How Good Is The US "Hulk" Blu-Ray?

[GreenScar]

Just finished Ang Lee's Hulk on blu. The Audio quality was great.

Here are some inconsistencies of Lee's version vs the Comic (some I've already mentioned before but have more time now to explain)
General Ross is not the Gen Ross from the comics. Pretty much the only thing that's the same is the name, rank and mustache. His motivations are completely different as well as his background (from what they show).
Bruce's father is a departure from the comics. While Brian Banner did abuse Bruce and his mother Rebbecca, he actually never experimented on himself (or try to find a cure for Bruce) as the movie states. He was involved in an accident (radiation experiment) but was behind a shield and was deemed by doctors to not have been effected by radiation, he still felt he was, and later thought he passed on some of that to Bruce (due to the unique intelligence Bruce was showing). Brian never attempted to murder Bruce (like in the movie), he killed Rebbecca while trying to prevent her from leaving him (throwing her to the ground, killing her). After Brian was released from the mental hospital 15 years later, Bruce tried to have a relationship with him. They even lived together for a time. Brain started acting more and more unstable and Bruce suggested he return to the hospital to be checked. Brian yelled back that it was being close physically to Bruce that was causing him to lose his mind. Bruce walked away and was later at his mothers grave site when his father showed up ranting that Bruce was evil. The argument escalated to a physical altercation and Brian fell breaking his neck on Rebbecca's grave stone. In the movie Brian ends up as the main villain. His main objective? Break the bounds God has set forth for man. He wants more power. It's the same thing Blonsky wants in TIH (there you have a problem with that motivation). Having Brian Banner experiment on himself, then attempt murder on his son (murdering his wife instead) was a big change from the comics and not intellectually faithful at all.
Bruce Banner likes becoming the Hulk. What?! No way! Banner has a discussion with Betty in the lake house how he enjoys succumbing to the Hulk when he's Angry. Nothing could be further from the truth (as far as the comics go). He can also control the changes. This is somewhat subtle in the movie, but it's there. Part of the tragedy that is Bruce Banner is that he couldn't control the metamorphosis. But he succumbs to it in the second change (later telling Betty he enjoys it) and then when Talbot beats him up trying to get a transformation, Bruce tells him he'll never change for him (and doesn't). Later he changes (triggered subconsciously from a nightmare). Also backing up this fact is the quickness in which he changes back to Bruce after fighting the Dogs. Why didn't he change back when Betty came out of the Lake house before the dogs showed up and yet, he was still visibly shaken immediately after the fight when he changes back. And finally he changes to fight his father who becomes something similar to a classic Hulk foe: Zzzax. Now was Anger involved? Yes, but he was still under control (as stated twice by Banner himself). In the comics, the Banner would avoid any instance possible to avoid a transformation because it was something that was beyond his control and for fear of what the Hulk might do. I'm not saying in the movie that he had perfect control, but there was definitely creative license taken by Lee to depart from the psychological relationship between Banner and Hulk. TIH was more faithful to the comic in that Banner's number one priority was to find a cure. He wanted to rid himself of the Hulk.
The Hulk was a part of Banner before the accident that created him. There may be some parts of the comic that support this that have come out later on in the life of the character, but the classic Hulk that I think both movies were trying to portray didn't support this. This aspect of the movie had me confused as to why it was needed (unless it was to support his fathers claim of "I want to see my real son" at the end of the movie). I'll need some help with this part as to how it's faithful to the comic.
Brian Banner becomes The Absorbing Man. I don't think this needs any explanation as the Absorbing Man in the comics is Carl Creel.

Here are some problems I had with it:
The Nanomeds.
Hulks voice. I tried to look through the credits and the extras but I just couldn't find the source of Hulks voice. Even his grunts and growls were wimpy. In TIH, his voice was done by Lou Ferrigno (it was perfect) and the grunts and growls was done by the same team that did the sounds for King Kong. Very well done
The physical fight between Bruce and Brian Banner. First he turns into a Zzzax-type villain by absorbing electricity and grabs The Hulk. As they fly through the sky, there are pictures on the clouds of The Hulk getting the snot beat out of him (all still pictures mind you), then they crash to the ground next to the lake. This is part is actually cool. Bruce absorbs Stone and in almost a homage to the old Hulk vs Thing fights. Hulk then throws him into the lake where he becomes Water (no problem for Hulk because he can breath under water). Then when he starts to absorb Hulk. He bubbles up as the Hulk tells him to take all of his strength (Brian Banner starts to tell him to take it back it's too much) when a nuclear (or gamma) bomb hits them ending the battle. Very Lackluster visually and IMO anti-climactic. The story was indeed (as you have said before) all about rage. The problem is The Hulk is more than just rage. Sure, he's fueled by rage, but it's more complex than that. Both Banner and Hulk are on the never ending quest for peace. To be left alone. And to be rid of each other. That's what TIH was all about. Ang Lee's Hulk strayed far from the Comics in every way.

The Hulk's size fluctuations is just sloppy film making. Lee decides to make the Hulk grow (up to 20 feet ) in correspondence with his anger. The problem is he shifts in size throughout the movie in an inconsistent manner. The first time we see him grow is when he is shot at outside his home. He then travels to Betty's lake house, and is calm but yet he's still the size of Might Joe Young. Then when battling the helicopters he's regular size again (must not be too mad). Later while he's in the base, Talbot really ticks him off and he grows huge again. By the time he escapes the base and battles the tanks he's smaller once again (maybe somewhere in between ) We don't see him grow again the rest of the movie. Lee actually states in the behind the scenes features that it's something he adds to show the madder the Hulk get's the stronger he gets, but it should have been enough when Betty actually says "The more you make him Angry, the Stronger he gets." I'm not sure why Mr Lee felt insecure about this aspect of the Hulk (or his inability to show it on screen). Whatever the reason he went this direction, it just doesn't work and is a departure from the Hulk.

You had a problem with Hulk responding when Betty calls him Bruce in TIH, but the same thing happens in the first movie at the lake before the Hulk Dogs show up.

His look for the Hulk is also a problem for me. Don't get me wrong, I love how muscular he his, he's just off proportionally. Like Kevin Feige stated, he's shaped a bit like a toddler. His Hands and arms are almost the length of a gorilla. When his hands are at his side, they hang down to his knees. His legs are bowed tremendously which would actually prevent him from reaching his 100mph dash. And his green is a bit too bright.

Why did EVERYTHING have to be physical when The Hulk is as much a psychological character as he is a physical one?! He's one comic book character that's actually deeper than what he appears on the surface. Why make him and his enemies so one dimensional?

Did you guys not see how torn up Bruce was about his condition? About the worry he had with his blood? Having to trust someone he didn't know because his desire for a cure? How alone he must have felt in a new country with no money and no clothes. The inner struggle he was going through wanting to contact Betty but knowing it was best for her not to. The look on Norton's face when Betty bursts out of the Pizza place looking for him was painful (in a good way). Ross' conversations with Blonsky and Betty. He was clearly a man bent on finding the ultimate weapon for the army everyone else (including his daughter) be damned. See Arows post for Blonsky's motivations. The motivations in TIH were THE SAME as they were in the comic book (it's that simple). I'm just not sure what movie you guys saw (or state of mind you were in when you saw it).

You guys need to use the same criticisms you do for both movies. You support the Ang Lee version and have problems with some of the same things that happen in the Marvel Studios version (but are okay in Lee's).

BTW, here's a cool site for you to check out: incrediblehulkonline.com


The theater I was in literally shook when he screamed!