Hulk

The Hulk es la versión cinematográfica del clásico cómic de superhéroes de la Marvel. Me gustaba mucho de pequeño, y la película la dirige Ang Lee, del que en general se pueden esperar cosas muy buenas. En cualquier caso, la película ya se ha estrenado en Estados Unidos y tenemos críticas de mis dos críticos preferidos.

James Berardinelli le da un 3,5 sobre 4 y comenta entre otras cosas:

Hulk represents the most involving superhero motion picture since Superman soared skywards in 1978. By taking its time to develop characters and situations, Hulk does what so many action/adventure movies fail to do – allow us to really feel for the protagonists. Director Ang Lee, fresh off his success from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has re-imagined The Hulk as a tragic figure trapped by fate and the hubris of others into showing the inner beast whenever rage overwhelms him. In truth, the film has a greater synergy with classic monster movies like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein, and (especially) King Kong than it does with the current crop of superhero motion pictures. Spider-Man or X-Men, this isn’t.

Y termina haciendo una curiosa reflexión:

It’s interesting to note that all three of the recent major Marvel superhero movies (Hulk, X2, and Spider-Man) have been helmed by directors whose roots are in independent cinema. There’s obviously a reason for this – these men understand how to tell a story. They’re not posers like Michael Bay, whose productions are flashy, superficial, and dumb. Lee’s vision of Hulk is fresh and exciting, and he has fashioned a motion picture that’s a breath of fresh air. This is one of the few times when I have left a theater hoping for a sequel – I would like to see more of this Hulk. Until then, there’s plenty here to enjoy. When the dust settles, this may be the best of the summer blockbusters.

Por otra lado, Roger Ebert le da sólo 3 sobre cuatro, aunque se hace difícil descubrir qué fue exactamente lo que no le gustó. Aparentemente, la calidad del Hulk creado por ordenador no es todo lo buena que desearía. En lo demás:

Ang Lee’s «Hulk» (the movie’s title drops «the») is the most talkative and thoughtful recent comic book adaptation. It is not so much about a green monster as about two wounded adult children of egomaniacs. Banner (Eric Bana) was fathered by a scientist (Nick Nolte) who has experimented on his own DNA code, and passed along genes that are transformed by a lab accident into his son’s hulkhood. Betty Ross (Jennifer Connelly) is his research partner; they were almost lovers, but it didn’t work out, and she speaks wryly of «my inexplicable fascination with emotionally distant men.» Her cold father is General Ross (Sam Elliott), filled with military bluster and determined to destroy the Hulk.

These two dueling oedipal conflicts are at the heart of «Hulk,» and it’s touching how in many scenes we are essentially looking at damaged children. When the Hulk’s amazing powers become known, the military of course tries to kill him (that’s the routine solution in most movies about aliens and monsters), but there’s another villain who has a more devious scheme. That’s Talbot (Josh Lucas), a venal entrepreneur who wants to use Banner’s secret to manufacture a race of self-repairing soldiers. Lots of money there.

The movie brings up issues about genetic experimentation, the misuse of scientific research and our instinctive dislike of misfits, and actually talks about them. Remember that Ang Lee is the director of films such as «The Ice Storm» and «Sense and Sensibility,» as well as «Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon»; he is trying here to actually deal with the issues in the story of the Hulk, instead of simply cutting to brainless special effects.

Y termina también con otro curioso comentario sobre la película:

Whether «Hulk» will appeal to its primary audience–teenage science fiction fans–is hard to say. No doubt it will set the usual box office records over the weekend, but will it reach audiences who will respond to its dramatic ambition? Ang Lee has boldly taken the broad outlines of a comic book story and transformed them to his own purposes; this is a comic book movie for people who wouldn’t be caught dead at a comic book movie.

Veremos qué tal.