State your unpopular film related opinion - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Part 32

[Spider-Aziz]

The Incredible Hulk is so forgettable I literally forget it exists when counting MCU movies most of the time, and Ruffalo is easily my favorite Banner.

At least the score is memorable, right?

I just don't think Norton ever does a convincing job of appearing troubled or emotionally volatile in any of his roles,

Not an opinion I'd normally expect to see. But then again, I doubt many would expect to see my thoughts when it comes to Spider-Man movies: TASM movies > Homecoming.

 

[Batmannerism]

I just don't think Norton ever does a convincing job of appearing troubled or emotionally volatile in any of his roles, save for American History X. And let's face it, it doesn't take subtlety or nuance to play a neo-nazi like the one in that movie.

I'm honestly amazed that he kept getting handed such deliciously neurotic and complicated characters like Banner or Will Graham in Red Dragon. Both characters require a certain measure of danger or edge to their performances, and he just never manages to bring it. He's so bland and ineffectual seeming in those roles.

Meanwhile I look at Eric Bana's Bruce Banner and I'm amazed at the palpable amount of tension and anger that seems to be bottled up inside him. I'm even more amazed that he's regularly seen as the lesser of the three cinematic Hulks. Imo he was perfectly cast.

Fight Club?

 

[Captain Tired]

I mean, I haven't seen it in years but I don't remember being particularly impressed by him in it, no. Honestly when it comes to Norton and how everyone seems to think he's such a great actor, I always feel like Mugatu at the end of Zoolander.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

I watched some scenes from the Incredible Hulk again to check how he performed, and I'm not agreeing with your comments against his performance, Sorry Bruce.

 

[Jordacar]

Norton's a great actor, but he hasn't done anything that felt fresh in a long time. It looked like Motherless Brooklyn might be a return to form, but like...no one cared? It's eerie. Did anyone see it?

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Bana was bland in a bland film, some cool Hulk scenes notwithstanding.

Norton was more the tragic Banner from the comics and was just SPOT ON physically. And despite his famousness for being hard to work with, I think what his vision of a Hulk film could be was also SPOT ON. For me the way Whedon integrated the material that was cut from IH into A1 shows this. This isn't to say that I think IH is a masterpeice or something... But it's entertaining enough, has a pretty good handle on Banner's predicament, and it's breezy and fun at the same time. Yes... Points off for Hulk lacking dialog. But I have a soft spot for it.


Ruffalo is more than fine in the part and let's be honest, the way the MCU developed, Mark's Banner more than fits into the mold of Marvel Studios films and I have been pretty happy with his time in the part. Yes, I would agree Hulk got lost in the shuffle somewhere in terms of where they were going with him, and sorry... That started with Ragnarok. Because while I know it made people happy that Hulk spoke and had a personality there, character wise, in terms of a dramatic arc TR doesn't really do anything for Banner or Hulk. This carried through to IW and EG. I'm not one that complains about how BannerHulk "ruined" the character. That's silly. This is super hero stuff. If you didn't like the Gray Hulk era of the comics I guess that "ruined" him forever too... Except of course that Gray Hulk was one of multiple iterations of the character and as comics are wont to do, eventually that momentary change was written to allow for the return of a more "classic" version. Guess what? The same can and probably WILL happen in the MCU. "OH MY GOD! Hulk has a cripple arm and the directors talked like it was permanent!" Yeah... and Bruce Banner has been "dead" in the Hulk comics multiple times. Ways to rationalize away the RuffaHulk of AEG are not hard and in fact are the essence of using stuff like continuity to push characters further. It won't be surprising if Hulk, played by Mark or not, will return and they'll find a way to make the Banner controlled Hulk's life bad place.

But at the same time, probably because of the huge amount of characters being juggled, Hulk's story was side stepped and it is fair to have issues with that in my mind. But I doubt we've seen the last of Hulk and Banner regardless of who will step into the role next or if Mark has one last ride in him.

Personally, I think getting the X-Men back should mean that we get a Hulk Vs. Wolverine film. If Mark wanted a swan song with the character, THAT would be an epic way to go out in the role.

 

[Captain Tired]

You're looking for the popular opinions thread.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

You're looking for the popular opinions thread.

I don't know... Saying Hulk could be served better in future MCU films yet still not be ruined is pretty unpopular with Hulk fans these days. If anything it's pretty popular on the Hype these days to crap on almost everything Hulk related in the MCU.

 

[DyeLorean]

Hulk is a difficult character to portray. They've tried two very different standalone approaches and they realized he works better as a team player. A story with a troubled Ruffalo in a Logan-style final film could work really well though, specially with how much we've come to appreciate his take on both Banner and Hulk.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

The biggest problem with every adaption of Hulk in live action is.....
WHERE IS RICK JONES? HE'S GREATNESS IGNORED.

 

[Herofan]

I like a lot Disney's so-called Dark Age, the Reitherman era, Robin Hood, The Fox and the Hound, The Great Mouse Detective and especially The Black Cauldron, and The Aristocats was OK, I dislike The Rescuers but acknowledge it has fans, I think overall a stronger era than the so-called Renaissance.

 

[zeptron]

In regards to Hulk, I think at this point, more people would be open to another solo live action film. At the time Incredible Hulk came out, most people still had a bad taste in their mouths from the 2003 movie. Plus the MCU was still in it's infancy stages and many weren't aware that they were setting up a shared universe.

 

[Web-Head]

Spaceballs isn't very funny.

 

[Schlosser85]

Spaceballs isn't very funny.

I'll commit blasphemy and say Mel Brooks in general isn't very funny.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

I'll commit blasphemy and say Mel Brooks in general isn't very funny.

 

[Deck Rickard]

LOL, if you’re going to trash Norton’s acting ability, maybe watch him in Birdman or Primal Fear instead of analyzing his performances in movies directed by Brett Ratner and the guy who made Transporter 2.

 

[Captain Tired]

I've seen him in both, didn't think much of him in either.

And I wasn't trashing, I was giving what I deem to be constructive criticism. I specifically noted those two performances because they can be directly compared with actors I find to be better suited to that kind of material.

So please cool it, fanboy. I'm sorry your hero isn't mine also.

 

[Schlosser85]

LOL, if you’re going to trash Norton’s acting ability, maybe watch him in Birdman or Primal Fear instead of analyzing his performances in movies directed by Brett Ratner and the guy who made Transporter 2.

Primal Fear is still one of his best performances.

 

[Deck Rickard]

I've seen him in both, didn't think much of him in either.

And I wasn't trashing, I was giving what I deem to be constructive criticism. I specifically noted those two performances because they can be directly compared with actors I find to be better suited to that kind of material.

So please cool it, fanboy. I'm sorry your hero isn't mine also.

LOL you think Eric Bana gave a powerhouse performance in Hulk. You're clearly the one wearing fanboy blinders.

 

[Schlosser85]

Mark Ruffalo is my favorite Banner anyway, I think he brings more depth and angst to it. He's the first one I can buy really have that self-loathing where he's palpably almost crawling out of his own skin. Plus I also like how he looks like The Hulk, which he's the first actor to actually look like it's still the same person when it goes from Banner to Hulk.

Although I will issue the disclaimer and admit I'm mainly basing my opinion on the first Avengers where Ruffalo had by far the best material. After that, it's not his fault, but it goes downhill. AoU had that sudden Black Widow semi-romance nonsense, and he's fun in Infinity War/Endgame/Ragnarok but he's like a comic relief sidekick/comedic mad scientist.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Yeah, I like Ruffalo the best as well, which is funny to me because when he was first announced I thought he seemed like a miscast. But he's great. Though I would agree that he hasn't been utilized particularly well since the first Avengers film. I did like him a lot in Ragnarok though.

Bana (who is really good in most things) just came off bland in Hulk. I don't think it was totally his fault; the writing in that movie was terrible for just about every character except Thunderbolt Ross (and maybe Nick Nolte, who I'm pretty sure was just improving the whole time lol). Norton had some good moments but that movie mostly felt like a dull rehash of the previous Hulk movie only with more influence from the TV show. Tim Roth was especially dull as the one-note villain.

 

[Schlosser85]

Yeah, I like Ruffalo the best as well, which is funny to me because when he was first announced I thought he seemed like a miscast. But he's great. Though I would agree that he hasn't been utilized particularly well since the first Avengers film. I did like him a lot in Ragnarok though.

Bana (who is really good in most things) just came off bland in Hulk. I don't think it was totally his fault; the writing in that movie was terrible for just about every character except Thunderbolt Ross (and maybe Nick Nolte, who I'm pretty sure was just improving the whole time lol). Norton had some good moments but that movie mostly felt like a dull rehash of the previous Hulk movie only with more influence from the TV show. Tim Roth was especially dull as the one-note villain.

Tim Roth is dull and one-note (I blame the material, considering Roth is an all-time great movie villain in Rob Roy), and also William Hurt is totally sleepwalking as Ross. But then Hurt seems bored out of his mind most of the time.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Agreed. I was honestly shocked that they didn’t recast Ross when he showed up in Civil War; he was so meh in TIC. But I think he’s been a little better in more recent movies, maybe? It’s hard to say really because he’s just been in them sporadically and not making much impact.

 

[Schlosser85]

Agreed. I was honestly shocked that they didn’t recast Ross when he showed up in Civil War; he was so meh in TIC. But I think he’s been a little better in more recent movies, maybe? It’s hard to say really because he’s just been in them sporadically and not making much impact.

Honestly, he just has walk-on roles in Civil War and Endgame, so it's hard to tell.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Yeah. It looks like his role is more substantial in Black Widow but who knows when we’ll see that movie.