HULK
2003 MOVIE REVIEW
By Matthew Moore
 Well
here we have it, a brand-new Hulk movie released in 2003 by
Ang Lee. This Hulk movie seems to be pleasing the majority
of Hulk fans and within this review we are going to look at
why this movie is actually rated highly. It is one of the
latest Marvel Comic to film transformations, which makes it
acknowledge the history of the Hulk character that dates back
to 1962. The Hulk movie itself draws on the 1960s idea of
bomb tests and desert bases however, this new movie mixes
gene-tampering with gamma radiation and Bruce Banner played
by, Eric Bana has been psychologically primed by a rather
mad father played by, Nick Nolte.
 Throughout
the movie we are presented with a comic book-style utilising
split-screen effects and multiple shadowing. When Banner begins
his Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde seizures, the CGI graphics take
over and use Eric Bana as a template for the most fully realised
digital characterisation yet seen in movies. Like me and other
Hulk fans it is truly amazing to see this credibly bulky,
larger than life character take on anything that is classed
as a threat. We even see the Hulk take on a set of mutated
killer dogs, including a vicious poodle in a nigh time forest,
bursts out of confinement in an underground secret base, takes
on America’s military might and then invade San Francisco
for some major “Hulk… smash” action. The
movie itself is artful and entertaining, engaging and full
of explosive action. Therefore, the movie is amongst one of
the most satisfying superhero movies of all time.
 On
the DVD we are given two discs however, does not really match
the standards of other Marvel movie releases, such as X Men
films, Spider Man and even Daredevil. Disc two contains a
great deal of documentaries however, at times I get the impression
that the use of these documentaries are redundant once you’ve
actually seen the film and the movie is out. The DVD is totally
superb and very well presented and provides some very good
technical details. However, the DVD extras could have done
with a much more thematic approach. We see a lot about the
new CGI Hulk but we see very little development on the story,
the performances or general tone of the movie. It’s
not all bad though on the second disc because Ang Lee’s
rather sparse commentary makes interesting stabs in that direction.
One of the biggest revelations provided by the background
material is that Ang Lee wore the motion capture suit and
smashed up the plywood tanks as a guide for the CGI animators.
 I
received this two disc Hulk DVD as a Christmas present from
my parents and once I watched the movie, I was really impressed
with how much technology had gone into the making of this
film. However, it did take me quite a bit of time to get use
to not seeing Lou Ferrigno as the person playing the Hulk.
Secondly, it took me a long time to adjust to the story line
because it did not seem to have the same emotion as expressed
in the television series of the Incredible Hulk. In terms
of Hulk outs we see much more action than in the television
series, but this is due to the new CGI model incorporated
into the movie. In effect, the CGI model plays a very big
role in the film by providing us with stunning Hulk outs and
Hulk smashing action. However, it should be noted that if
you are expecting an exact replica of the television series
you are mistaken because it is now completely different. We
are now presented with a different genre of the Hulk including
much more action packed adventure that any Hulk fan would
enjoy. We are shown more rage and anger flooding through the
Hulk during his metamorphosis. Overall, it’s a superb
movie that is a necessity for any Hulk fan and is a worth
while movie to watch.
By Matthew Moore
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