Dirk V
Reviewer

      In the weeks leading up to the release of Universal Studio’s "The Hulk," the public was exposed to an onslaught of advertising not seen since the last big green bust hit the screen: "Godzilla." Unlike "Godzilla," which relied almost solely upon the action sequences of the film and the Godzilla character, "The Hulk" is driven by Bruce Banner’s search for his identity and his attempt to deal with the repressed anger helping to trigger his transformation into the Hulk.
 
      The film begins with a young David Banner working on a military project to regenerate wounded tissue. Prevented from experimenting on humans by his superiors, he experiments on himself. When his son, Bruce, is born, he notices something has passed from his genes into his son’s. After an accident on the base where the Banner family was living, Bruce lives with another family. Thirty years later, Bruce, played by Eric Bana, has no memory of his parents, believing them dead, and is a research scientist working on ways to use gamma radiation to repair damaged tissue. An accident in his lab exposes him to gamma radiation and leaves him with the ability to transform into the giant, green Hulk. Anger is the triggering factor in Bruce’s change into the Hulk, and much of it is due to repressed memories of his father. The remainder of the film deals with Bruce’s conflicting relationship with his father, played by Nick Nolte; his relationship with Betty Ross, played by Jennifer Connelly; and the military’s attempt to capture him for their own interests.
 
      Superbly told by director Ang Lee, the film is not typical of the superhero genre of film. The first 40 minutes of the film are relatively slow and are used to develop the characters. With only 4 scenes of rampant destruction over the final hour and a half, action scenes are not the norm in the film. Also, there is no evil villain for the Hulk to battle. While there are external battles, which are extremely destructive and rather amusing in their violence, the main battle is within the character of Bruce Banner.
 
      Connelly and Nolte give adequate performances as Ross and David Banner, respectively, but it is the acting of Bana that helps drive the movie. Bana is superb as the tormented Bruce Banner. He gives a realistic performance as a man who is dealing with discovering his true identity, as well as dealing with the monster inside of him.
 
     Lee’s depiction of the film on screen is also interesting to note because of the heritage of the Hulk. During points throughout the film, split screen shots are used reminiscent of panels in a comic book. Lee also occasionally fades from scene to scene in a manner similar to the turning of a page of a comic. However, it is Lee’s attempt to replicate the comic book feel that provides the most absurd moment of the film. As the Hulk is attempting to escape from a military base, Talbot, played by Josh Lucas, is caught in an explosion. He tries to leap away from the explosion and is then shown suspended in air, outlined in white, before flames overtake him. It is awkward looking and is better left to the pages of a comic.
 
     Lee’s treatment of the Hulk character and the topics in the film are reminiscent of Universal’s old Frankenstein movies. A mad scientist who desires to “go beyond God’s boundary” creates the Hulk. While his creation is unnatural, the Hulk is not portrayed solely as a maniacal monster. He displays moments of compassion, especially in scenes with Betty Ross. He also saves the life of a pilot who is trying to destroy him. These moments of sensitivity help create a compassion for a creature that is being tormented and forced into violent acts.
 
     Overall, the film is well directed and well acted. It is an entertaining film worth the time and money to see.