I saw the Hulk movie last night and it was most excellent. It doesn’t have the buzz behind Iron Man or The Dark Knight as the “best superhero movie” ever. That might have something to do with the fact the the Hulk isn’t a hero, but it’s not even the best comic movie ever. It was everything a Hulk movie should have been, though.
(click for more, spoilers ahoy)

Part of that, in my mind, is because it has as many connections to the tv series as it does the comic book. Growing up I was a huge fan of both. The boy in me wanted more Hulk action on the tv series, but the burgeoning writer in me realized even then I guess that Banner was important.
I loved the Ang Lee movie. It was a comic book brought to life. I enjoyed the father issues subtext. All of the actors did admirable jobs. It was risky and it some folks’ minds it was a failure. I can understand why they might say that. I can’t see why anyone would say that about this incarnation.
It succeeded in being great fun. There were excellent nods to the comic, the tv series, and the Marvel universe, making an Avenger movie, if not more likely, at least more tangible. I like Norton as Banner more. I think the Hulk effects were better than the earlier movie. So, it was definitely a success.
If there was any depth to be mined here it was about anger. That’s good, since the Hulk has always been about uncontrolled anger. Banner spends a good portion of the movie hyperventilating and trying to keep his pulse down (the pulse monitor was the best use of a relatively inexpensive prop I’ve seen in a while). When Dr. Sterns (who if there is a Hulk 2 will have a big green forehead in the next pic) told him that a proposed cure may only be a way to control it, Banner says, “I don’t wanna control it. I wanna get rid of it.” We all know how likely that is to happen.
Ultimately I think Banner learns that control may be his only hope. Unfortunately the movie (and the comic) seem frequently to indicate that he would have to lead his life as a monk. He says to Betsy when things start to get hot and heavy that he can’t get excited at all. A lack of emotion of any kind seems the path for Bruce. That’s just not possible. We’re emotional creatures. Anger is a force that we can and should use, channel in appropriate ways. Perhaps, if the last scene in the movie means what I think it does, Banner will learn that.
I hope so since that would be a more interesting sequel than one where again we see Banner trying to breathe his way to success. And I do want a sequel. I want the Leader. I want a non-wussy Doc Sampson (possibly the only disappointing thing in the flick). I want to see the Hulk harness some of Banner’s intellect to defeat said Leader.