20 year (!) old Marvel masterpiece whose biggest criticism makes the film even better

Hulk is still waiting for a really successful solo film, but 2003 saw the release of his best effort: Hulk by Oscar winner Ang Lee. Today you can catch up on the underrated Marvel masterpiece on TV. You can read here why it’s worth it.

Hulk is a super-powered father-son conflict

Before Ed Norton and Mark Ruffalo, Australian Eric Bana gave the first cinema Hulk and scientist Bruce Banner, respectively. Deeply buried in his past is a severe family trauma surrounding his father and the death of his mother. When a gamma-ray experiment goes awry, Bruce is increasingly confronted with these dark memories. On the one hand, because an unexpected anger breaks out in him and he turns into a green monster. On the other hand, because his missing father (Nick Nolte) reappears in his life – with mean ulterior motives.

From this, director Ang Lee (Tiger & Dragon) and screenwriters James Schamus, Michael France and John Turman develop a gripping father-son drama in the guise of a superhero blockbuster. The computer-generated Hulk was a much-criticized weakness of the film right from the start. However, since Lee relies on a stylized comic aesthetic, including panel optics in some scenes, that doesn’t bother, on the contrary. A photorealistic behemoth would fit far less well with the film’s direction.

Hulk does not present itself as a down-to-earth superhero blockbuster, but rather as Deep analysis that lures her hero’s trauma to the surface with powerful visual symbols: A glowing green, downright fantastical behemoth, bizarre monster poodles, and the splinter-like memories embedded in the flesh of memory.

The Marvel film has a better reputation today

Released in 2003, the superhero film received mixed reviews and didn’t make enough money to immediately convince Universal to do a sequel. Instead, the reboot attempt The Incredible Hulk appeared five years later, but it was even less convincing. Since then we have been waiting for a solo adventure of the green terror.

Ang Lee’s Hulk now enjoys a higher reputation, especially among critics. With a view to later dominating the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the film has been widely lauded for its original superhero approach, which balances sparse action and occasional humor with a nuanced exploration of what makes up the superhero psyche.

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