertising. The first film has it listed seperately as $137m budget and $35m for prints and advertising. I think TIH was $150 with prints and advertising and $137.5m without.