Incredible Hulk was the first movie I watched yesterday. Would you believe that I had a movie marathon yesterday because SM cinemas replaces movies every Tuesday, so it was kinda my last minute chance to watch the flick including the Chronicles of Narnia. After all, I really needed a break from my monotonous life on the four corners of the mini-farm. So I hurried before lunch to be able to catch the middle of the screening. The first scene that flashed on the screen when I arrived at the cinema was Emil Blonsky’s injection of the Gamma Radiation serum taken from Bruce Banner’s blood. And the following scenes after that was not for children’s eyes. The monster was similar to doomsday (the one who killed Superman in DC comics—) with all the bones protruding and all. Then the battle of the brute begins in mid-air suspension as the two mammoths charge against each other like juggernaut crashing to the wall.

The scenes were fueled with energy and hype yet not suited for children because of its violent content. But watching the beginning of the film gave me a glimpse of this second version of the Hulk. We could remember that the first one directed by Ang Lee which starred Eric Bana was a big flop and disappointment for all Hulk fans. And it’s great that they did a remake this early in order to reclaim the lost cinematic glory of one of Marvel’s epic superheroes (?).

At the beginning of the movie, flashes of scenes were shown about the history of Bruce Banner’s radiation. Those 3 minutes of flashback were excellent in a sense that the editor had to cut and paste so many scenes at a fraction of a second. It depicted what was actually going on inside the mind of Bruce Banner at that time. The movie went on as Bruce Banner lives his life in Brazil as an unknown foreigner slash fugitive.

I like the cinematography (especially when the camera pans out on the areal view of seemingly endless domino of houses situated on a hill) and pacing of the movie, it gives you adrenalin rush just by watching it unfold. Some critics says that this year’s version is too mushy and all, but i think the love element between Bruce, Betty and The Hulk is needed to drive at a very important point—–Love and Good

It has been proven even in real life that love really possess something that evil cannot conquer. During the last scene of the battle between Abomination and the Hulk in which the former is nearing expiration due to the chain strangulation, Betty cried “Stop” and all of a sudden, the anger of the Hulk abated. Knowing the background of the hulk (if you have followed the story in the comics) he neither listens to anybody nor reason himself out of something. He is like a beast impulsed and enraged by the instinct that his mutation caused him, yet at the instance of Betty’s plea, he suddenly understood the meaning of mercy. Due maybe to the fact that the love between Bruce Banner and Betty Ross knows no bounds, even in bestial dominance, which also led to another pivotal lesson in the movie which is the inner Goodness of man.

The Hulk’s admiration for Betty Ross was not just out of love for her because as Bruce Banner said in the car when Betty fetched him in the rain, He can’t remember anything and it seems that everything is blurred when he is the Hulk. Which gives us the assumption that Bruce Banner was maybe unconscious in most of his actions as the Hulk. In that case, he is acting on his animal instinct which drives him mad whenever the green juggernaut surfaces. Yet, even though the Hulk is pure primeval and raw when it comes to manners and behavior, still he recognized what should and should not be committed considering his known lack of self control and intellectual judgment. Thus the film showed that no matter how monstrous a man may become, there is still goodness that lies in him.

This fact is very true and somehow is included in the philosophical and theological study, that man is created good and not evil. This is the reason why some activist, particularly the Catholic Church is not in favor of Capital punishment. Somewhere in the heart of every criminal lies a certain goodness no matter how remote it may seem to be.

In our everyday life, we often encounter people who label us as monsters, evil, hag, demon and every infernal character imaginable. We are often judged as the black sheep, the wolf in sheep’s clothing, the evil genius or the worst, Satan’s incarnation. Yet behind those unfounded allegations is the basic tenet of truth that we are all created out of Goodness, in the image and likeness of God. Thus no matter how everyone view us or think about us as evil, what matters most is how God see us not from the outside but in the very inside of our soul, for it is where our Goodness and Love lies.

Most of us have experienced being an Incredible hulk or the Abomination for that matter once or twice or even many times during our lifetime, that we often try to solve conflicts, issues within our selves and relationship creases with our very own anger against self, others and the world. But the bright side of it all is, we can always start a new, because God doesn’t count mistakes. He counts the instances that we try our very best to conquer our flaws and weaknesses, and eventually smash the evil in us by the good within us. In the battle for love and goodness, we are all called to become the Hulk who smashes all abominations that will lead to anger, apathy and indifference.

Some Facts about the Movie:

• The Incredible Hulk joined Toronto’s Green-Screen initiative, to help cut carbon emissions and waste created during filming. Edward Norton had fun using a hybrid vehicle on set. Producer Gale Anne Hurd hopes the film will be a symbol of the drive to encourage less pollution from film productions.

• Louis Leterrier had been interested in directing Iron Man (2008), but when Jon Favreau took that project Avi Arad offered him a sequel to Hulk (2003). In an attempt to depict their comic book films in the same universe, Marvel Studios gave Robert Downey Jr. a cameo as Tony Stark in this film.

• William Hurt and his son are big fans of the Hulk.

• Although director Louis Leterrier liked Hulk (2003), he concurred with Marvel Studios that to continue the franchise it would be better to deviate from Ang Lee’s cerebral style from the first film and focus on a more action-filled tone. He also believed that in keeping with Hulk (2003)’s poetic feel, the VFX were mostly “a fluorescent-green guy who was simply flying around; he had no weight and was too smooth-looking,” so he wished to make the film’s VFX grittier and darker “and perhaps even a little scarier!”

• The Hulk, as portrayed in this film, was created through a blend of animatronics, make-up and CGI (by Rhythm & Hues) with motion capture by the title actor Edward Norton. Hulk (2003)’s VFX were carried out by Industrial Light & Magic, with its director Ang Lee providing motion-capture.

• Edward Norton, who had previously rewritten films he starred in, wrote a draft of the script which Louis Leterrier and Marvel Studios found satisfactory in establishing the film as both a sequel and a retcon of Hulk (2003). As Norton explained, “I don’t think that in great literature/films explaining the story’s roots means it comes in the beginning. Audiences know the story, so we’re dealing with it artfully.” Norton’s rewrite added the character of Doc Samson and mentioned references to other Marvel Comics characters. He also wanted to put in “revelations about what set the whole thing in motion” that would be explained in future installments.

• In the comics, Emil Blonsky was a KGB agent who takes on a scaly reptilian appearance, becoming the Abomination. Louis Leterrier felt that while that was cool, it made no sense considering there was no reptile mix in his origin. So in this film Blonsky’s appearance is redefined substantially to have his skin/muscles/bones exaggerated and sticking out all over his body; he however retains pointed ears as a tribute to his original form. Leterrier describes Blonsky as “an über-human, just like the Hulk, but a human who was injected with something in the wrong places and these places are growing differently.”

• The VFX artists think of Blonsky as “a guy who transforms but is not used to having these new properties; for instance, he’s much heavier, so when he walks down the sidewalk, he’s tripping because his weight is destroying the sidewalk.”

• Louis Leterrier directed four units with a broken foot.

• General Ross mentions that the serum Blonsky uses to become the Abomination was created during World War II. This is a reference to Marvel Comics’ next film, The First Avenger: Captain America (2011), who was created with the use of a special serum (very likely the same serum Ross mentions). Additionally, the person who takes the serum must be treated with a unique form of radiation; any accidents or deviations from the procedure can cause horrific side effects to occur… as befalls Blonsky.

• ‘Tim Roth’ signed on the film because he was a fan of “The Incredible Hulk” (1978), as well as to please his comic-book-fan sons. On set, he constantly asked whether this would “be a cool shot” for his kids to see him in. He thoroughly enjoyed playing Blonsky, but found it difficult since to portray Blonsky’s over-the-hill state he could not work out; but he hired a personal trainer to assist him in motion-capturing the Abomination’s movements.

• Louis Leterrier insisted ‘Tim Roth’ , of whom he is a big fan, be cast as the film’s main antagonist, even though Marvel Studios and Edward Norton were initially unsure of Roth as a supervillain. Leterrier later said “it’s great watching a normal Cockney boy become a superhero!”

• Edward Norton and ‘Tim Roth’ filmed their Hulk-Abomination fracases on a stage, using motion capture and 37 digital cameras. Roth enjoyed using the motion capture technique because it reminded him of fringe theatre.

• It took the VFX artists over a year to construct a shot where Dr. Banner’s gamma-irradiated blood falls through three factory storeys into a bottle.

• According to ‘Tim Roth’ , Edward Norton rewrote scenes every day; Norton and Liv Tyler also spent hours discussing their characters’ lives (especially before the Hulk appeared).

BONUS:
The last scene when Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) approached the half drunk Gen. Thaddeus Ross in a bar and saying that they are planning to form a group… it is actually a teaser and reference to what we may expect as a grand spinoff sequel of the Marvel Comics group called the Avengers which consists mainly of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and the Hulk…