MCU Commentary Rewatch: Incredible Hulk

(Cover art by Matt Ferguson, for the Blu Ray release. https://www.cakesandcomics.com/)

Next up on my MCU Commentary rewatch, 2008’s INCREDIBLE HULK.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Incredible_Hulk_(film)

There’s so much to unpack about this film, which I enjoyed both in theaters and my subsequent home viewings. I’m really looking forward to Director Louis Letterier’s take on its production.

So until then, I’ll leave you with this from Ed Norton’s wikipedia page:

“Norton initially turned down the part as he felt the 2003 version Hulk “strayed far afield from a story that was familiar to people, … which is a fugitive story”. He provided rewrites of the script every day of filming. Director Louis Leterrier welcomed his contributions, saying that, “Edward’s script has given Bruce’s story real gravitas”. However, screenwriter Zak Penn was displeased with Norton’s changes. The Writers Guild of America credited Penn as the sole writer, arguing that Norton had not contributed significantly to the screenplay. Norton did not participate in promoting the film and went to Africa for humanitarian activities instead. This led to rumors that Norton was sparking conflicts with the film’s producers. He dismissed the accusations and said that the media had misrepresented the “healthy” collaborations for headlines.

The Incredible Hulk received generally favorable reviews upon release. The Wall Street Journal felt that Norton’s presence improved the film to “a thunderously efficient enterprise” from the 2003 version. Conversely, the Los Angeles Times, while recognizing Norton’s decent performance, opined that the film lacked a solid script. It was a box office success, grossing over $263 million. Norton was expected to reprise his role in future Marvel Cinematic Universe ventures, including the 2012 blockbuster The Avengers. However, he was replaced by Mark Ruffalo, allegedly due to Norton’s “disputes” with Marvel. ] Norton later claimed that he chose not to play Hulk again because he “wanted more diversity” and opted against associating himself with one character throughout his career.

TL:DR;

Running commentary Ranking: #1 of 2

Commentary takeaways:

Leterrier gets it. He’s making a comic book, and it needs to be larger than life.

They had a lot of fun making it, and he regrets that the tech wasn’t quite there.

My least favorite part of any big CGI extravaganza is the big video game fight. Leterrier intentionally drew from the HULK: RAMPAGE game for the Harlem battle, and it works. He also made sure to get in iconic moves and sayings from the comics, like the thunderclap and “Hulk Smash!” So even though it put me to sleep, I enjoyed it, and didn’t mind rewinding to watch it again.

One of the reasons I like watching commentary tracks is that they’re typically recorded just before or right after the theatrical release.

Leterrier and Roth are still high on the excitement of making a fun popcorn movie, and despite a few unfortunate (and uncalled for) moments of misogyny, do a good job of not narrating what’s on screen, and instead explaining how it came to be.

Current commentary rating:

1. INCREDIBLE HULK

2. IRON MAN