* SPOILERS * * SPOILERS * * SPOILERS *
---IF YOU WANNA GO IN FRESH TO THE MOVIE STOP READING NOW---
My friend works at Universal and I watched it in a small theater on the lot.
Just my quick rundown of the movie:
First off MUCH BETTER than the first piece of shit movie. The first Hulk was a movie where this was more of a film. Better cinematography, better models, better expressions, better acting(only not-so-good acting was by Liv Tyler(still hot), overall just more artistic and believable.
The animation team did an AMAZING job on Hulk – not just the action scenes but even more so the acting scenes where he’s barely moving or making very subtle expressions and movements.
It has one of the better superhero opening titles I’ve seen – slightly like the movie SE7EN – cut up film of Banner suffering the gamma explosion and kickin’ ass(kills 2 scientist and hospitalizes Betty).
From there the movie goes to Brazil – where Banner escapes to, away from annoying government eyes. In one scene Banner is taking meditation lessons from none other than MMA legend Rickson Gracie. I about lost it – people thought I was nuts…Rickson slaps Banner a few times to test his control. Oh and the only chick at Banners workplace is easily one of the most beautiful girls I’ve ever seen on screen. Total Brazilian goddess – hope to see much more of her(and MUCH more of her) in future films.
The middle drags a bit cuz Hulk movies and tv shows have basically one depressing tone. Instead of high highs and low lows it’s more mediums and lows. There were a few funny jabs but they didn’t work as well as in Iron Man.
CAMEOS –
Stan Lee. At the beginning of the movie Banner gets cut in the soda factory he works at and a blood sample is mixed in with one of the bottles. Who pulls the bottle out of the fridge and drinks it? STAN THE MAN. It gets back to the government that a man had gamma poisoning or something so that’s how they get Banners’ whereabouts in Brazil.
Lou Ferrigno –
Security guard at a college. Banner bribes him with pizza to deliver a pizza upstairs(so Banner can get to the computers for research).
Tony Stark – at the end – trades some witty suit banter with General Ross and informs him, “We’re putting a bit of a team together”….AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!
The end fight scene is kind of like Superman
oomsday in a way cuz Hulk gets the living shit beat out of him a few times – almost to unconsciousness. Excellent fight sequences complete with 3(or more) of Hulks patented super moves and well done cuz it feels like 2 men are fighting rather than 2 raging morons.
The Abomination animation was amazing. Always weighted down and great power angles. Predictable but good build-up of Abomination – a nice rivalry built up from the beginning of the movie till the very end.
OTHER TIDBITS:
You don’t get to see Hulk in full glory until mid-movie. First time he’s shown in the movie is in a dark factory and they show bits and pieces which he’s tossing asses around. Very effective.
For the most part you see 90% Bruce Banner in the movie(even when he’s the Hulk) kind of like in Superman Returns you never really see Clark Kent(rather Superman thinking in Clarks clothing).
A reoccuring incident is Banner looking for pants since he always rips them when he hulks out. He tries to buy em baggy with an elastic waist. In one scene Betty goes shopping for clothes and goods and comes back with purple stretch pants. Banner gives the thumbs down.
The movie does a great job depicting Banner really suffering from being the Hulk. Always roaming, no home, no friends, no money – like a drug addict – so you get a better sense of what a curse it is.
After the scientist(who was working with Banner throughout the movie to “cure” Banner) helped the soldier become the Abomination, Ab kicked down the scientist…and some of the human growth fluid dripped on an open would in the docs head…his head started to lump up and grow and he gave a devilish grin. My only conclusion is that he might be The Leader?
At the beginning of the movie Banner/Hulk is in Brazil. After hulking out and escaping the government you get the Hulks point–of-view bounding off over bushes off into the sky. When he comes to he walks up to an approaching car and speaks in portuguese. The driver says “I don’t speak Portuguese”. Banner asks where he is. “Guatemala”.
There’s plenty I missed but this is what I have in my immediate memory. Definitely worth seeing and eons better than the first Hulk.
It's a much different movie than what the trailer shows...
THANK YOU FOR WIPING THE FIRST HULK OUT OF MEMORY EXISTENCE!!!
