Reviews: The Avengers

     

       The Avengers is everything you wanted and more. It hits almost all the beats that we wanted to see, joins itself effortlessly and convincingly to all five preceding films, and actually manages to take the familiar characters we’ve come to know to something like the next level. It's a thrilling, funny, and utterly satisfying crossover. I can’t remember the last time I’ve had so much fun in a movie theater.

            We open with the arrival of Loki (Tom Hiddleston) on Earth in the middle of a S.H.I.E.L.D. base where Dr. Eric Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) is studying the Tesseract, under the watchful eyes of Clint Barton, AKA Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Agents Maria Hill (Coby Smoulders) and Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Loki quickly declares his intent to conquer the Earth, steals the Tesseract, and destroys the base with one fell swoop.

            In light of the attack, and the threat posed by Loki, Fury decides to enact the Avengers initiative by assembling a response team made up of the world’s superheroes. Coulson and Natasha Romanov AKA Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson) are thus dispatched to recruit Tony Stark AKA Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Dr. Bruce Banner, sometimes the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo, ably replacing Edward Norton) respectively, while Fury approaches the recently thawed-out Steve Rogers AKA Captain America (Chris Evans). 

            Hmm…don’t really want to say much more, except that they’re soon joined by Loki’s brother, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) who has returned to Earth to try to talk some sense into his brother or, failing that, bring him back to Asgard to face justice. Oh, and Loki is backed by the Chitauri: a race of reptilian creatures who have agreed to give Loki dominion over Earth in exchange for the Tesseract, which will allow them to conquer the galaxy.

            You might be able to tell that this is a fairly simple plot: Loki wants to conquer the world, Fury assembles the Avengers to stop him. That’s really all we need: we’re not here for big plot twists (though there are a few), we’re here to see the Avengers get together and kick ass…and we do. Oh, do we ever!

            The film is neatly divided into three acts: the first is the gathering of the team, the second their meeting each other and having personality clashes onboard the SHIELD Helicarrier (flying aircraft-carrier, which is every bit as cool as it sounds), the third a massive, extended battle royal against Loki and his army in New York City.

            Crossovers are a relatively rare genre of film, and even rarer is one that actually works as well as The Avengers does (I can only think of two: Freddy vs. Jason and the animated World’s Finest Superman/Batman crossover). More often, you’ll get things like, say, Alien vs. Predator, which, despite a few flashes of inspiration, failed to capture the spirit of either character and ended up being an uncreative, thudding mess (and the less said about the sequel, the better), or the other Universal monster-match-ups like Frankenstein Meets the Wolf-Man or House of Dracula that sidelined one or more of the characters in favor of a particular ‘star.’

            What really stands out about The Avengers, and what might be its signature strength, is how well it juggles all six of its heroes. It actually manages to give each character a surprising amount of screen-time, and no one feels like they could have simply been cut without taking away from the story (well, Maria Hill is a borderline case, but she’s a supporting character so it’s not as noticeable) The filmmakers thankfully didn’t forget that they were making a sequel as well as a crossover, and all the characters we’ve been getting to know over the past five films are allowed to grow, continue, and move on from where they were the last time we saw them. In other words, the film doesn’t just bring all these characters together; it continues their stories from where they left off. We see Captain America trying to adjust to the modern world, we see Tony Stark continuing his transformation from selfish dick to honest-to-goodness hero, we learn more about Bruce Banner’s relationship with his other half, and we get to see Thor and Loki finally have the conversation they were too busy to have last time: the one where Loki tells Thor exactly why he’s doing all this.

            Most importantly, none of the six heroes overwhelms the others: Cap and Iron Man are, fittingly, probably the closest thing the film has to ‘stars’ in terms of impact and screen-time, but no one is forgotten and each gets their chance not only to shine, but to grow and develop.

            Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark is as much fun as ever; tossing off ad libs and smart-alecky quips with his usual aplomb. He seems more stable this time around though, less socially dysfunctional and more at peace with himself. This may have something to do with the fact that he and his long-suffering assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow, welcome as ever) are now officially a couple, and we get a very charming moment with the two of them near the start of the film to emphasize this (and to finally let us see the romance that the two Iron Man films were leading up to).  Their banter is as witty and lovable as ever, and helps us to realize that Tony is growing and maturing; he’s not the neurotic wreck we once knew, though he’s not completely different either and evinces some notable insecurity in his interactions with Captain America. Downey also excels at saying one thing while letting us see that Stark really thinks something different: one scene with Cap has Stark toss off a rather nasty and patently untrue insult, but a brief aside glance shows us that he knows he’s firing blanks.

            Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America is the same good-guy he was, though now his decency and heroism is tempered by an edge of sadness and disillusion: he’s a man out of time, whose lost pretty much everything he’s ever known and is unsure how he fits in to this new world. I particularly like the way they acknowledge the fact that an idealistic hero from the Greatest Generation would probably be disappointed with the twenty-first century without getting too specific (which would certainly have alienated viewers). Evans is still great at portraying Cap’s essential virtuousness and decency, and he gets a number of good moments that emphasize this (particularly his meeting with Dr. Banner). Cap’s the leader of the team, and the film makes sure to show it.

            Chris Hemsworth as Thor is recognizably still the more humble and selfless figure he became at the end of the last film, though like Stark he’s not a completely different person and still has moments of hotheadedness (particularly his meeting with Iron Man). He’s in somewhat of the opposite position to Cap, in that while both are outsiders, Thor knows and loves this world and has friends here (his friendship with Dr. Selvig is acknowledged, and while Natalie Portman was unable to appear in person, Jane Foster is briefly present in a very sweet moment that is among the many things the film gets exactly right). Hemsworth gets some particularly good scenes with Hiddleston, as he tries to come to terms with what his (still beloved) brother has become.  

            Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner just might be the stand out performance of the film. Banner is a very different person than he was when we saw him last (and not just because he’s played by a different actor); he’s become more-or-less resigned to his curse, and while he still travels the globe in secret, trying to do good for people (we meet him tending plague victims in Cambodia), he’s developed a rather alarming confidence about himself, as well as a somewhat self-deprecating sense of humor about his condition. Basically, he knows that in any situation he finds himself in he holds the trump card. At the same time, he lets us see that Banner is still hurting, still resentful, and still keenly aware of how his condition sets him apart from his fellow men. There are a number of little details in his performance that I loved, such as the way he instinctively hides his face from passing SHIELD agents even after he’s joined the Avengers, or the way he keeps casting glances over his shoulders as though expecting attacks from any corner. Ruffalo gives a complex, multi-layered performance that I’d rank as the best portrayal of the character since Bill Bixby defined the role. The Hulk itself, meanwhile, very nearly steals the whole show with a series of brilliantly conceived maneuvers that puts it to better use than any previous film and makes one eager to see what it might do in another solo adventure.

            (On the subject of the Hulk, the movie deserves credit for a very rare achievement: it actually removed one of my complaints from The Incredible Hulk. In my review, I noted both that the ending shot made no sense and that Bruce Banner didn’t really have any kind of character arc. Well, with the conception of the character in The Avengers we have not only a satisfying explanation of the final scene in Hulk but also, retroactively, are able to read some real development of Banner’s character into the events of the previous film. I don’t want to say anymore, as it would give away some of The Avengers’ most delightful surprises.)            

            Scarlet Johansson as Natasha Romanoff AKA Black Widow was something of a surprise for me. She really comes into her own in this film, making us realize just how little we knew her in Iron Man 2. Here she’s a curious mixture of coldness, deceitfulness, bravery, and emotional turmoil that let us know that this is a woman who, for all her skills, really hasn’t come to terms with herself. On the one hand, she casually lies to Banner’s face when she comes to collect him and alludes to horrible deeds in her past, on the other she’s a brave and selfless team member, one who does her best to try to keep the team together as the varying personalities start taking their toll and who puts herself on the line numerous times for the sake of her companions (including, at one point, engaging in a battle of wits with Loki himself). I particularly like how her particular skills of infiltration, interrogation, and so on are actually put to good use, making her seem like a valued and important member of the team (no mean feat, considering she’s basically a normal woman fighting alongside super-powered men).

 There’s also an ambiguous relationship between her and Hawkeye that the film sets up just enough of to make us interested while simultaneously understanding that this really isn’t the time or place to explore in depth. It isn’t quite a romantic relationship, but it certainly is close friendship and trust that might hint at something more, however much Black Widow herself denies it (though frankly I’m still hoping for a Captain America-Black Widow romance).

Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton AKA Hawkeye doesn’t really have as much to do as the others (partially due to a first-act twist that effectively isolates him from the team for much of the film), but he does at least get off some good moments. He’s the hero that is least developed either in previous films (he only had a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo in Thor prior to this) or in this one, being little more than a rather snarky sidekick and motivating force for Black Widow. He doesn’t really come into his own until the end fight, during which he pulls off a number of excellent maneuvers, but he at least holds his own and feels like he contributes something to the film, despite his limited character.

Tom Hiddleston as Loki, meanwhile, isn’t quite the same complex character he was in Thor. He still has shades of it, particularly whenever he and Thor have a scene together, but he’s basically a straight-up bad guy this time, with little sign of the contradictory emotions and neediness he had in the previous film. Still, he’s certainly an effective villain, blasting his way through S.H.I.E.L.D. guards and heroes with terrifying ease, showing himself to be a threat truly worthy of the Avengers. He’s also a delight to watch as he confidently manipulates and blasts his way towards victory, usually with a good dose of sarcasm or boastful speeches thrown in. Loki this time around is a villain you truly love to hate, and Hiddleston again shows his mastery in the role.

Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury finally gets a chance to be front and center, and does a typically good job in the role, though with so many other characters flying around he sometimes gets a little overwhelmed for all of Jackson’s charisma. Clark Gregg is back as Agent Coulson, here showing more of a personal side as he chats with Pepper or has a gushing fan-boy moment with Cap. Coby Smoulders doesn’t really have much to contribute as Agent Maria Hill, serving mostly as someone for Fury to talk to, but she handles herself well enough, particularly in the opening action sequence. Paul Bettany is back as JARVIS, and as snarky as ever. Stellan Skarsgard as Dr. Eric Selvig has a rather compromised role this time around, but is a welcome presence nonetheless. Meanwhile, Harry Dean Stanton (of Alien fame) has a brief but amusing cameo as a janitor who gives Banner a hand after one of his Hulk episodes (“You have a condition, son”). 

One of the key ingredients to making a good crossover is the question of how these characters will react to each other. In almost every case, The Avengers absolutely nails the interactions that, say, Thor and Captain America, or Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, might be expected to have. Stark and Banner in particular have surprisingly good chemistry, bonding over their shared love of science (“Finally! Someone who speaks English!” “Was that what just happened?”). Most of the inner-team rivalry centers around Cap and Stark, and it must be said that while their verbal battles are entertaining, it sometimes feels like Cap isn’t being allowed to push back as hard as he should against Tony. Stark is allowed to have the last word a few times too many for my taste, including a couple times when he really shouldn’t. It’s not a major problem, just something that might have been improved.

Something that almost completely makes up for it, however, is the way that they drop their bickering immediately when the chips are down. Once the time has come for action, Cap and Iron Man work surprisingly well together, better than anyone would have expected given their vastly differing personalities (I’m reminded of a similar dynamic among the three men in Jaws). The way they actually grow to respect and trust each other is engaging, and the two of them serve as the heart of the team (and the film).

There is also real heart and sweetness in the team’s treatment of Banner, who is clearly rather nervous at meeting so many other people, and unused to the simple respect and friendship they show him. As noted, his scenes with Stark are particularly good as Stark essentially tries to cheer him up and give him a new perspective on his condition (one funny moment has him playfully jabbing Banner in the side to ‘test’ his control…while at the same time letting Banner know that Stark isn’t afraid of him).

As you might have gathered, The Avengers is a furiously action-packed film, though it’s never confusing and never feels overstuffed (surprisingly enough). The action always seems to serve the story, rather than vice-versa. Even an exhibition match between Thor and Iron Man feels like it fits in both with what’s going on in the story and with the personalities of the two characters (kudos also for the choreographers for making the fight believably even). There’s a great creativity to these scenes, giving the moments we wanted to see, while also giving us a number of surprises along the way. The action sequences are face-paced, outsized, and utterly thrilling, from the opening assault on the S.H.I.E.L.D. base, to the battle on the Helicarrier, to the epic final confrontation in New York City. Sprinkled throughout are perfect “crossover” moments: moments that fans of the characters would demand to see in any decent match-up between them. Thus we have moments like Iron Man reflecting his repulser rays off of Cap’s shield, or the Hulk trying to pick up Thor’s hammer, or the glorious moment when the team assembles as a complete unit for the first time and Cap begins ordering them to their places.

I really can’t think of too many flaws for the film, and they’re mostly ones of omission. I mentioned that characters like Nick Fury and Maria Hill get somewhat overshadowed or lost in the shuffle, though there doesn’t seem like a whole lot that anyone could have done about that. Also, I wish they hadn’t stacked the deck quite so much against Cap’s idealism: he never drops it, but he has it challenged more times than he probably should (though the film ultimately supports his idealism and selflessness as preferable to Stark’s cynicism). The fight between Thor and the Hulk (which I had been particularly looking forward to seeing) was far too short for my tastes. I also wish they could have fit the line “Avengers assemble!” into the film somewhere.

There are also a couple of moments where the story slips a bit: it’s mentioned a couple times that you can’t go out onto the Helicarrier while it’s in flight because of the thin atmosphere, but then several characters do so with no apparent problem. Likewise, one scene has Thor caught in a death trap that seems to pose more of a threat to him than it really should. The “World Defense Counsel” just sort of shows up without much explanation and doesn’t really serve much purpose apart from making Fury look good by comparison. I was also rather disappointed that Black Widow’s fighting style (which I praised in Iron Man 2 for its relative restrain and realism) has been simplified to precisely the rather prosaic punches and kicks I was so pleased the previous film had avoided. She’s still persuasive in the action scenes, but not as much as she was before.

Fortunately, there aren’t too many such moments. On the whole, The Avengers is the most fun I’ve had in a theater for a very long time and one of the most satisfying crossover films I’ve ever seen.

Final Rating: 5/5 Everything you wanted it to be: not only highly recommended, but it’s worth seeing the previous five films just to fully enjoy this one.

Memorable Quotes:

Nick Fury: “We have no quarrel with your people.”

Loki: “An ant has no quarrel with a boot.”

Bruce Banner: “Are you here to kill me, Agent Romanoff? Because that’s…not going to work.”

Black Widow: “We need you to come in.”

Banner: “What if I say no?”

Black Widow: “I’ll persuade you.”

Banner: “And what if the Other Guy says no?”

(regarding his new Stark Tower in Manhattan)

Tony Stark: “This is your baby. Give yourself…twelve percent of the credit.”

Pepper Potts: “Twelve percent?”

Stark: “An argument could be made for fifteen.”

(after being interrupted by Coulson)

Stark: “I thought we were having a moment.”

Pepper: “I was having twelve percent of a moment.”

(about the Helicarrier)

Steve Rogers: “Is this thing a submarine?”

Banner: “Do they really want me in a compressed metal tube?”

(the Helicarrier takes off)

Banner: “Oh, this is much worse.”

(to a crowd in Germany)

Loki: “In the end…you will always kneel.”

(an old man stands up)

Old Man: “Not to men like you.”

Loki: “There are no men like me.”

Old Man: “There are always men like you.”

(during an encounter with Thor, Cap suits up)

Black Widow: “You might want to sit this one out, Captain. Those guys are alien beings, they’re basically gods.”

Captain America: “There’s only one God, ma’am, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t dress like that.”

Thor: “We were raised together, we played together, we fought together! Do you remember none of that?”

Loki: “I remember a shadow. I remember living always in the shade of your greatness.”

Cap: “Big man in a suit of armor. Take that away, what are you?”

Stark: “Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.”

Cap: “I know guys with none of that who are worth ten of you.”

Banner: “Last time I was in New York I sort of broke…Harlem.”

Thor: “You people are so petty! And tiny!”

Loki: “I have an army.”

Stark: “We have a Hulk.”

(fighting the invading aliens)

Black Widow: “Just like Budapest all over again!”

Hawkeye: “You and I remember Budapest very differently.”

(giving the team their orders)

Cap: “And Hulk…smash.”

Reviews: The Incredible Hulk

         

       The second film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was The Incredible Hulk: a reboot from Ang Lee’s interesting, but ultimately failed take on the character in 2003. The new film is more action-oriented and closer in spirit to the Incredible Hulk TV show from the 1970s (which, despite its low budget, was probably the most effective take on the character to date, mostly thanks to the superb acting by star Bill Bixby).

                The film starts off with a brief recount of the Hulk’s origins: Dr. Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) is experimenting with ways to insulate people against radiation and is so certain of his findings he tests them on himself, giving himself a massive dose of gamma radiation, which results in his becoming the huge, all-powerful Hulk when his heart-rate goes above a certain level. Discovering that his experiments were actually intended for the military, and that General “Thunderbolt” Ross (William Hurt) considers his whole body government property, Banner has to go on the run while attempting to find a way to cure himself of the Hulk.

                When we catch up with him as the story begins, he’s hiding out in Brazil, working in a bottling plant. This whole opening sequence is essentially structured the same as an episode of the TV show: Banner works a menial job while searching for a cure and exploring various techniques to prevent his transformations, gently woos a local beauty, has a run in with bullies, and eventually hulks-out and has to move on (the movie even plays the show’s beautiful “Loneliest Man” theme at one point). As a fan of the old TV show, I appreciate the efforts to match the feel of the show (the show’s stars, Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno, both have cameos; the late Bixby via stock footage and Ferrigno both as the voice of the Hulk and as a security guard who gives Banner a helping hand).

                In this case, however, his Hulk episode is triggered by Ross, who tracks him down and sends in a team to capture him, led by the formidable Emil Blonsky (effective Tim Roth). After his Hulk episode lands him all the way in Guatemala, Banner decides to return to America to seek out the mysterious Mr. Blue, a fellow scientist he has been in contact with who might be able to cure him. Along the way, he returns to his home town and meets up with his lost love, Betty Ross (Liv Tyler), the general’s daughter. Meanwhile, Blonsky and Ross decide to dust off an experimental World War II era super-soldier program in an effort to give Blonsky an edge over the Hulk…

                While The Incredible Hulk is a definite improvement over Lee’s film, and it’s certainly not a bad movie by any stretch, I would still call it the least of all the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far. It fails to craft a clear story arc, makes a number of crucial mistakes, and while it’s ultimately a worthwhile experience, it’s frustratingly apparent how much better it might have been.

                One of the primary missteps, in my opinion, is changing the catalyst for Banner’s transformation into the Hulk from being explicitly anger to simply his heart rate. I can understand the motivation behind the change: the desire to give a scientific rationale for the transformation, but I don’t like it. I think it robs the character of a lot of his meaning and thematic interest. The Hulk is supposed to be an exaggeration of the effects of adrenaline on the human body: our ability to perform starling feats of strength under duress or anger. Removing the specific anger catalyst removes this. Frankly, it’s worth the questionable science to keep the whole “you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry” aspect of the character (that catch phrase shows up, but in a humorously butchered form).

                The thing is, though, that anger still is what actually precedes Banner’s transformations anyway, so the change really doesn’t do anything except dumb down the character’s symbolic power. This means that the damage done to the character is minimal, but it’s still an annoying element that cheapens the film.

                Another major problem is the lack of any real story-arc to the film: the major characters, with one, possibly two, exceptions are pretty much the same people in the same positions at the end of the film as they were in the beginning. Bruce Banner doesn’t grow or discover anything new about himself, nor does he come to accept the Hulk or even acknowledge the Hulk as a part of himself (one scene has Betty speculating on whether the Hulk is actually a separate entity, like he claims, or just an altered version of Bruce, but it ends inconclusively and isn’t brought up again). This lack of any real character arcs or storyline makes the whole experience feel rather shallow: as though the film is intended less as an independent story and more as a character demonstration for the Hulk.

                The final main problem with the film is the character of General Ross, who’s an unreconstructed cliché of the evil, narrow-minded military general who wants to use everything for warfare. Worse, he’s an irresponsible idiot: are we supposed to believe that he would have gotten the go-ahead to launch a full-scale military operation in the middle of a college campus? And shouldn’t he, of all people, know better than to try and subdue the Hulk with machine-guns and small arms fire? In fact, why is he attacking the Hulk at all? Shouldn’t he know that once Bruce Hulks out that the game is over and he should just pull his people out? His goal is to capture Bruce, but he really ought to know by now that he can’t capture the Hulk (shades of the JSDF insisting on attacking Godzilla with tanks and jets: though at least in their case the argument could be made that they have to try something as they’re on the defensive. Ross, by contrast, is attacking the Hulk, which makes his use of such patently unsuitable weaponry that much stupider).

                The worst part is that we can see how, with a little effort, the general could have been made into an interesting character. If they had just exercised a little nuance, maybe by making him more responsive to his daughter’s pleas or more aware of Bruce’s humanity, or even just more concerned about his own troops it would have gone miles to making him a more compelling villain. Heck, if they had only emphasized the fact that he wants to contain and capture a very dangerous fugitive rather than having his whole motivation being to use the Hulk as a weapon, it would have been better.

                Basically, Ross is by far the least effective villain of the series, and the fact that he’s such an integral part of the film really drags it down. Hurt does his best with the role, but isn’t allowed to humanize the character enough to make it worth it.

                To be fair, there is some gesture towards Ross being redeemed at the end, but it’s far too little and too late to affect our opinion of the character. He also gets at least one humanizing moment, where he cries out in fear for his daughter, but it doesn’t help much since the only reason she’s in danger in the first place is due to his own stupidity (after the Hulk has wiped out his entire company, does he really think a single helicopter is going to help things?).

                Fortunately, the film’s other villain, Blonsky, is able to mostly pick up the slack. Tim Roth is an imposing figure; not big, but lean and nasty-looking, particularly after he starts taking the super-soldier serum. Roth does an effective job of conveying Blonsky’s increasing instability and disregard for orders in his eagerness to take on the Hulk. Blonsky’s transformation from brutal, but professional soldier to raging psychopath to full-blown monster is dealt with in broad strokes, but is nevertheless effective, and much credit must be given to Roth for making the transformation credible.

                Other flaws are not as glaring as the two outlined above: Liv Tyler, while she gives a fine performance, isn’t entirely believable as a Professor of Cellular Biology, since she looks far too young to hold such a prestigious position (Jennifer Connelly, who played the same role in the Lee film, was a much more acceptable proposition). She also doesn’t have a whole lot to do: apart from a funny scene where she loses her temper at a cab driver she’s mostly reduced to holding Bruce’s hand in a comforting way or trying to talk the Hulk down. That isn’t to say that she doesn’t do these scenes well, she just doesn’t have a lot of variety to her role.

                Other characters, such as Betty’s would-be-boyfriend, Dr. Samson (Ty Burrell) drop in and out of the film without much impact. Finally, the very last scene of the film doesn’t really make much sense and leaves us with a somewhat sour taste in our mouths…until, that is, we get a pre-credits teaser that washes it out with delightful cameo by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr., as much fun as ever).

                So, as you can see, this is a very flawed film. However, that’s not to say it’s a bad one, or even that it isn’t a good one. The film’s strengths ultimately outweigh its weaknesses and make for an enjoyable experience.

                First of all, the acting is good across the board. Edward Norton does a fine job selling Banner’s quiet, reclusive nature, his need to pass unnoticed and not let anything get his temper up, but at the same time his strong sense of right and wrong which force him time and time again to put himself into positions that could lead to him becoming the Hulk. There is great care and nuance in his performance, such as the way he constantly scans his surroundings, the way he walks with a slight hunch, and how he generally has very muted expressions, showcasing how he carefully suppresses his emotions. The role of Bruce Banner is one of the most challenging and prestigious among comic book characters, with Bill Bixby’s superb interpretation being the benchmark for all other attempts at the character. Norton rises manfully to the challenge and while he doesn’t quite equal Bixby, I would say he improved upon Eric Banna’s version and it’s certainly an acceptable and skilled interpretation of the character.

                Liv Tyler, as noted, does fairly well in a roll that she doesn’t quite fit. Her best scenes tend to be the quieter ones, such as a moment where Bruce is hiding out at her house for the night and their goodnights stretch long beyond where they needed to, with each reluctant to leave the other, but unable to go any further with each other. She also does well acting against the Hulk itself, coming across a little like Ann Darrow with King Kong (though a scene where the Hulk takes her to a cave in the mountains reminded me more of the Richard Kiel caveman-flick Eegah!). The ‘beauty-and-the-beast’ scenes between the two of them are very well staged and surprisingly touching, with the Hulk effects being particularly good in these scenes. Her best moment, however, is the aforementioned cab-driver scene, which gives us a glimpse of what her and Bruce’s relationship would’ve been like before he became the Hulk (“You know, I know some techniques that could help you control your anger…” “You zip it!”).   

                William Hurt, as noted, does his best with the material he’s given, but he can’t quite rise above it to make Ross any more than a cliché. I discussed Tim Roth’s effective portrayal of Blonsky’s mental deterioration, though it bears repeating that he does a good job of becoming scarier and scarier as the film goes on. My favorite performance, however, is Tim Blake Nelson as the eccentric-though-amoral Dr. Stern, Banner’s mysterious Mr. Blue. He’s so much fun to watch, such a startling contrast to the serious, straight-laced Bruce and Betty (both of whom seem constantly on the verge of slapping him during their scenes together), that it’s actually quite startling when he turns out to not quite be the beneficent character he’s claimed to be…

                Although the film has a number of strong scenes involving character interactions (particularly between Bruce and Betty), it really shines in its action scenes, which are spectacular. There are three major Hulk-outs over the course of the film, and each is unique. The first takes place in a darkened factory, where we only see flashes of the Hulk and the effects of its rage. The second is a full-daylight battle with the army on a college campus. The third is a knock-down-drag-out brawl on the streets of New York City between the Hulk and Blonsky, now transformed into the monstrous Abomination. The actions scenes are expertly staged and choreographed, making full use of the Hulk’s raw power while avoiding the silliness that the previous Hulk film occasionally fell into. Here when the Hulk pounds the ground, punches jeeps, and roars in fury, you really get a sense of just how strong and angry this thing is (one detail which most people probably won’t register is in the first Hulk scene where he effortlessly throws a forklift at Blonsky: for those who don’t know, forklifts are incredibly heavy pieces of machinery, much more so than cars or other similarly-sized vehicles). The climactic battle with Abomination, meanwhile, is quite simply the best monster fight we have had from Hollywood in recent years. It’s brutal, outsized, sprawling, fast-paced, and utterly thrilling from start to finish (though it does end with the unanswered question of what, exactly, is Ross going to do with Abomination now?).

                The effects are, by and large, quite excellent, particularly the one full-transformation we witness, which is surprisingly gruesome as Bruce’s veins bulge green and his bones expand first, followed by his muscles. I like the more upright design for the Hulk, in contrast with the broader, more cartoonish version in the previous film. The Hulk doesn’t necessarily look ‘real’ in that it tricks your eyes, but it at least is solid, heavy, and textured. You have the idea that you could, possibly, touch the thing, and you can practically feel the bulging, rippling muscles under his rough skin. The Abomination, meanwhile, is more reptilian, boney, and slightly top-heavy. I applaud the designers for making it so easy to distinguish between the Hulk and the Abomination, even in long shots, as it makes following the battle much easier.

                Meanwhile, there are a number of creative directorial touches that I liked, particularly how, when the Abomination first appears, we see it from a handheld camera accompanying some soldiers, giving it an almost documentary style and allowing us to feel what it would be like for these poor schmucks as they try to figure out what they’re up against. I also liked the return of the glowing green eyes that signal a transformation, a detail from the TV show.

                Thematically, there isn’t a whole lot to get into here, since, as noted, there isn’t much of a story arc to the film. They more or less eliminated the ‘anger’ theme, more’s the pity, and other than that it’s just a glimpse at the story of a hunted man searching for a cure. Basically, it just feels like a particularly important episode in the tragic life of Dr. Bruce Banner: as if this were a season-ending movie of the TV Show.

                To be fair, though, the characters are interesting enough and what story we do have here (of Banner’s best attempt at a cure and Blonsky’s descent into madness) is told well. It’s a good film, but it’s also a film that really could have been better with just a little more effort.

Final Rating: 3/5. Recommended for fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, monster-movie fans, and those who enjoy really good action sequences.

               

Memorable Quotes:

Soldier: “How’re you feelin’ man?”

Blonsky: “Like a monster.”

(in New York)

Betty: “It’s a long way up town. Subway’s probably quickest.”

Bruce: “Hmm, me in a metal tube, underground, with hundreds of people, in the most aggressive city in the world?”

Betty: “You’re right, we’ll get a cab.”

(on the contents of Betty’s purse)

Bruce: “Okay, basically…we can’t use any of this because they can track it.”

Betty: “What about my lip gloss? Can they track my lip gloss?”

Bruce: “No, you can take your lip gloss…”

Betty: “And I need my glasses…”

Bruce: “You can take your glasses…actually, we can use most of it, we just can’t use the credit cards or the phone.”

Bruce (in Portugese): “Don’t make me hungry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m…hungry.” (English) “No, that’s not right…”

Abomination: “Give me a REAL fight!”

Hulk: “HULK SMASH!”

Tony Stark: “Ah, the smell of stale beer and defeat. You know, I hate to say ‘I told you so,’ General, but that super-soldier program was put on ice for a reason.”