Hulk:
Written by: James Schamus, Michael France & John Turman (Story by James Schamus)
Producer: Kevin Feige, Stan Lee, James Schamus, Avi Arad, Larry J. Franco & Gale Anne Hurd
Music: Danny Elfman
Cinematography: Frederick Elmes
Editing: Tim Squyres
Director: Ang Lee
Studio: Marvel Entertainment, Good Machine & Valhalla Motion Pictures (Distributed by Universal Studios)
Theatrical Release Date: June 20, 2003
Budget: 137 million dollars
Gross Revenue: $245,360, 480
I gotta be honest, the development of Marvel’s Iconic Emerald Giant into a film reads like a “How To” on doing everything wrong in developing a comic book movie. Back in the early nineties, I was fortunate to get my hands on a copy of a proposed HULK script that while it left much to be desired … was LEAUGES BETTER than the resultant 2003 fiasco. This script featured the origins of the Hulk nemesis “THE LEADER” and numerous skirmishes between the HULK and the US MILITARY. The Hulk’s Mr. Fixit alter ego, Rick Jones and even Marlo Chandler. It was basically … A really GOOD START to a proposed Hulk movie.
With all these elements essential to the character in place in the initial screenplay, you have to ask yourself if you’ve ever seen this film …. WTF Happened?!!
Well, I can answer that with one word … SUITS!! (This ubiquitous term refers to studio executives who run day to day activities, oversee projects & related advertising and generally wreck all kinds of holy hell on the creative process.).
I’m going to explain this MONUMENTAL SCREW-UP in Chapters so that you can better understand why the final result; “HULK” is an utter and complete piece of shite.
[Culled from Wikipedia, because my interpretation of events would veer into the verbally profane.]
Jonathan Hensleigh
Producers Avi Arad and Gale Anne Hurd started the development for Hulk in 1990. Hurd explained the Hulk became her favorite superhero as a child because "When girls are growing up, they're the ones who are picked on. I had an older brother, and there's no way that you could ever really fight back. So, to me, the Hulk was wish fulfillment." By December 1992 Marvel Studios was in discussions with Universal Pictures. Michael France and Stan Lee were invited into Universal's offices in 1994, with France writing the script. Universal's concept was to have the Hulk battle terrorists, an idea France disliked. John Turman, a Hulk comic book fan, was brought to write the script in 1995, getting approval from Lee. Turman wrote ten drafts, being heavily influenced by the Tales to Astonish issues, which pitted the Hulk against General Ross and the military, the Leader, Rick Jones, and the atomic explosion origin from the comics, and Brian Banner as the explanation for Bruce's inner anger. Universal had mixed feelings over Turman's script, but nonetheless future screenwriters used many elements brought by Turman.
SOUNDS LIKE THE STUDIO WAS ON THE RIGHT TRACK …. SO WHAT HAPPENED?!!
By late 1996 Hurd's husband Jonathan Hensleigh signed on as producer. Industrial Light & Magic was hired to use computer-generated imagery to create the Hulk. For the second time, France was invited to write the script. By April 1997 Joe Johnston was directing with the film's title as The Incredible Hulk. Universal wanted Hensleigh to write the script since he worked with Johnston on the financially successful Jumanji. France was fired before he wrote a single page, but received money from Universal.
However, France still wanted to write the script. Johnston dropped out of directing in July 1997 in favor of October Sky, paving the way for Hensleigh to have his directing debut. Turman was brought back a second time to write two more drafts. Zak Penn then rewrote it. His script featured a fight between the Hulk and a school of sharks, as well as two scenes he eventually used for the 2008 film; Banner realizing he is unable to have sex, and triggering a transformation by falling out of a helicopter.
Hensleigh rewrote from scratch, coming up with a brand new storyline. In August 1997 Hensleigh completed his script, featuring Bruce Banner, who prior to the accident which will turn him into The Hulk, performs experiments with gamma-irradiated insect DNA on three convicts. This transforms the convicts into "insect men" that cause havoc.
In March 1998 Universal put Hulk on hiatus due to its escalating $100 million budget and worries of Hensleigh directing his first film. $20 million was already spent on script development, computer animation, and prosthetics work. Hensleigh immediately went to rewrite the script in order to lower the budget
THESE SERIES OF DEVELOPMENTS BEGGARS THE QUESTION: “Who the HELL was JOHNATHAN HENSLEIGH at that time that he was given a potential franchise that could have sent his career into the stratosphere?
BACKGROUND on JOHNATHAN HENSLEIGH
Hensleigh's start in the entertainment industry came writing episodes of the television series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. He received his first film credit in 1993's A Far Off Place, for which he wrote an early version of the script. His next two projects were Die Hard: With a Vengeance and Jumanji, both of which were released in 1995. The Die Hard sequel was based on a spec script Hensleigh had originally conceived as a Brandon Lee action film before the actor's death, with the working title Simon Says, the script was also considered for use as the fourth installment of the Lethal Weapon series before being picked up for Die Hard.
Other movie credits to Hensleigh's name include The Saint (1997 screenplay, co-written with Wesley Strick), Next (2007 screenplay), and Welcome to the Jungle, a DVD movie he released in 2007 as writer/director. At one point he was set to write and direct Hulk, working on pre-production of that film for a year before pulling out.
Hensleigh is MARRIED to GALE ANNE HURD.
[Despite claiming that the Incredible Hulk was her favorite superhero, Gale Anne Hurd passed directing and direct involvement chores on to her HUSBAND. Gale Anne Hurd, producer of the TERMINATOR, ALIENS & ARMAGEDDON, two films out of the listed three which brought JAMES CAMERON to prominence. Nepotism anyone?]
Michael France
It took another eight months for France to convince Universal and the producers to let him try to write a script for a third time. France claimed "Someone within the Universal hierarchy wasn't sure if this was a science fiction adventure, or a comedy, and I kept getting directions to write both. I think that at some point when I wasn't in the room, there may have been discussions about turning it into a Jim Carrey or Adam Sandler movie."[4] France was writing the script on fast track from July—September 1999. Filming for Hulk was to start in April 2000.
France stated his vision of the film was different from the other drafts, which based Bruce Banner on his "amiable, nerdy genius" incarnation in the 1960s. France cited inspiration from the 1980s Hulk stories which introduced Brian Banner, Bruce's abusive father who killed his mother. His script had Banner trying to create cells with regenerative capabilities in order to prove to himself that he is not like his father.[4] However, he has anger management issues before the Hulk is even created, which makes everything worse. The "Don't make me angry..." line from the TV series was made into dialogue that Banner's father would say before beating his son. Elements such as the "Gamma sphere", Banner's tragic romance with Ross, and the black ops made it to the final film. France turned in his final drafts in late 1999-January 2000.
This next and last chapter before I get into the actual review of the “HULK” should put into perspective the viewer’s experience watching the end result of this traditionally studio “suit” conceived movie.
Ang Lee
Michael Tolkin and David Hayter rewrote the script afterwards, despite positive response from the producers over France's script. Tolkin was brought in January 2000, while Hayter was brought in September of that year. Hayter's draft featured The Leader, Zzzax, and the Absorbing Man as the villains, who are depicted as colleagues of Banner and get caught in the same accident that creates the Hulk. Director Ang Lee and his producing partner James Schamus became involved with the film in January 2001. Lee was dissatisfied with Hayter's script, and commissioned Schamus for a rewrite, merging Banner's father with the Absorbing Man to create a physical antagonist. Lee cited influences from King Kong, Frankenstein, Jekyll and Hyde, Beauty and the Beast, Faust, and Greek mythology for his interpretation of the story. Schamus said he had found the storyline that introduced Brian Banner, incorrectly attributing it to thus allowing Lee to write a drama that again explored father-son themes
Schamus was still rewriting the script in October 2001. In early 2002, as filming was underway, Michael France read all the scripts for the Writers Guild of America, to determine who would get final credit. France criticized Schamus and Hayter for claiming they were aiming to make Banner a deeper character, and was saddened they had denigrated his and Turman's work in interviews.
Schamus elected to get solo credit. France felt, "James Schamus did a significant amount of work on the screenplay. For example, he brought in the Hulk dogs from the comics and he made the decision to use Banner's father as a real character in the present. But he used quite a lot of elements from John Turman's scripts and quite a lot from mine, and that's why we were credited." France, Turman and Schamus received final credit.
A theatrical release date for June 20, 2003 was announced in December 2002, with the film's title as The Hulk.
“HULK”
Featuring: Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Eliott, Nick Nolte & Josh Lucas
From the start of this movie, when you hear Danny Elman’s muddled theme, you just know something has gone horribly wrong. While the theme is epic in its own right, it just doesn’t feel like the character.
Ang Lee obviously recruited because he was white hot after directing the equally derivative “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” appears to be way out of his league with this very simplistic character. Lee and producing / writing partner John Schamus opted to “over think” the HULK failing to see the general nature of this Iconic character as a metaphor for a child’s tantrum on a massive, global level.
Lee intimidated by his work on a “comic book” movie reworked the story into a muted drama with star Eric Bana not so much playing Banner as a tortured genius, but more of a self absorbed [jerk].Baan’s performance is so muted in fact that I was lulled into a light sleep several times during the film’s many “character” moments.
The same goes for Jennifer Connelly who appears to be suffering a silent breakdown at certain times in this film. It appears clear that little to no direction was given to the characters as the dialog that rolls out of their mouths sounds like bad narration.
Shout out to NICK NOLTE who makes things interesting as “David Banner”, Bruce’s father and eventual nemesis, a pathetic shade of Marvel’s Absorbing Man. Nolte had been arrested near the time of the film’s shoot and a disheveled looking picture of him made the tabloid rounds. Nolte appeared to believe this look should be carried over into the film as he appears to be a “Hot Mess” for most of the movie’s 138 minute running time.
Basically in a nutshell, Lee’s “HULK” tells the story of Bruce Banner a researcher with a tortured past who is accidentally irradiated in an experiment gone awry and turned into a rampaging monster.
Simple right? … Wrong!!
Nolte as Bruce’s father is given the comic book Hulk’s origin as a partial background story. Played in the early parts of the movie by Paul Kersey as a half crazed, wife beating maniac, the elder Banner runs afoul of Sam Eliott’s General Ross when he requests human trials for a genetic experiment. Elder Banner begins experimenting on himself apparently not telling anyone, even his young beautiful wife who soon becomes pregnant with our hero. Elder Banner hits the roof when he discovers this and eventually murders his wife after causing a “nuclear” [!] explosion on the base.
Bruce grows up in foster care eventually becoming a brilliant scientist in his own right. Bruce is a severely introverted individual but has some how managed to have a relationship with Connelly’s Betty Ross (remade by Schamus as a scientist and colleague of Banner.). There is just something about Bana’s performance that leaves the viewer starving for more. He just seems horribly disinterested in everything around him to the point of distraction.
Thankfully, a “Lab Accident” results in Banner being exposed to an extreme amount of radiation which apparently interacts with his altered dna which results in the birth of “HULK”.
Note: Regarding the “Accident” that creates the “HULK” … It just happens. Simple as that. There is no dramatic buildup, it is a heroic deed as Banner saves a lab assistant in the process … but it is effectively made into an after thought by director Lee.
The Gamma-sphere is nice to look at as a prop, but it’s no Gamma Bomb. One of the cool things about the Hulk is that he was born of a nuclear explosion (comics) and that his powerful rampages were like a town being nuked.
HULK does have some very good action scenes that amply depict just how powerful the Jade Warrior is and that is the only time that this movie picks up steam. All of the Hulk’s abilities are present here along with one added ability. The Hulk grows in height as well as power, the more he gets angry. I really didn’t have a problem with that in this otherwise boring movie. It just didn’t make sense considering Banner’s brain fart origin and explanation for the creature’s existence.
Of particular notes are scenes where the hulk has an all out battle with the military and some tanks. The creature provided by ILM is a little bulky, but ultimately sympathetic and child-like. I found that I related more to the Hulk than his human alter ego Banner.
Nick Noltes’ elder Banner as mentioned before steals the movie most of the time he appears on screen and is a hoot to watch. Particularly humorous is a scene where he chides his son for being a whiny brat and actually asks Bruce to “HULK OUT” so that he can see his “REAL SON”.
Perhaps one should just switch the film off before the conclusion rears it’s very UGLY and CONFUSING head. I figured it all out eventually, but asking the casual observer to sit through something as esoteric as the HULK’s ending should be a crime.
HULK
**
2 out of Five Stars
(Note: The stars this film receives are solely for the action scenes alone.)
OVERVIEW
Basically, Ang Lee was the WRONG director for the part. Gale Anne Hurd should have got off her high horse and directed the movie herself. It appears that she lied about her love of the character otherwise this film would never have happened.
She could have kicked it over to Cameron or picked the obvious guy for the job, the man this movie screams to be directed by …. JAN DEBONT!!
ANYBODY THAT HAS SEEN TWISTER KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT!!
Hell I could have even dealt with Roland Emmerich directing this film.
The HULK is a monster.
A HULK movie should look like a DISASTER MOVIE.
GOT IT?!!
GOOD!!
I’M GONE!! …. Shadowgeek10 returns to the shadows once more.
TO BE CONTINUED
(Reviewing this movie has been a complete chore … A review of the Incredible Hulk [2008] will be posted at a later date.
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