Hulk

I'm surprised at how my impressions of this movie went. I remember not liking this movie when I first saw it, and I wasn't expecting to see anything special when I watched it this time. Imagine my surprise when this film turned out to be actually very thought provoking yet action packed at the same time.

The plot has a lot of threads in it, so I'll try to sum it up the best I can. It deals with Dr. Bruce Banner, played by Eric Bana, who, after being hit with gamma radiation, becomes the big green rage monster known as the Hulk, and his relationship with his insane father David, played by Nick Nolte, as well as his relationship with fellow scientist Betty Ross, played by Jennifer Connelly. I think the most surprising thing is how much it deals with the concept of repressed memories and childhood trauma, which brings a whole other layer to the story and made it a much darker tale than I remembered.

The performances were great, with Bana playing Bruce as a tortured man haunted by a past he can't remember, which, when he gains his powers, they're treated as an extension of that trauma, which I found to be a very interesting take on the Hulk character. Likewise, Nolte gives his all as a complete power hungry lunatic who is only doing anything for himself, and you really feel that he cares more about Hulk's power than he does about his son's well being.

Overall, this was actually kind of a shock to have a really good and dark look into Bruce Banner's psyche while still being a film where a big green giant destroys literally everything he comes into contact with, and the balance works better than you'd think. This is a darker film overall, but I feel there is a lot to enjoy with it all the same.

Next time, we check back up on everybody's favorite web slinger, as he goes up against a new foe in what is commonly considered one of the greatest films of its time. Keep an eye out for Spider-Man 2.

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