The
spiritual connections in this movie that are worth discussing. The
aspect of David Banner struggling with improving on "God's Creation"
and purpose is part of a worthwhile discussion. What results is another
failed attempt by humanity that results in destruction and heartbreak.
THE
HULK (2003) Film Review
This
page was created on June 23, 2003
This page was last updated on
May 29, 2005
Directed
by Ang Lee
Story
by James Schamus
Screenplay by John Turman, Michael France and James Schamus
Graphic novel and character by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee
Eric Bana .... Bruce Banner
Jennifer Connelly .... Betty Ross
Sam Elliott .... Ross
Josh Lucas .... Talbot
Nick Nolte .... Father
Paul Kersey .... Young David Banner
Cara Buono .... Edith Banner
Todd Tesen .... Young Ross
Kevin O. Rankin .... Harper (as Kevin Rankin)
Celia Weston .... Mrs. Krensler
Mike Erwin .... Teenage Bruce Banner
Produced
by
Avi Arad .... producer
Kevin Feige .... executive producer
Larry J. Franco .... producer
Gale Anne Hurd .... producer
Stan Lee .... executive producer
James Schamus .... producer
Cheryl A. Tkach .... associate producer
David Womark .... associate producer
Original Music by Danny Elfman and Kenneth Burgomaster for additional
music
Cinematography by Frederick Elmes (as Fred Elmes)
Film Editing by Tim Squyres
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, some
disturbing images and brief partial nudity.
Runtime: USA:137 min / USA:138 min
For rating reasons, go to FILMRATINGS.COM,
and MPAA.ORG.
Parents, please refer to PARENTALGUIDE.ORG
The
Hulk (Score)
Danny Elfman
1. Main Title ListenMusic ListenMusic 2. Prolouge ListenMusic ListenMusic
3. Betty's Dream ListenMusic ListenMusic 4. Bruce's Memories ListenMusic
ListenMusic 5. Captured ListenMusic ListenMusic 6. Dad's Visit 7.
Hulk Out! 8. Father Knows Best 9. ...Making Me Angry 10. Gentle Giant
11. Hounds Of Hell 12. The Truth Revealed 13. Hulk's Freedom 14. A
Man Again 15. The Lake Battle 16. The Aftermath 17. The Phone Call
18. End Credits 19. Set Me Free
BOOK
The
Hulk
by Peter David
From acclaimed filmmaker Ang Lee,
a dark vision of the beast that lives inside the man . . .
In
a Berkeley lab, Bruce Banner, a young man haunted by his murky past
and the parents he never knew, works intensely day and night. A
bright scientist with repressed emotions and few social skills,
Bruce and his colleague, the sharp and beautiful Betty Ross, experiment
with the body’s ability to repair itself and fight disease.
But their research draws unwanted attention. For the power of regeneration
catches the eye of the military, which sees its potential on the
battlefields of the future.
But
when Bruce is exposed to radiation in an accident that should have
killed him, a ferocious truth about his past begins to emerge—along
with something else, something deep inside his own body that is
triggered when he is provoked . . . when he is pushed beyond reason
. . . when anger takes over and he transforms into . . .
I
don't know who I am. I don't know what I'm becoming. But I know one
thing for sure - you wouldn't like me when I'm angry.
- Bruce Banner, scientist
What
if you always had someone around to look out for you?
To
defend you when challenged by a bully, threatened by an enraged
driver, assaulted by a knife-wielding mugger? That at those moments
of stress and escalating violence, someone appears -- an ever-present
avenger, fueled by righteous anger and possessing unequalled strength
-- and vanquishes the antagonist, rights the wrong, settles the
score. Without remorse. Without consequence. Without memory.
And
what if that someone ... was you?
After
more than four decades of continuing popularity, one of Marvel Comics'
most enduring and compelling comic book creations comes to the big
screen, continuing Marvel's superlative track record of bringing
its classic characters to motion picture life: Blade, X-Men, Spider-Man,
Daredevil. And now, this summer, The Hulk arrives.
Scientist
Bruce Banner (ERIC BANA) has, to put it mildly, anger management
issues. His quiet life as a brilliant researcher working with cutting
edge genetic technology conceals a nearly forgotten and painful
past. His ex-girlfriend and equally brilliant fellow researcher,
Betty Ross (Academy Award?winner JENNIFER CONNELLY), has tired of
Bruce's cordoned off emotional terrain and resigns herself to remaining
an interested onlooker to his quiet life.
Which
is exactly where Betty finds herself during one of the early trials
in Banner's groundbreaking research. A simple oversight leads to
an explosive situation and Bruce makes a split-second decision;
his heroic impulse saves a life and leaves him apparently unscathed
-- his body absorbing a normally deadly dose of gamma radiation.
...And yet, something is happening. Vague morning-after effects.
Blackouts. Unexpected fallout from the experiment gone awry. Banner
begins to feel some kind of a presence within, a stranger who feels
familiar, slightly dangerous and yet darkly attractive.
All
the while, a massive creature -- a rampaging, impossibly strong
being who comes to be known as the Hulk -- continues its sporadic
appearances, cutting a swath of destruction, leaving Banner's lab
in shambles and his house with blown out walls. The military is
engaged, led by Betty's father, General "Thunderbolt"
Ross (SAM ELLIOTT), along with rival researcher Glenn Talbot (JOSH
LUCAS), and both personal vendettas and familial ties come into
play, heightening the danger and raising the stakes in the escalating
emergency.
Betty
Ross has her theories, and she knows the shadowy figure lurking
in the background, Bruce's father, David (NICK NOLTE), is somehow
connected. She may be the only one who understands the link between
scientist and the Hulk, but her efforts to stop the military threat,
deploying every weapon in its attempt to capture the monster, may
be too late to save both man and creature.
Acclaimed
Oscar-winning filmmaker ANG LEE (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)
turns his masterful eye to adapting the classic Marvel Comics character
for the big screen. Setting out to faithfully transfer the Hulk
comic book character from four-color paneled page to motion picture
screen, Lee combines all the elements of a blockbuster visual effects-intensive
Super Hero movie with the brooding romance and tragedy of Universal's
classic horror films. Staying true to the early subversive spirit
of the Hulk as envisioned by its creators (Stan Lee and Jack Kirby)
while also tuning the tale to current dangerous times, Lee presents
a portrait of a man at war with himself and the world, both a Super
Hero and a monster, a means of wish fulfillment and a nightmare.
Committed
to bringing the Hulk to authentic life, director Lee and his effects
teams logged countless hours to assure a creature true to the essence
of Kirby's powerful seminal artwork and Lee's mythic stories. Designers
and artists returned to the original Hulk character conceptions
to honor the Marvel traditions and place the creature in a motion
picture world -- grounded in reality, dictated by time-honored practice
and colored by comic book convention.
HULK Review
An Adult Story
by Benn Becker Benn has an undergradute degree in Finance from the University of Nebraska and is working towards a masters in both Business and English. He owns some farmland and is currently writing a novel. He lives in Lincoln, NE.
"Hulk"
is a different movie than the trailers portray. I'm sure the trailer
drew in the younger demographic it was aimed at, but Ang Lee really
succeeds in making a character-driven film that in my opinion resonates
with adults. The CGI wasn't as hokey as I thought it might be--close-ups
on Hulk's face were adequate, but the wider shots still seemed fairly
unnatural. Hulk also seemed a little bit too big from my perspective.
Lee uses split screens to mimic a comic book feel and it works well.
The film is fairly long, but never lost my attention.
TRYING TO IMPROVE ON CREATION
One
of the themes involves man's attempt to improve on God's creation.
Seems we fiddle with everything all the time trying to make things
better, but often there is a cost to anything we consider "improvement".
Just watch TV and sooner, rather than later, a drug ad will come on
and towards the end you'll hear a list of side effects that potentially
sound worse than the ailment the drug is supposed to treat. Often,
nature knows best. That's not to say that all drugs aren't necessary,
but I do believe we live in an over-drugged culture.
PARENTAL INFLUENCE ON CHILDREN
Paternal
influence to be specific. Both Betty and Bruce have slightly troubled
or non-existent relations with their fathers. Our past can have an
effect on our present if we haven't fully dealt with what has happened.
There are often emotional scars. Fathers are very integral to a child's
development, yet sadly there is not sufficient fatherly influence
in children's lives in our culture. Fathers teach sons how to treat
women and teach daughters how to allow men to treat them. How often
do you hear about fathers leaving their families in proportion to
mothers leaving their families? Betty comments to David Banner, "All
you've given Bruce is fear."
REPRESSION OF EMOTIONS
Repressed
emotions often manifest themselves in other parts of a person's life.
It may be a failure to connect fully with others, anxiety, emotional
numbness, or eventually an angry (Hulk-like) outburst. If we haven't
worked through all our internal "demons", they can release as a form
of rage and harm others emotionally and/or physically. We're often
told to "lay all our troubles on God", but what does that actually
mean? Prayer helps, but also in my experiences God "takes it away"
by helping us realize what is really important and what is trivial.
God removes the illusions our upbringing and the world has taught
us and changes our perceptions that keep us consistently worried.
Yes, our past has a role in who we are today, but it doesn't have
to control our lives. If we've dealt with it, have come to understand
why things are messed up in the world, and have a new life and vision
of the world through a relationship with God through Christ we can
move forward and forgive ourselves and others. Lives run much smoother
when we allow God to take control. Our external life may not change,
but we ourselves change--our perceptions, our esteem, our self-worth.
THEN the life visible to others may change.
Christ seemed more concerned with a person's state of mind, their
soul, their spirit than anything. The low in spirit flocked to Him
because he gave them relief of mind and soul. He brought God's eternal
grace in human form so we could better relate and understand. Jesus
continues to live in our hearts and minds as a reminder of God's love
for us. God can give us freedom from the control we've allowed our
emotions to have in our life.
Emotions affect our physical well-being as well. Stress, anxiety,
etc can all lead to health problems. People of faith have shorter
recovery times from illness. The spiritual affects the mental which
affects the physical. Take envy for example--it can cause anxiety
which can eventually cause bodily damage. The wages of sin are death.
When we envy we are wasting energy. We disrupt the spiritual connection
with God and cause emotional imbalance. God only wants to help us.
BETTY AS LOVE (God's Grace)
Love
seems to be the force that calms the Hulk. Even in our ugliest moments,
we respond to love. In the film force against the Hulk results in
more force from the Hulk. So it goes in wartime. "The more you fight,
the more of you I take." -- David Banner's statement to the Hulk during
a fight. Sin can overtake us and control our life if we keep feeding
it and fighting God's love for us. After Bruce is transformed through
his anger into the Hulk, he still recognizes the genuine spirit of
love. When we are in our worst places, God may be right there offering
up his love for us to recognize. In the film the government wants
to destroy the Hulk, but Betty sees the humanity in the Hulk that
is Bruce Banner. Just as Betty's love transforms the Hulk back into
Bruce Banner near the end of the film, God's love when received can
transform His people.
CONCLUSION
I thought "Hulk" had some great adult themes and was a decent action
film as well. I can see why some of the kids who've seen it have been
a little disappointed, however it seems to resonate with young adults
and up. I read Marvel comics growing up and watched the Saturday morning
"The Incredible Hulk" cartoon and I think the film more than adequately
pays homage to its comic roots. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised
with "Hulk".
Mike is the Senior Pastor at United at the Cross Community Church
in Wichita Kansas. United at the Cross is a church made up of
individuals not often accepted in other churches. The church consists
of former gang members, drug addicts, prostitutes and others.
Mike also speaks nationally on various topics and is a freelance
writer. To learn more about Mike and his ministry link onto www.furches.org.
In the arts Mike has worked with top music artists such as Steppenwolf,
Marshall Tucker Band, Kansas and has an active interest in film.
music band "Route 66."
The
spiritual connections in this movie that are worth discussing. The
aspect of David Banner (Nick Nolte) struggling with improving on
"God's Creation" and purpose is part of a worthwhile discussion.
What results is another failed attempt by humanity that results
in destruction and heartbreak. Unfortunately, this resembles life
all to often. Humans and science tries and tries to improve on God's
creation even seeing itself with the ability to create life. What
we fail to recognize in that creation is the need to love. We can
never accomplish the mind and thought of God, nor will our power
ever be as perfect as to improve on God's creation.
It
is the lack of love in David Banners life that ultimately leads
to the sad existence of his son, Bruce Banner, The Hulk. Instead
of seeing his son as someone to love he sees him as an experiment
who can only help him prove his scientific genius throughout life.
What results is an individual who vents his anger all through his
life. Once that anger is released, what results is destruction and
heartbreak. While Bruce Banner has a love relationship with Betty
Ross, played by Jennifer Connelly we see that something has caused
that relationship to cool off. We don't know what exactly because
the characters are rarely developed through the movie. Once the
Hulk is released from Banner by Gamma Rays the relationship no longer
has a chance. The anger takes over and in a world where you would
hope that love would survive, anger just sends love further and
further away.
It
is unfortunate but one of the reasons this movie might not offer
much hope or is taken very seriously is that we live in a world,
where individuals, much like the character David Banner, just don't
care. We do a job, get a paycheck, and just don't care so much about
the quality of products that we produce or the lives that we effect.
Yet, Jesus called on his followers to do so much more. To live life
in such a way that others observe our actions. To love and care
for each other, to make sacrifices on a daily basis, to go out of
the way to help our neighbor. After all what does it mean when Jesus
said if we are to call ourselves his disciples that we are supposed
to take up our cross and follow him daily? Unfortunately though,
this movie takes the same direction that not only most people take,
one where it seems as if no one really cares for the world or work
around them. It is a world where we place ourselves over others
in a place of priority others. After all it is all about "me."
Ang
Lee does seem to have some understanding that love has a powerful
impact and can influence and even turn away anger. We see this in
some of the relationships and scenes between Betty and The Hulk.
There are a couple of scenes where The Hulk is just bashing and
destroying and upon the appearance of Betty he realizes that something
more exists. It just seems as if he never really understands that
in such a way that it can be controlled, he
tries but if it is as the movie portrays then anger and hate has
more power than love. Maybe, just maybe, that is an unfortunate
representation of the world as it really exists. Personally, I hope
not. It would be nice to believe that the power of love that Jesus
exhibited and that millions of his followers have shown actually
has more power than love. Unfortunately, we become involved in activities
and lifestyles that seem to show that we are no different and in
reality are controlled by the same things that The Hulk is.
THE
BIG GREEN GUY IN ALL OF US
REVIEW BY DAVID BRUCE
Web Master HollywoodJesus.com
“Control
yourself! Remember, anger is only one letter short of danger”
-Anonymous
The
Hulk first appeared in a 1962 comic book written by Stan Lee. The
immense popularity of this green creature spawned a successful CBS
television series (1977- 1982). Now, it is a major box office hit.
The
Story:
Research scientist Bruce Banner has a problem. He has a forgotten
and painful past, which comes to light during an experiment gone
awry. During
an accidental explosion, Bruce’s heroic impulse saves a life,
but exposes his body to a deadly dose of gamma radiation. Remarkable,
he survives, but he begins to feel something different within him.
It’s a massive creature known as the Hulk, which begins to
make sporadic appearances when Banner gets angry. The unleashed
Hulk cut a path of destruction that terrified the public and engaged
the military against him. But, how can the Hulk be stopped?
As
Bruce Banner says, “I don't know who I am. I don't know what
I'm becoming. But I know one thing for sure - you wouldn't like
me when I'm angry.”
The
Dilemma: There
is something very familiar about the Hulk. Film producer Gale Anne
Hurd puts it this way, “There was real, elemental drama of
the human condition in this character.” She is right. All
of us have experienced inner anger, hostility and rage. It is part
of the human condition. The Hulk’s incredible popularity is
due to the amazing connection to the human dilemma that we all experience.
The
apostle Paul once wrote: “I know I am rotten through and through
so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way
I turn, I can't make myself do right. I want to, but I can't. When
I want to do good, I don't. And when I try not to do wrong, I do
it anyway.” - Romans 7:18-20
This
sin that Paul talks about is like the Hulk within Bruce Banner.
This sinful nature is in all of us. It controls us. What can be
done about it?
Paul
went on to say, “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will
free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Thank God! The
answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” - Romans 7:24-25a Continued here
Your
Private Comments. I will not post these comments.
What are your personal thoughts? I also welcome your spiritual
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within two weeks.
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HULK Review
REVIEW
BY MIKE FURCHES
