Shouldn't Bruce Banner have looked into stretchier materials decades ago? Banner got into personal branding way earlier than the rest of civilization. Did he ever go a day without wearing purple pants? I color corrected this statue (meant to be life size) that will be accompanying Iron Man into certain theaters nationwide on May 2nd because the statue was disappointingly faded green all over --no vibrant color allowed. His pants were the same color as his skin which made this hulking monstrosity look a little nude from a distance. [NSFW tangent: speaking of nekked Hulks I was curious about artists getting their freak on with the Hulk the way people do with Disney creations but it's really only She Hulk that inspires NSFW passion]
SPOILERSThe Incredible Hulk Comic Con presentation was actually quite interesting. It was like a petri dish -- or perhaps we should say experimental serum composed --of corporate nerves, fanboy second-guessing, and PR sculpting. They put to rest some long running internet speculations: Yes, Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) IS in this movie as well as starring in his own. They proved it with a miniscule clip. And though they didn't say it outright, they implied rather giddily that Hulk will utter his famous "puny humans. Hulk smash" catchphrase. Lou Ferrigno TV's long-running green giant from the late 70s will also be appearing in the film and he made a brief well-received cameo at the event as well.
It makes sense. When I first saw the official poster (pictured) I felt it was incredibly '78 television-like rather and listening to the panel, especially director Louis Letterier (The Transporter), it was clear that the series was more of an inspiration to them than Ang Lee's version. And the television series was more The Fugitive-like than a direct Marvel comic transfer.
Distorted corporate perceptions?Marvel and Universal have two major obstacles to smash (persistent rumors of fights with Ed Norton and memories of Ang Lee's film) and they don't seem too worried about collateral damage. Perhaps they've been hit by gamma rays as well? They're rampaging beasts when it comes to Ang Lee. I was pretty angry listening to the venom of fans (they actually booed a Q & A person who dared to suggest that Ang Lee's film had some merits) and the disparagement from the new and less renowned filmmaking team. Even if you hated Ang Lee's version (and it did skimp on the action --which is basically the principal selling point of a huge violent beast-hero) the man deserves respect. One only has to compare his filmography to anyone else's to realize that throwing stones is a dangerous impulse...
Puny directors, Auteur smash!
They also vehemently denied the rifts with Ed Norton but it didn't convince this cynical audience member. Paraphrasing one of the panelists "Would he have really showed up to recent ADDR sessions if he was upset?" Um... if you're trying to convince me that Ed Norton is sweet as pie to work with and totally loves your movie, maybe you shouldn't be implying that he's the type of multi-million dollar star that just doesn't show up for work if he's at all displeased. Oops. The studio doth protest too much.They showed three scenes for the crowd: the last was an itty-bitty Tony Stark scene. The first was a short exposition heavy scene in which Tim Roth (who was wonderful on the panel --I'd forgotten what an engaging presence he is. Can't wait to see him again onscreen) as Emil Blonsky is injected with experimental serum which will eventually transform him into Hulk's arch-nemesis The Abomination...
The best footage was from a lengthy unfinished battle scene. You can catch glimpses of it in the trailer, too. Banner is trapped in an overhead walkway, attacked with gas, transforms into the green giant and battles military types with jeeps and heavy weaponry and then finally the extremely agile soldier Emil Blonsky (who is not yet The Abomination). It was fairly intense if not particularly dazzling in terms of action choreography. Story-wise it seemed to be an early scene. Liv Tyler was shown briefly in the dull Jennifer Connelly part looking beautiful and concerned. (That's probably the whole performance. Superhero films are not good to women). The filmmakers have clearly taken the "not enough action" complaints from the 2003 film to heart and I'm guessing that this one will be jam-packed, like King Kong overkill. They promise a 20 minute final battle between Hulk and the Abomination.
Can't recognize Tim Roth there? He did facial capture hi-tech acting sohopefully some of him will come through CGI...even in mutated brawls.
Twenty minutes! Few are the filmmakers that can sustain action sequences above seven or eight. I hope they studied Tarantino's Kill Bill Volume 1, James Cameron's um...anything and Jackson circa Lord of the Rings. You have to be mega talented and inventive to turn battle sequences into showstopping ever-evolving rhythmic setpieces. Otherwise the movie feels like it's gone on loop. Action sequences should not be the ideal time for bathroom breaks. If I sound overly negative, my apologies. The clips were enough to give me my first real interest in the film, Hulk never being a particular favorite.
More Comic Con Posts:
Wall•E is a Beau-Ty -It looks like Pixar may have done it again
Super Women or Cheap Whores -genre land isn't kind to the ladies
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