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Sunday Discussion: Double the Hulk, Double the Fun!

by Alex Billington
June 8, 2008

It might be just a little hard to remember, but a mere five years ago most of us were standing in line to see Hulk. Now it's time to do it all over again from scratch. Here's an interesting experiment: just before you go see The Incredible Hulk next weekend, sit down and watch all two hours of Ang Lee's Hulk. I think you're head might explode with too much Hulk, but if you're a big enough fan, it should be enjoyable, right? For the first time ever we're seeing a comic book character completely rebooted only five years from the first attempt. While we do see a lot of franchises rebooted, for example Batman or Friday the 13th, they're never within such rapid succession. How will this play out for the Hulk? We'll find out on Friday...

First things first, let me address the current buzz for The Incredible Hulk. Marvel knows that the big green guy is the second most well known comic character in the world (next to Spider-Man), which is a good thing, but there's a problem. People still have a very sour taste in their mouth from the first Hulk that hit theaters on June 20th, 2003, just about five years back. Normally with franchises that get rebooted we tend to clear our minds of all the previous films, but this time Hulk isn't a franchise. It is in the comics, but on film, Hulk is only a single failed attempt. And that's the problem with this film - everyone is looking forward to it, in theory, but they're not, because there's mass confusion.

What confusion? Well, the first question on everyone's mind is: "Didn't they just make this?" or "Why are they making another Hulk so soon?" All valid questions, but we know the answer - because the first one sucked. The other half of all of the confusion stems from the first film as well. Is this a remake, a reboot, or a sequel? That may seem like a stupid question to you or me, but go ask any regular citizen down at the movie theater and you'll find they don't know the answer to that. Officially, it's a reboot, basicly they're starting from scratch with the belief that the first movie doesn't even exist. Unfortunately it does.

I find this whole Hulk scenario very intriguing just because the other Hulk movie is so prevalent in my mind. It never had the chance to become a franchise, so we can't shrug it off and move on like Batman. The original Tim Burton Batman got three sequels before it died. And then came Batman Begins, and although Batman & Robin was terrible, it was part of the original series and instantly forgettable. I guess I'm wondering if that's what is going to happen with Hulk. I think most people have already quickly forgot about Ang Lee's Hulk anyway, but now if this new Incredible Hulk is as good as everyone is hoping it will be, then Ang Lee's movie is really going to fade away and be forgotten forever.

Although we've been doing nothing but hyping The Incredible Hulk, because it truly does look good, I'm curious to find people who are not looking forward to it. Actually, I'm wondering why they aren't looking forward to it and I'm wondering if it has anything to do with Ang Lee's Hulk? Is there anyone that believes the original movie was satisfying enough and this one isn't necessary? Please speak up if you do. Just how much of an impact will the failure of the original Hulk have on this one?

My prediction: Hulk is going to destroy the box office like he's going to destroy the Abomination, which is a remarkable feat. Last year I wasn't sure what to expect, but Marvel and Universal have done a great job of showing us exactly what we needed to get excited. They're smothering the old Hulk because they know that all comic book fans want is a Hulk that's just going to kick ass and beat the living crap out of the Abomination (and everyone else that gets in his way). I'm certain it's going to deliver, thanks in part to director Louis Leterrier. But will Eric Bana's Hulk get in the way of Edward Norton's Hulk? We'll find out who will win that fight in under a week.

Hulk The Incredible Hulk

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http://www.phiak.com.my zeejay

Ang Lee's Hulk still fresh in my head. I am still a fan of Ang Lee's Hulk. At first I thought this Incredible Hulk is indeed incredibly unnecessary, but after few rounds of trailer and TV-Spot. I think I could be a hit movie this summer, as long as the movie are fill with strong story line and great drama with decent acting.
Agent Jrb

I accept your challenge!
Curtis

I'm pretty sure everyone will forget about Ang Lee's poor excuse for a Hulk movie when the Incredible Hulk comes out, just because this is what fans have been waiting for and hoped to see it Ang Lee's version but never got and this time around they will. This movie is going to destroy the Box Office, and just kill that horrible movie we saw back in 2003.
Darrin

i really hope the incredible hulk does well at the box office. but to be honest i liked the first one a bit because of the complex storyline, but the cgi was off in that flick. Well, this new Incredible hulk looks really promising and looks alot better than any comic book film i've seen, even iron man, spiderman 2 and blade.
Darrin

besides check the tv spots on firstshowing, it will make people change their minds, they will see it
David

The only problem with the first movie is that it started off a bit slow and the comic book style screen changes were weird.. Other then that the movie was great. The original comics were always about the HULK VS ARMY.. but from reports i have read in the past apparently marvel did not like that it was not Super hero enough.. but whatever thats just my opinion..
Boo-Yah

I don't know if I am in the minority or not - but I don't seem to think the first Hulk was such a disaster as most people do. I liked Lee's unique way of framing and presenting the movie in that comic-book frame-esque way that he did. Now the story/plot was a little taxing (and the Hulk-dogs...yikes), but it was a fairly enjoyable comic book flick in my opinion. I defintely think this new Hulk is going to smash some serious butt at the box office this weekend - and hopefully spawn a few more sequels and an appearance in the Avengers, perhaps? I think one of the major aspects that is going to make this movie better is having Marvel producing the movie like they did with Iron Man. These are the guys who make a living off of these properties and I think they've been a little disappointed with some of the direction that some of their characters have gone recently (i.e.: Spider-man 3, Fantastuc Four). They seem to want to churn out exceptionally good films because they know that that is the best way to bring in more fans (and more dollars). As long as Marvel doesn't get to full of themselves I think we could see a list of potentially great comic book movies coming up with their already announced list and the rumored 4th and 5th Spider-man.
Sojourner

Sony still holds Spider-man.. thought I might throw that out there, and I AM EXCITED Memento Mori
Kail

I still think it's too soon for The Hulk to make a comeback, I mean, this could be a great amazing film, but tons of people will purposely not see it BECAUSE of Ang Lee's movie. On the other hand, it might pull a Borat and do better the second week because of word of mouth. "Dude you gotta see the hulk it didn't suck like the last one!" "Really? Hot damn I'll go today!" This is gonna be a real interesting week, I'm really excited to see how this turns out.
Spider

"The Incredible Hulk" will be huge at the box office. Judging by the countless trailers and TV spots and even the remarkable street fight snippet of the movie this flick will surely blow away Ang Lee's version. I agree with the fact that the fans will finally get the hulk movie we all waited for and expected 5 years ago. The cast, the action sequences, the improved effects, the director, and even a real villain (and no cheesy hulk dogs) point to a huge success. Any one of these reasons alone is enough to trump Ang Lee's version. Even though I sorta like "The Hulk" I'm surely rooting for Louis Leterrier's, "The Incredible Hulk". I'll be there opening day!
Ryan

Why is everyone so brutal to Ang Lees hulk? It was a a decent flick, I actually loved it, and the CGI is looking better than the new hulk. You can see that just from the image to image comparison on the top of this page. I'm excited as shit for the new hulk movie, but the old movie did some great stuff too in terms of the editing and the symbolism with his childhood trauma and dreams. The ending WAS a little too abstract, but when I finally kinda threw my own meaning to it to help grasp it, it started to give me goosebumps. Sometimes I just want to write Ang Lee and letter and tell him that its okay, and his movie was good. Just so he doesn't cry himself to sleep at night.
Nettle

I have to admit, I'm not excited for the movie. I've never liked the Hulk just because I think he's a stupid hero; he's all muscle and hullk smash which I don't find appealing (I'm a female, maybe that helps). The only reason I'm going to see it is because they put Iron Man in it somewhere. Yes, I know... I'm falling into the system's trap, but I can't help it.... I'm a complete slave to all things Iron Man.
ObiWop

I didn't think Ang Lee's Hulk was terrible but it wasn't great. I especially hated the fact that he put comic book panels in the movie. That was ridiculous. The effects were fairly good. The Hulk dogs were really stupid. This hulk will rock because it's Marvel doing it. It's also got the crossover stuff from Iron Man. I think everyone that went and saw Iron Man will see this because they want to see Tony Stark in it. I have pretty high expectations for this film and I don't think I'll be let down. Fingers crossed.
Pickle

Ang Lee's movie was not all bad. No one seems to be trashing it! Just the fact that so many of us were expecting a slam bang comic book adventure we got a rather deep psychological character study punctuated by very few action scenes and no villain. In essence, angst against father and family issues in the hulk world didn't connect with us fanboys! It is still a good movie, but not an IDEAL hulk movie. BTW! Nettle (#12) Are you aware that a "Wonder Woman" film is currently in the works??? I have utmost confidence in Marvel and the phenomenal job they've done with "Iron Man" that this new hulk film, will no doubt, be a smash!
http://movieguyreviews4u.blogspot.com Ryan

I am not that excited, but I think it is all to soon. Right now THE INCREDIBLE HULK is tracking box office wise as the first one a $60M debut. However, I think it can scratch $65M or maybe even a low $70M as more buzz mounts in the upcoming days. However, my gut tells me that while the numbers come up like this, it will be in the low $50M range. Not embarrasing but nowhere near IRON MAN. I think this will do slightly better than the other one and not crash and burn, but I don't see this holding up like IRON MAN either. HULK has much stronger competition coming out ahead. IRON MAN had INDY and all but there are mroe movies coming out now so more screens are needed. I say this will wrap up with a decent but not incredible (pun intended) $150M.
http://www.mayhemstudios.com Mayhem Studios

I liked the first Hulk. I saw it more of a drama then an action Hulk movie. I think I will like this Hulk more. The buzz is good on the new HUlk movie. Once the good word of mouth gets out, it's doesn't matter that the first movie left a bad taste in most peoples minds.
Josh

I went back and watched Hulk a few months ago because I couldn't stand all the hype for the new one - too long to wait. ......I regret it. It was even worse than the first time I saw it.
Lucky

I fell asleep during the Ang Lee fiasco, and even after the re-viewing i wish i was sleeping for that two hours as well. I scored an advanced screening this weekend so I'll have seen the new movie by this time tomorrow, I'm pretty excited to see what awesomeness this new movie will bring. I'll be sure to post my spoiler free one word review tomorrow night.
tirrell

Ang Lee's Hulk was terrible!! 1. The intro was horrid like 30 min of pure garr-bage! 2. Hulk Dogs were terrible. 3. Tank and Helicopter battle scene very good. 4. Hulk vs Daddy uhhh terrible 5. Hulk vs Daddy fighting in a pond (who's idea was that they should've been fired like the Hard Lemonade guy) the ending sucked sooo bad it was ridiculous. I can't believe there are fans of Hulk that liked this film. Ok someone just said the CGI was better than the new film. Wow! Unbelievable. Just take a look at that poster Alex posted and compare from the top. Hair flat, chin too round, arms and chest lack definition and those blue shorts are just plain fake & looks like a blue apron. Who is that Chef Hulk Boyardee? The previews alone of the new Hulk film have killed Ang Lee's film, fagetabouit!
Sinbad

#12 (Nettle) makes a really good point. One of the great things about Marvel cross pollinating their movies is that you're not just going to see a movie about the one Hero, you're going to see another movie in the marvel universe where any of your favourite characters could show up at any moment. To the average moviegoes this is just cool, but to anyone who considers themselves a fan of one of the marvel characters it make the movies damn near unmissable. I also means every movie they get right will build till you're not just going to see some superhero movie, you're going to see the new Marvel movie, same as when the average person asks what Wall-e is you can just tell them it's the new Pixar movie and they suddenly get excited.
nha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOq0BD_Eiig&fmt=18 ---- that video is awesome!!
Django

I took a Hulk break this weekend. But I'm glad to see all the discussion. This is the definition of 'Buzz'. Any press is good press, if it gets people talking about the movie. I certainly would like to see this film succeed- it's budget was 30 mil. less than Iron Man, so if loyal Hulk fans show up & spread the word, I'd predict next weekend folks'll return to check it out, and it stands an excellent chance of doing 'Iron Man' good it's first few weeks. Iron Man's enduring appeal has to do w/ both Downey's personality & the roller coaster fantasy his performance is embedded in. If Norton's performance stands out (as it's likely to), then this Hulk will be the Monster Movie of the summer- in more ways than one! I'm glad to hear the Iron Man cross pollination tactic will draw people in who aren't even interested in Hulk as a character. Bring 'em on in! I think what people will realize is that Hulk done right can (and will) be epic, dramatic, action-packed, and unbelievable fun.
interl0per

I never quite understood all the hate of the Lee version. From one standpoint, I thought it was well shot and the effects were good. On the other, there is a definite lack of the Hulk doing what he does best. I could do a Hulk movie without artistic shots of green moss growing on rocks... A reboot seems early, though I think this stems from Marvel really taking the reigns on the Marvel movies now instead of letting whoever direct even more crappy adaptations (cough*daredevil*cough*), heading toward the ultimate Avengers flick. In an odd way though each movie is it's own franchise, these are all half sequels/prequels to the Avengers I'm thinking. Gah, I wonder how long until someone remakes the X-Men again In many ways I would not be opposed to it.
Lucky

Just saw the new flick, my spoiler free one word review: Awesomer!!!! There just so much i want to say about it, but i will wait until after the official release, it's worth the ten bucks and the small fortune for consessions.
Boba Phatt

Third film should be called "the Rampaging Hulk"!
Maxwell

I agree with Lucky! just back from an advance screening and i wont spoil anything at all. But the movie is a lot of fun!!! I never read any of the comics so i cant say if its faithful to the source material but with the success of Iron Man and this new movie that should make a lot of money, Marvel is looking sharp this summer. im actually very surprised at how good it was and im waiting for the early reviews but fans should not be disapointed! very entertaining ride!!!!
Boba Phatt

w/ reviews like that- complete non-fans saying it's an enjoyable ride - is there really any point in saying anything other than things are looking awesome???
http://www.mayhemstudios.com Mayhem Studios

Did you guys stay to after the credits? Was there an extra scene? Did Captain America appear?
Lucky

I stayed and saw nothing, but it was an advanced screening so I'm still hopeful that there might be something when it officially releases on friday.
Maxwell

There was no extra scene after the credits...but after THAT ending you dont really need one...the last 30 seconds got the audience going insane!!! ...but thats it im not saying anything else! ENJOY!
http://www.rankingbyseo.com SEO India

i would like to say only the movie i didn't like anymore. thanks