I think people looking for fluff or mindless action movies (ala X2) will be very disappointed with Hulk. I don't even consider it in the same league as most recent Marvel movies. Spiderman was very good, but was ultimately a light-hearted positive movie. This is every bit just as good, but entirely opposite in tone. Why is there an outcry against it (at least in several reviews)? As I see it, this film has been advertised to the wrong audience. It appears as though the studio marketing people suddenly pushed it as an action blockbuster when they realized Ang Lee had made a much more intellectual, darker take on the comic series than they thought he would have. They panicked and wanted to try the big-opening-weekend tactic to generate money. I read all the negative reviews and went into it without high hopes. But I was blown away. The effects shots, while mostly very well done, are the least important to me. Ang has made real human characters out if these roles. Truth is, Ang's Hulk is a psychological story about childhood trauma and dealing with parents and their control. The real subtext is children having to deal with the choices their parents made...when it inevitably shapes who they are as adults. It could have been told against a more mundane background, but the Hulk part of it just gives it a fun twist. The characters are forced into situations beyond their control, yet they have to to try and deal with it nonetheless. Bruce is emotionally distant due to a fractured childhood (a protective response)...Betty is obsessed with trying to emotionally "open up" such a guy, since she could never do that to her military father (and thus fix their relationship). The two lead characters (Bruce & Betty) love each other deeply, but events and psychological scars conspire against them...and ultimately separate them. This is a classic tragedy story. I think people aren't used to that and they have a very strong negative reaction. The expectation was for lighthearted, humorous summer fluff, but they got handed heavy Greek tragedy instead. No wonder the negative reviews. All I can say is that I will definitely be paying to see this film again while it's in the theaters. I expect a lot of people to "not get it." Those who do will hold this film in high regards. I agree that Ang Lee is one of the most talented directors of our time. Highly recommended if characters mean more to you than action.
