I used to loathe this movie when I was younger, as I felt it didn't do Hulk justice. But yesterday, I decided to give the film a rewatch, and being much older and wiser, it blew me away. I guess the reason why younger me didn't like it was because I expected a more traditional superhero flick, but when I watched it as a drama movie instead of a superhero movie, it really resonated with me. The themes of mental illness, trauma, abuse, and masculinity really touched me, being a victim of child abuse and a sufferer of anxiety. To add the cherry on top, I am a scientist by profession, so Bruce became a "literally me" character. I also need to confess that I teared up at the end of the film, too. 😅
I had almost the same experience as you. I hated this movie as a kid, but I gave it a chance a few months ago and completely fell in love with it. Bruce is the only character in a comic book movie that I felt like I was seeing myself on screen (without the trauma part of course). He became one of my favorite protagonists in any movie. One of the best CBMs ever
@@pizzaparker7424 when you get older you tend to learn how to follow a story and engage in it rather than just focus on the action and fighting scenes.
@@Kenny-ep2nf yeah I agree. To be honest, there are a lot of movies that I even feel like it was better that I saw it when I got a bit older. Some of my favorite movies are more mature and dramatic, and I'm sure if I had seen them before my late teens I would have found them just plain boring
Great to see Hulk getting some love. Its vastly better than the 2008 film. I love the gigantic size of this Hulk. Jennifer Connelly is always a plus. I think this film did influence the Immortal Hulk run with its green door and his father as the real bad guy and creator of the Hulk. The gamma explosion only really created the physical manifestation of Hulk his father created the Hulk part of Bruce's personality. Its a hugely underrated and misunderstood film.
@@pn2294 No, as a lame representation of the character. Bana's Hulk is in the harmony with the monster, this is literally the ending of the movie. "You're making me angry" is his warning to villains. This is completely contrary to what Norton's Hulk shows.
I love this movie. It’s my first major exposure to Hulk, and it’s what led to my love for the comics years later. The animosity between father and son is one of my favorite tropes in any story, and while this film could have done it better, it was still a satisfying experience, at least for me personally. Plus that lightning sequence during the final battle is breathtaking.
I got such strong "Bill Bixby's Banner" vibes off Nolte's character that I will forever contend that they are one and the same. Something that sells Bana's performance, I think, is that he always has this smouldering anger just behind his eyes. Good episode, thanks! Your first video about this was simply amazing too.
I didn't see any of Bixby's portrayal in Nolte b/c I recognized that after Banner Sr. realized what his self-experimenting might have done, he did NOT become a more doting, compassionate father. He became obsessed with biomedical poke-and-prodding with no emotional, loving regard. Bixby's Banner would have worked to free his son of the "scientific curse" inflected.
Yeah, I can't see Bill Bixby's Banner either because "David Banner" from the show was a kind man who wanted to help people in need. He had a sickness that he wanted to get rid of and he wouldn't have let his son turn into a monster.
@@ThesilverninjaYeah, he'd be this heavily depressed, maybe even suicidal man, but his hopes of curing his son would keep him going. Though I think OP is talking about his appearance in Trial of the incredible Hulk, which I can see.
Okay, speaking as someone who has written multiple research papers on this film, I actually have some fun facts about some of the stuff you talk about, which makes those aspects even more fun! - With the Hulk's first appearance, yes, the lighting was supposed to evoke the Universal Monster movies, but Lee said that it actually had another purpose, as well. The idea was to cast the Hulk in shades of grey, to try to make him look as much like the grey hulk from his first appearance as possible - The scene with the dogs was intentionally designed to evoke another classic monster movie - King Kong. Specifically, it was an homage to Kong fighting the T-rex with Fay Wray frightened and helpless in the tree. - When Hulk is changing back to Banner in San Francisco, there are two fun things to notice, related to Lee's wife's occupation. First, the water streaming from Hulk as he changes back to Bruce: as she stated, all that mass had to go somewhere, so it was 'bled' out as excess water. Second, if you pay very close attention, some of the water is steaming off of him, because, again according to her, a change like that would involve a ridiculous amount of energy expenditure, leading to increased temperatures. - So, you're right, the 'One year later' ending was tacked on - they were forced to by Universal to set up a sequel (I mean, at that point, it was one of the most expensive movies ever made, so Universal wanted to capitalize on its investment, right?) - Finally, and this is more of a macro one, James Schamus pointed out in an article he wrote for the New York Times that he and Lee approached the story as a Greek tragedy because of the whole 'sins of the father' thing. As a result, the film's structure mirrors that of a classical tragedy such as Aeschylus' Agamemnon. This was a great video, and I love this movie so much. I hope this contribution makes it even more enjoyable!
@@Killtrobal I can't (they were all undergrad papers now lost to time) but I can cite sources. Most of this comes from either the DVD commentary or from the annotations in the published edition of the screenplay - even Schamus's article was reprinted there as an introduction to the book.
I think my favorite detail is it looks like (to me, who hasn't seen the BTS stuff) Ang Lee didn't want the Hulk's rage moments to look *cool*. He wanted Hulk's rage to look *real*, like he could barely contain it and didn't care to. He was possibly worried that he couldn't properly communicate that to a stunt worker without it being misinterpreted so he did himself.
Love to see this film get the appreciation it deserves. I always thought combing the elements of childhood abuse and science was very clever, as the Hulk in the comics was always a manifestation of Bruce Banner’s childhood. And it helps make sense of why gamma radiation turns Banner into the Hulk, similar to how the spiders have combine traits of several other species to explain how Spider-Man is fast, strong, can leap huge distances, etc. in the Sam Raimi trilogy.
Sam Elliott's general gives me red hulk vibes, even his rage is very fiery, i love the desert jumping scene it represents him tryna get away from trouble restlessly for a while and i came up with a theory on how david banner survived that blast
Yes! Harrison Ford cast as Red Hulk was a missed opportunity to have Elliot back. He is such an underrated cast that fits his character perfectly like JK Simmons as J Jona Jameson :b
I'm a millenial who grew up on reruns of the Lou Ferrigno Hulk TV series and later the Peter David run in the comics. I've been a fan of the character since I was around 2. This movie came out when I was in college and is still my favorite movie with Hulk in it, despite Mark Ruffalo's portrayal being excellent. I think it's Ang Lee's motion capture performance just being so likeable. Hulk biting off the head of a missile and punching a helicopter in the face are my two favorite Hulk scenes of all time. My wife and I took our son to a comic book convention several years ago, when he was a toddler, and we took a picture with Lou Ferrigno. It was great to meet him in person. He charged for pictures per person and my son was half price. While the other celebrity guests had people who collected the money, Mr. Ferrigno handled his own money in a little zip pouch, because who would try to rob him? He then proceeded to squeeze my wife and me in for the picture, and I thought we were about to get crushed by his massive arms.
this movie really evoques those late 80's to late 90's stories focusing on Bruce's relatioship with his father, and eventually his father coming back as the Devil Hulk, which then in combination with this movie itself served as inspirations for Immortal Hulk
The design and look of Hulk in this film always gets some derision(compared to the MCU version of the character), his proportions seem to not evoke a giant muscular human or an ape, but a gigantic infant-but that is thematically appropriate and definately deliberate-The anger Hulk/Banner has in this film is the pure, unknowable, and terrifying anger of a very young child.
I'm probably going to watch this again tonight. The scene where Hulk reaches out of the mirror played in front of Spider-Man when I saw it in 2002. It was the first I had scene of this movie, to tell the truth, I'm not even sure I knew they were making a Hulk film.
I've been waiting for this one Josh! Your previous analysis on this movie still one of my all time favorite videos on this platform. 20 years I've spent loving this depiction of the Jade Giant. Happy 20th anniversary!!
In a way, the purple pants being so diametrically opposed to Hulk's green skin serves as a representation of the conflict between Hulk and Bruce; those pants are Bruce's, and they are the last vestiges of his identity once the big guy takes over.
I saw this when it came out in the theater back in 2003. Initial thought back then that it was the first Movie Adaptation and was done well and artistically by Ang Lee. I had issues with it as far as the CGI back then, because it was still new. But I've grown to appreciate it more over the years. The guys and I will be promoting this video on the next Podcast Josh. Love what you do! - MK
Your comments on this movie really capture something i see in documentaries i love like Jodorowsky's Dune and Island of Lost Souls. you highlights those dream moments and ideas that Lee and co were probably itching to film and sadly they can seem hit or miss for some people. Interpretations by highly talented and creative people can be really exciting and fun to see even off the end product is not super popular.
This movie is the Hulk from the comics come to life the perfect representation of the character I’ve loved this movie since I was a kid and continue to love it to this day can’t believe it’s already 20 years old
TY!! I feel redeemed for my take-away! I enjoyed this film in 1st-run theater. I later naysaying of Ang Lee's multi-panel views. OK, that had taken me about...roughly...15 seconds to understand, adapt and enjoy. I had also enjoyed the twist on size: Yes, "the angrier Hulk gets, the stronger he gets"...plus the BIGGER he gets! I thought that was a wonderful touch. It was a much better film than many think. One thing I especially liked was also why "the studio" HAD to disown this film: sequels. This film made it clear there were THREE factors involved in Bruce's transformation [gamma radiation, the nanites, and the genetic mutation], therefore he is ABSOLUTELY unique. But they wanted, for future films, to be able to just zap anyone with gamma and have a Hulk-level same-as-you enemy. Further, I thought Bana did a great job of bringing out both the gentle kindness that Bruce wanted to enjoy and the traumatic rage "Bruce" fought to control. JS this was a terrific Hulk movie.
Man, seeing this movie when I was 4 years old REALLY made an impact on me growing up. I saw myself in Bruce; a scared and confused child who had a lot of repressed trauma and some part of me wanted to explode in a fit of rage and anger. Not to trauma dump or anything but this movie stuck with me for the rest of my life. The first time seeing Hulk transform, I was utterly terrified but also intrigued by how real he looked at the time. It really pains me how we don't have this Hulk anymore. Now, we have a kiddy Disney version of him who was nerfed due to the recent Avengers movies. I miss this Hulk and I don't know if we're ever getting him back but at least we have this movie to look back on :)
When I came up with my top 5 marvel films along with top 5 dc films, I put hulk up there for its depth, action and unique take on the character. My only criticism is that the final battle was so hard to follow, it was a serious chore to watch; definitely improved with the Incredible Hulk with the hulk vs abomination fight. Ang lees hulk to me is a good film that deserves some love and recognition.
In the MCU There’s no progression or correlation between his anger & strength. The angrier Hulk gets the stronger Hulk gets. You actually see Hulk getting angrier & stronger in the 2003 film.
A strange criticism I've heard of this movie is that the green of Hulk is too bright. Can you imagine how boring it would be to dull the green? It's beautiful and thematically relevant. Some people want less comic book and more realism. I think Hulk perfectly blends reality and fantasy.
I also really love this movie! As a kid I thought it was just a cool superhero movie. But as an adult, I like the deeper meaning around it. Its not the Best Hulk movie but its definitely Unique.
How glad I am that back in 2003 I wasn't the only one who liked this movie, or rather I was thrilled! I went to see it 3 times in a row! But my friends, acquaintances and in general, I heard only negative reviews and did not understand what in this movie can not like. Thanks for the review!
I loved this film as a kid and still do as an adult. Nostalgia wasn't its only merit, It stood the test of time as the superhero movies we see nowadays are all the same and don't take risks like Hulk
You know what man i do like this flim! I used to watch this movie all the time as a kid i love the dark tone the psychological elements the fight scenes the look of the hulk the haunting music and i much prefer Eric bana's Bruce banner instead of Mark ruffalo's comedic version i really wish this got a sequel! (Plus it's funny that this movie had hulk's purple pants and sam Rami kept Spider-Man's comic book costume but the X-Men films were just too afraid to give the characters comic accurate suits or at least try to make them look a little colorful)
Have you read monsters by berry windsor smith? It started out as his take on the hulk but it became so much more. The 1st half of it is full of weapon x style military scifi body horror
The comic book frames to show multiple things happening at once was genius and good, also no hulk got more mad than this hulk and no hulk showed more human emotion during scenes no one was shooting at it
This movie is awesome. Perfectly cast, gorgeous cinematography, cares for the psychology of its characters, and it looks great for a movie that came out 2 decades ago. Also I agree about the desert shots, some of my favorite imagery in the film. I also unapologetically love the goofy Hulk dogs. But that may be the nostalgia speaking 😅
This video just popped up as a recommended video yesterday and I have comments. 1. Great video, I've always liked this movie and think it's underrated. 2. I've always thought that if this movie was a big hit that the the comic panel transitions would have become more used in comic book movies.
Although I'm not the biggest fan of this film, I have to admit that this is some of the best casting ever in any superhero film. Every single character is just casted so perfectly. With William Hurt's passing (RIP) they really should have gone back to Sam Elliot playing Thunderbolt Ross in the MCU. I love Harrison Ford, but just do not see him as Ross.
Ang Lee took some big swings with his Hulk. Not everything works, but it’s vastly more intriguing than the 2008 version on a number of levels. It’s an art-house superhero movie that challenges its audience and it stands in risky company: Defendor, Super and Kick-Ass
I always thought that the 2008 Hulk movie was a sequel to this one as it pretty much picks up right were this one left off and is even set 5 years after, much like how it was released 5 years later.
this is my childhood hulk, eric bana version, including edward norton. The reason why people hated the 2003 hulk is because both, they weren't ready for a heavy psychological movie, and only see hulk as a green angry monster known for smashing things. But that is where they're wrong. He's more than that. He has layers. He's a troubled, traumatized man that so happens to turn into a angry creature due to his dad's experiments and the accidental gamma exposure. Plus, it's obvious that bruce banner is not a sunshine type character. He's lonely and has to be on the run, from people who are hunting him, or to avoid hurting people.
I love your appreciation and observations about the film. I don't share a lot of your sentiments. But I appreciate what you have to say. I wasn't a fan of how this movie adapted Brian Banner. I seem to remember the abuse towards Rebecca and Bruce playing out differently in the comics. I also didn't like that this movie turned Brian, Leader, Absorbing Man and Zzaxx into one character. And despite it being one of the best scenes in the movie, I didn't like that Bruce says that he likes losing control and becoming The Hulk. It just seems to completely misrepresent the core characteristics of who Bruce is and what he feels. I like certain elements of this movie. But overall it's probably my least favorite adaptation of the character.
An NSFW factoid, it was when he picked up Jennifer Connelly in Hulk form, that 20 year old me realized that I had a size kink, for perspective, I'm 6'5". Lol.
Thanks for putting some respect on this movie's name. When I was a kid I loved this one as much as blade and Spider-Man and x men. Tho, I also loved Affleck daredevil, so I was a bit of a mark as a kid lol
I always preferred this movie to even the 2008 version as a kid (despite being 7 when it released lol). Idk why, I just really liked 2003's design, it fit in more with the Spider-Man movies of the time too (imo). I didn't care as much about the story aspect back then ofc, but it still intrigued me. I always wondered what about Bruce's dad was so menacing. To this day I think the CGI in this movie is crazy good. Does it look crappy at times? Sure, but I genuinely think 2008's CGI is less convincing. I loved this movie so much as a kid that I would recreate scenes from it in the PS2 game, Hulk Ultimate Destruction (made by the same devs as Prototype, it's actually really good). I even later on bought the game based on the movie too. I mean it's no secret what my favorite heroes were back then, just look at my username. I feel really sad about where the Hulk is now in the MCU. I already lost interest in it by the time Infinity War released, but post that I don't have any at all nearly. At least for Spidey we still got the animations like Into the Spiderverse...
They are MCU or DC fanboys.. They know this Hulk is unbeatable and they're scared.. lol.. They only attack the cgi and the less action it has.. That should tell you all you need to know about them but praise other movies with way worse cgi
@kaybigg Easily. The CGI still looks great for today. Consider it, this might be one of the first fully realized human-like characters we've ever seen done in full cgi, and it gets NO appreciation for some reason. I'd say it's pretty d@mn good for the garbage computers they had to work with.
@@bilbobaggins9451 It is.. In fact the budget was so little, Lee had to shorten all the fights, including completely omitting the San Fran scene of Hulk obliterating the military.. We had to make our own conclusions on how strong he actually is(despite Ross underestimated him and thought he'd kill him with a 1 megaton nuke
Wow you skip the Whole F-22 scene as in; Was it This Really one of the 1st movie With a Top Of The Line USA Fighter Before it Even Became Declassified!?
I usually dont say this. Im mostly of the opinion that if you hate a movie that I enjoy, I take the "Oh well, more for me" attitude. But Im gonna say it. Fu€k the haters. This movie goes above and beyond what any comic book movie did at the time and Id say even to this day its gone above and beyond and all it gets is heaploads of crap for really no other reason beyond the most petty of criticisms I've heard. You can say this movie just "isnt your thing" and thats fine. But people for some reason have some weird bone to pick with this movie. Why? Did the movie hurt your puppy or something? Why the visceral hate? Its a d@mn shame this hasnt gotten the retrospective look back that so many movies have gotten. I was sure that for the 20th anniversary it would get it, but unfortunately not. I guess its just going to forever be lumped in as "one of the bad ones" even though there are FAAAAR worse cbm that are just done for profit, with no artistic vision whatsoever. The movie was amazing for its time when I was 6 and it still blows me away as an adult. One of the best CBM ever made.
Great video. I think you’re a little off on the reasoning for the name change from “Bruce” to “David”. At the time of the TV show, the name Bruce was associated with gay. This makes little since to us currently…but a quick Google search will show that it was a misguided belief that some held at the time.
The best Hulk that struggled to lift a humvee, couldn't keep up with a supersoldier, almost defeated by an enemy who can be choked to death by chains.. lol.. The other one in the mcu is a story for another day, the butt of jokes in mcu
I used to loathe this movie when I was younger, as I felt it didn't do Hulk justice. But yesterday, I decided to give the film a rewatch, and being much older and wiser, it blew me away.
I guess the reason why younger me didn't like it was because I expected a more traditional superhero flick, but when I watched it as a drama movie instead of a superhero movie, it really resonated with me. The themes of mental illness, trauma, abuse, and masculinity really touched me, being a victim of child abuse and a sufferer of anxiety. To add the cherry on top, I am a scientist by profession, so Bruce became a "literally me" character. I also need to confess that I teared up at the end of the film, too. 😅
I had almost the same experience as you. I hated this movie as a kid, but I gave it a chance a few months ago and completely fell in love with it. Bruce is the only character in a comic book movie that I felt like I was seeing myself on screen (without the trauma part of course). He became one of my favorite protagonists in any movie. One of the best CBMs ever
I always enjoyed it
@@pizzaparker7424 when you get older you tend to learn how to follow a story and engage in it rather than just focus on the action and fighting scenes.
@@Kenny-ep2nf yeah I agree. To be honest, there are a lot of movies that I even feel like it was better that I saw it when I got a bit older. Some of my favorite movies are more mature and dramatic, and I'm sure if I had seen them before my late teens I would have found them just plain boring
I've grown to love this Hulk movie over time man
Great to see Hulk getting some love. Its vastly better than the 2008 film. I love the gigantic size of this Hulk. Jennifer Connelly is always a plus. I think this film did influence the Immortal Hulk run with its green door and his father as the real bad guy and creator of the Hulk. The gamma explosion only really created the physical manifestation of Hulk his father created the Hulk part of Bruce's personality. Its a hugely underrated and misunderstood film.
Ironically, I feel like 2008 almost works as a sequel.
@@pn2294 Norton's banner is afraid to lose its temper. This is his pathetic MCU version. Screw this movie
@@Jackfromshack you mean like a sane person?
@@pn2294 No, as a lame representation of the character. Bana's Hulk is in the harmony with the monster, this is literally the ending of the movie. "You're making me angry" is his warning to villains. This is completely contrary to what Norton's Hulk shows.
Kind of like how the Hulk is misunderstood
I love this movie. It’s my first major exposure to Hulk, and it’s what led to my love for the comics years later. The animosity between father and son is one of my favorite tropes in any story, and while this film could have done it better, it was still a satisfying experience, at least for me personally. Plus that lightning sequence during the final battle is breathtaking.
I got such strong "Bill Bixby's Banner" vibes off Nolte's character that I will forever contend that they are one and the same. Something that sells Bana's performance, I think, is that he always has this smouldering anger just behind his eyes. Good episode, thanks! Your first video about this was simply amazing too.
I didn't see any of Bixby's portrayal in Nolte b/c I recognized that after Banner Sr. realized what his self-experimenting might have done, he did NOT become a more doting, compassionate father. He became obsessed with biomedical poke-and-prodding with no emotional, loving regard. Bixby's Banner would have worked to free his son of the "scientific curse" inflected.
Yeah, I can't see Bill Bixby's Banner either because "David Banner" from the show was a kind man who wanted to help people in need. He had a sickness that he wanted to get rid of and he wouldn't have let his son turn into a monster.
@@ThesilverninjaYeah, he'd be this heavily depressed, maybe even suicidal man, but his hopes of curing his son would keep him going.
Though I think OP is talking about his appearance in Trial of the incredible Hulk, which I can see.
Okay, speaking as someone who has written multiple research papers on this film, I actually have some fun facts about some of the stuff you talk about, which makes those aspects even more fun!
- With the Hulk's first appearance, yes, the lighting was supposed to evoke the Universal Monster movies, but Lee said that it actually had another purpose, as well. The idea was to cast the Hulk in shades of grey, to try to make him look as much like the grey hulk from his first appearance as possible
- The scene with the dogs was intentionally designed to evoke another classic monster movie - King Kong. Specifically, it was an homage to Kong fighting the T-rex with Fay Wray frightened and helpless in the tree.
- When Hulk is changing back to Banner in San Francisco, there are two fun things to notice, related to Lee's wife's occupation. First, the water streaming from Hulk as he changes back to Bruce: as she stated, all that mass had to go somewhere, so it was 'bled' out as excess water. Second, if you pay very close attention, some of the water is steaming off of him, because, again according to her, a change like that would involve a ridiculous amount of energy expenditure, leading to increased temperatures.
- So, you're right, the 'One year later' ending was tacked on - they were forced to by Universal to set up a sequel (I mean, at that point, it was one of the most expensive movies ever made, so Universal wanted to capitalize on its investment, right?)
- Finally, and this is more of a macro one, James Schamus pointed out in an article he wrote for the New York Times that he and Lee approached the story as a Greek tragedy because of the whole 'sins of the father' thing. As a result, the film's structure mirrors that of a classical tragedy such as Aeschylus' Agamemnon.
This was a great video, and I love this movie so much. I hope this contribution makes it even more enjoyable!
Awesome comment thanks
can you link those reseacrh papers you say?
@@Killtrobal I can't (they were all undergrad papers now lost to time) but I can cite sources. Most of this comes from either the DVD commentary or from the annotations in the published edition of the screenplay - even Schamus's article was reprinted there as an introduction to the book.
I think my favorite detail is it looks like (to me, who hasn't seen the BTS stuff) Ang Lee didn't want the Hulk's rage moments to look *cool*. He wanted Hulk's rage to look *real*, like he could barely contain it and didn't care to. He was possibly worried that he couldn't properly communicate that to a stunt worker without it being misinterpreted so he did himself.
Love to see this film get the appreciation it deserves. I always thought combing the elements of childhood abuse and science was very clever, as the Hulk in the comics was always a manifestation of Bruce Banner’s childhood. And it helps make sense of why gamma radiation turns Banner into the Hulk, similar to how the spiders have combine traits of several other species to explain how Spider-Man is fast, strong, can leap huge distances, etc. in the Sam Raimi trilogy.
Sam Elliott's general gives me red hulk vibes, even his rage is very fiery, i love the desert jumping scene it represents him tryna get away from trouble restlessly for a while and i came up with a theory on how david banner survived that blast
Yes! Harrison Ford cast as Red Hulk was a missed opportunity to have Elliot back. He is such an underrated cast that fits his character perfectly like JK Simmons as J Jona Jameson :b
I'm a millenial who grew up on reruns of the Lou Ferrigno Hulk TV series and later the Peter David run in the comics. I've been a fan of the character since I was around 2. This movie came out when I was in college and is still my favorite movie with Hulk in it, despite Mark Ruffalo's portrayal being excellent. I think it's Ang Lee's motion capture performance just being so likeable. Hulk biting off the head of a missile and punching a helicopter in the face are my two favorite Hulk scenes of all time. My wife and I took our son to a comic book convention several years ago, when he was a toddler, and we took a picture with Lou Ferrigno. It was great to meet him in person. He charged for pictures per person and my son was half price. While the other celebrity guests had people who collected the money, Mr. Ferrigno handled his own money in a little zip pouch, because who would try to rob him? He then proceeded to squeeze my wife and me in for the picture, and I thought we were about to get crushed by his massive arms.
this movie really evoques those late 80's to late 90's stories focusing on Bruce's relatioship with his father, and eventually his father coming back as the Devil Hulk, which then in combination with this movie itself served as inspirations for Immortal Hulk
The design and look of Hulk in this film always gets some derision(compared to the MCU version of the character), his proportions seem to not evoke a giant muscular human or an ape, but a gigantic infant-but that is thematically appropriate and definately deliberate-The anger Hulk/Banner has in this film is the pure, unknowable, and terrifying anger of a very young child.
He's Bruce as a 4 year old, so it's a perfect depiction...
I'm probably going to watch this again tonight. The scene where Hulk reaches out of the mirror played in front of Spider-Man when I saw it in 2002. It was the first I had scene of this movie, to tell the truth, I'm not even sure I knew they were making a Hulk film.
This is CINEMA and that's why this movie isn't loved by the casual audience - it's just art and not some random popcorn entertainment
15:03 me too i love watching Hulk leaping around in the same way i love the swinging sequences in Spider-Man movies and shows
I've been waiting for this one Josh! Your previous analysis on this movie still one of my all time favorite videos on this platform. 20 years I've spent loving this depiction of the Jade Giant. Happy 20th anniversary!!
In a way, the purple pants being so diametrically opposed to Hulk's green skin serves as a representation of the conflict between Hulk and Bruce; those pants are Bruce's, and they are the last vestiges of his identity once the big guy takes over.
Hey! 4thSnake! Surprised to see you here! Your videos are great. 😁
I’ve been meaning to give this movie a rewatch. I was obsessed with it as a kid because there wasn’t a whole lot of modern Hulk stuff.
Eyy diego
I saw this when it came out in the theater back in 2003. Initial thought back then that it was the first Movie Adaptation and was done well and artistically by Ang Lee. I had issues with it as far as the CGI back then, because it was still new. But I've grown to appreciate it more over the years. The guys and I will be promoting this video on the next Podcast Josh. Love what you do! - MK
Your comments on this movie really capture something i see in documentaries i love like Jodorowsky's Dune and Island of Lost Souls. you highlights those dream moments and ideas that Lee and co were probably itching to film and sadly they can seem hit or miss for some people. Interpretations by highly talented and creative people can be really exciting and fun to see even off the end product is not super popular.
This movie is the Hulk from the comics come to life the perfect representation of the character I’ve loved this movie since I was a kid and continue to love it to this day can’t believe it’s already 20 years old
TY!! I feel redeemed for my take-away! I enjoyed this film in 1st-run theater. I later naysaying of Ang Lee's multi-panel views. OK, that had taken me about...roughly...15 seconds to understand, adapt and enjoy. I had also enjoyed the twist on size: Yes, "the angrier Hulk gets, the stronger he gets"...plus the BIGGER he gets! I thought that was a wonderful touch. It was a much better film than many think. One thing I especially liked was also why "the studio" HAD to disown this film: sequels. This film made it clear there were THREE factors involved in Bruce's transformation [gamma radiation, the nanites, and the genetic mutation], therefore he is ABSOLUTELY unique. But they wanted, for future films, to be able to just zap anyone with gamma and have a Hulk-level same-as-you enemy. Further, I thought Bana did a great job of bringing out both the gentle kindness that Bruce wanted to enjoy and the traumatic rage "Bruce" fought to control. JS this was a terrific Hulk movie.
Cgi in this film is better than in films today man
Its nice knowing their are more fans of this film besides myself though i show Hulk to somebody they m akways like it.
Happy 20th anniversary.
Man, seeing this movie when I was 4 years old REALLY made an impact on me growing up. I saw myself in Bruce; a scared and confused child who had a lot of repressed trauma and some part of me wanted to explode in a fit of rage and anger. Not to trauma dump or anything but this movie stuck with me for the rest of my life. The first time seeing Hulk transform, I was utterly terrified but also intrigued by how real he looked at the time. It really pains me how we don't have this Hulk anymore. Now, we have a kiddy Disney version of him who was nerfed due to the recent Avengers movies. I miss this Hulk and I don't know if we're ever getting him back but at least we have this movie to look back on :)
When I came up with my top 5 marvel films along with top 5 dc films, I put hulk up there for its depth, action and unique take on the character. My only criticism is that the final battle was so hard to follow, it was a serious chore to watch; definitely improved with the Incredible Hulk with the hulk vs abomination fight. Ang lees hulk to me is a good film that deserves some love and recognition.
This and 2008 Hulk are in my top 10 comic book movies of all time.
You might have the two most definitve videos about this movie on TH-cam. Great work on both videos!
I really don’t understand why people find this movie to be boring or forgettable
You nailed everything i love about this film as well man
I always thought it was funny how they didn't like alliteration in TV show but they casted a guy named Bill Bixby...
David Banners Absorbing Man powers look so cool
1:30 i like that as well both hulk 2003 and Spider-Man 2002 do that as well
What I look very about Danny eofmans score for this movie is it's so different it's very dark
In my opinion any hulk is still better than the current MCU hulk
Always has been
Hulk 2003 can kill Thanos in Avengers infinity War intro
@@Mextlatecprobably
Yup
I'll do you one better. Ang Lee's Hulk is better than ANY MCU movie.
Yeah I never got the hate for this movie. I liked it when I saw it in 2003. I still like it now. It's good, it's a great Hulk film.
In the MCU There’s no progression or correlation between his anger & strength.
The angrier Hulk gets the stronger Hulk gets. You actually see Hulk getting angrier & stronger in the 2003 film.
And adapting... Whether it's speed or strength.. He's smarter thn we give him credit for
17:43 I wonder if it kinda gave inspiration to that cloudy avatar of The One Below All in Immortal Hulk.
A strange criticism I've heard of this movie is that the green of Hulk is too bright. Can you imagine how boring it would be to dull the green? It's beautiful and thematically relevant. Some people want less comic book and more realism. I think Hulk perfectly blends reality and fantasy.
I also really love this movie! As a kid I thought it was just a cool superhero movie. But as an adult, I like the deeper meaning around it. Its not the Best Hulk movie but its definitely Unique.
I hope this Hulk returns in Secret Wars in some capacity
He will... Not sure about Bana though
Marvel behaves like this movie is Voldemort ( and they are total jerks for this). Unlikely anything related to it will ever appear again
How glad I am that back in 2003 I wasn't the only one who liked this movie, or rather I was thrilled! I went to see it 3 times in a row! But my friends, acquaintances and in general, I heard only negative reviews and did not understand what in this movie can not like. Thanks for the review!
I loved this film as a kid and still do as an adult. Nostalgia wasn't its only merit, It stood the test of time as the superhero movies we see nowadays are all the same and don't take risks like Hulk
You know what man i do like this flim! I used to watch this movie all the time as a kid i love the dark tone the psychological elements the fight scenes the look of the hulk the haunting music and i much prefer Eric bana's Bruce banner instead of Mark ruffalo's comedic version i really wish this got a sequel! (Plus it's funny that this movie had hulk's purple pants and sam Rami kept Spider-Man's comic book costume but the X-Men films were just too afraid to give the characters comic accurate suits or at least try to make them look a little colorful)
Eeeee X-men first Class, X-men Dark Phoenix, Deadpool's movies
@@alexisyanez8666 I meant the original trilogy the later films did get better with that!
💜 Thanks for the video. As an Ang Lee film, Hulk deserves respect 💚
Have you read monsters by berry windsor smith? It started out as his take on the hulk but it became so much more. The 1st half of it is full of weapon x style military scifi body horror
The cast and the storytelling for this movie, I think, make this Hulk movie the best.
Great video, I learned a lot from this
The comic book frames to show multiple things happening at once was genius and good, also no hulk got more mad than this hulk and no hulk showed more human emotion during scenes no one was shooting at it
This movie is awesome. Perfectly cast, gorgeous cinematography, cares for the psychology of its characters, and it looks great for a movie that came out 2 decades ago.
Also I agree about the desert shots, some of my favorite imagery in the film.
I also unapologetically love the goofy Hulk dogs. But that may be the nostalgia speaking 😅
i just watched it for the first time because of this video! Its not perfect but its endearing, there's a lot to appreciate!
I would love to see a 2003 Ang Lee's HULK vs Hugh Jackman's Wolverine movie 🔥
I love the look of this film, it has this early 2000s sundance film.
This video just popped up as a recommended video yesterday and I have comments. 1. Great video, I've always liked this movie and think it's underrated. 2. I've always thought that if this movie was a big hit that the the comic panel transitions would have become more used in comic book movies.
I've always enjoyed this movie since I was a kid
I love your Hulk videos
Although I'm not the biggest fan of this film, I have to admit that this is some of the best casting ever in any superhero film. Every single character is just casted so perfectly. With William Hurt's passing (RIP) they really should have gone back to Sam Elliot playing Thunderbolt Ross in the MCU. I love Harrison Ford, but just do not see him as Ross.
This movie is why I love comics
Ang Lee took some big swings with his Hulk. Not everything works, but it’s vastly more intriguing than the 2008 version on a number of levels. It’s an art-house superhero movie that challenges its audience and it stands in risky company: Defendor, Super and Kick-Ass
I always thought that the 2008 Hulk movie was a sequel to this one as it pretty much picks up right were this one left off and is even set 5 years after, much like how it was released 5 years later.
this is my childhood hulk, eric bana version, including edward norton. The reason why people hated the 2003 hulk is because both, they weren't ready for a heavy psychological movie, and only see hulk as a green angry monster known for smashing things. But that is where they're wrong. He's more than that. He has layers. He's a troubled, traumatized man that so happens to turn into a angry creature due to his dad's experiments and the accidental gamma exposure. Plus, it's obvious that bruce banner is not a sunshine type character. He's lonely and has to be on the run, from people who are hunting him, or to avoid hurting people.
I love your appreciation and observations about the film.
I don't share a lot of your sentiments. But I appreciate what you have to say.
I wasn't a fan of how this movie adapted Brian Banner.
I seem to remember the abuse towards Rebecca and Bruce playing out differently in the comics.
I also didn't like that this movie turned Brian, Leader, Absorbing Man and Zzaxx into one character.
And despite it being one of the best scenes in the movie, I didn't like that Bruce says that he likes losing control and becoming The Hulk.
It just seems to completely misrepresent the core characteristics of who Bruce is and what he feels.
I like certain elements of this movie.
But overall it's probably my least favorite adaptation of the character.
This hulk film is very underrated right next to the MCU film, really hope Eric Banna shows up in secret wars or kang dynasty
Not sure if he'll return, and I hpe he does.. but Ang Lee's Hulk will definitely appear soon
The real hulk
6:20 😂
This was and is the first movie I remember watching in theater.
Damn, I gotta go watch this movie again
This movie looks like it was made in the 80s
An NSFW factoid, it was when he picked up Jennifer Connelly in Hulk form, that 20 year old me realized that I had a size kink, for perspective, I'm 6'5". Lol.
I still have the VHS one of the first and one best cine comic, still best live action movie HULK
My Favourite movie
GOATED MOVIE RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH
I agree hulk movies way better than Incredible Hulk
I honestly really like hulk more then the new mcu hulk the last time we ever got the real hulk beside smashing is hulk and Incredible Hulk
1:59 no they thought the name Bruce banner was "too gay" actual quote
I love this movie as well man
Thanks for putting some respect on this movie's name. When I was a kid I loved this one as much as blade and Spider-Man and x men. Tho, I also loved Affleck daredevil, so I was a bit of a mark as a kid lol
"Everything I LOVE About Dredd (2012)" please
i like this idea that hulk grow when he angrier but i think that move dident show that as much as we need to
I love this movie and it’s a hidden treasure
I like thw cgi, it looks good
An independent drama about the cycles of abuse and domestic violence disguised as a Comic Book movie.
I always preferred this movie to even the 2008 version as a kid (despite being 7 when it released lol).
Idk why, I just really liked 2003's design, it fit in more with the Spider-Man movies of the time too (imo). I didn't care as much about the story aspect back then ofc, but it still intrigued me. I always wondered what about Bruce's dad was so menacing.
To this day I think the CGI in this movie is crazy good. Does it look crappy at times? Sure, but I genuinely think 2008's CGI is less convincing.
I loved this movie so much as a kid that I would recreate scenes from it in the PS2 game, Hulk Ultimate Destruction (made by the same devs as Prototype, it's actually really good). I even later on bought the game based on the movie too.
I mean it's no secret what my favorite heroes were back then, just look at my username. I feel really sad about where the Hulk is now in the MCU. I already lost interest in it by the time Infinity War released, but post that I don't have any at all nearly.
At least for Spidey we still got the animations like Into the Spiderverse...
It's a great film.
My one-word review of Ang Lee's "Hulk" (2003):
FREUD
I love this movie, screw everyone else!
They are MCU or DC fanboys.. They know this Hulk is unbeatable and they're scared.. lol.. They only attack the cgi and the less action it has.. That should tell you all you need to know about them but praise other movies with way worse cgi
@kaybigg Easily. The CGI still looks great for today. Consider it, this might be one of the first fully realized human-like characters we've ever seen done in full cgi, and it gets NO appreciation for some reason. I'd say it's pretty d@mn good for the garbage computers they had to work with.
@@bilbobaggins9451 It is.. In fact the budget was so little, Lee had to shorten all the fights, including completely omitting the San Fran scene of Hulk obliterating the military.. We had to make our own conclusions on how strong he actually is(despite Ross underestimated him and thought he'd kill him with a 1 megaton nuke
Dude... I don't think I've ever seen this movie!! 🙀🙀🙀
Didn’t Tony stark come in at the end
That's 2008 Incredible Hulk with Edward Norton as Banner.
19:20 lou forrigno
Didn’t Stan Lee say they changed Bruce Banners name to David, in the show, because the show runners said Bruce sounded too gay?
11:35 I love the look on Jennifer Connelly's face 🤤
Very big of you to narrate alongside clips from the film, which pretty much refutes any attempt to redeem it, aside from a handful of scenes.
Wow you skip the Whole F-22 scene as in; Was it This Really one of the 1st movie With a Top Of The Line USA Fighter Before it Even Became Declassified!?
I thought it was Iron Man that did but you're right! It was this one first.
Great movie
I usually dont say this. Im mostly of the opinion that if you hate a movie that I enjoy, I take the "Oh well, more for me" attitude. But Im gonna say it. Fu€k the haters. This movie goes above and beyond what any comic book movie did at the time and Id say even to this day its gone above and beyond and all it gets is heaploads of crap for really no other reason beyond the most petty of criticisms I've heard. You can say this movie just "isnt your thing" and thats fine. But people for some reason have some weird bone to pick with this movie. Why? Did the movie hurt your puppy or something? Why the visceral hate?
Its a d@mn shame this hasnt gotten the retrospective look back that so many movies have gotten. I was sure that for the 20th anniversary it would get it, but unfortunately not. I guess its just going to forever be lumped in as "one of the bad ones" even though there are FAAAAR worse cbm that are just done for profit, with no artistic vision whatsoever. The movie was amazing for its time when I was 6 and it still blows me away as an adult. One of the best CBM ever made.
Why couldn't Absorbing Man be in the 2008 movie?
Great video. I think you’re a little off on the reasoning for the name change from “Bruce” to “David”. At the time of the TV show, the name Bruce was associated with gay. This makes little since to us currently…but a quick Google search will show that it was a misguided belief that some held at the time.
This film is heavy underrated, but I still think incredible hulk is better, and Ed Norton is the best hulk
The best Hulk that struggled to lift a humvee, couldn't keep up with a supersoldier, almost defeated by an enemy who can be choked to death by chains.. lol.. The other one in the mcu is a story for another day, the butt of jokes in mcu
Masculinity isn't toxic, the type of mindset of Masculinity is toxic
For me the best hulk, is one beast
I love Ang lees hulk I think it's great compared to the others
eu te amo panel to pixels, eu te amo
The last fight is a bit embarrassing(The bubble).
But really like the movie over all.