This Friday, "The Hulk" hits theaters and is supposed to be one of this summer's blockbuster movies. After having been a comic book and a TV show, the Marvel universe is attempting to put yet another character onto the big screen. Comic books rarely make great movies, and director Ang Lee does not do a convincing job to prove otherwise.
The story focuses on Bruce Banner, who is a scientist in the field of nano-technology. Bruce never knew his family and focuses on school and his experiments to fill the void left in his life by their early demise.
As fate would have it, several forgotten elements of his past converge to bring out the secrets which lay dormant inside him. A dangerous accident occurs and Bruce lives through something that would have killed any normal man. It is then the truth about who he really is starts to become clearer. After the accident the story takes off and what ensues is a very familiar plot of a man struggling to find himself and protect those he loves. Conflicts between his long lost father, a former love interest and her father all try to bring the human element to the surface of this action film.
This movie focuses on action and special effects, but the plot seems almost an after thought. When it comes to special effects, however, the movie performs well. {INSERT_RELATED}
The Hulk is rendered well, albeit a bit too large compared to previous versions. His interactions with the world are seamless, and with the exception of the rip-proof purple wonder shorts, the transaction from man to hulk is well done.
The action aspect of this film is definitely the emphasis and to the director's credit it is done well. However, good action does not make a great movie and "The Hulk" falls prey to this. Only so many tanks can be thrown and mutant dogs crushed before one starts to wonder when the movie will end. Once the movie finally does start to come to a conclusion many viewers may find themselves wondering just what does the end have to do with the rest of the movie?
With a storyline that is all too familiar, an emphasis on action instead of plot, and a weak ending that seems unrelated to the rest of the film, "The Hulk" is one blockbuster you won't be any worse off for missing.
