‘Hulk’ leaves audience green, but not with envy

Stephen Saito is a junior attending the University of Texas at Austin

and a graduate of Burbank High School.

Many comic book incarnations that have graced movie theaters in

recent years have had success in treating their source material with

proper respect. However, not only does director Ang Lee respect the

origins for his latest film the “Hulk,” but also should be credited

for being the first director to truly turn the film into a living,

breathing comic book, with deft editing that mimics the patterns of

comic book panels.

Weighted down by an exposition that even the lean, green, fighting

machine has trouble breaking free of, with its meandering plotting

laced with psychobabble and simply not enough action, the film only

hits its stride when scientist Bruce Banner gets angry. And by then,

the audience has already reached the same conclusion.

Although the special effects are extraordinary, and the

computer-generated Hulk is able to convey a wealth of emotions that

downplay his more humble Pentium chip-based origins, the “Hulk” ends

up outsmarting itself by attempting to be both high drama and a

popcorn flick and fails ever so slightly at both.

* “Hulk” is rated PG-13 for science-fiction action violence, some

disturbing images and brief partial nudity.