I disagree. Bixby's Banner was darker to me than either of the previous two. He was shown as having anger problems long before his experiment. In fact he came across as more unhinged because of what I said, he showed more emotion. Bixby himself was a very intense individual prone to outbursts of anger, he definitely sold the distress without having to be a bore. Its all in the eyes.
I think it's explained once that he was calm and there was a point in stress where he just lose it and the transformation begins. Like what TIH did with heartbeats but with the level of anger.
By the way, when I mention flirting or joking, it made him more interesting and well rounded, but he and Elaina never even touched each other sexually once, and their relationship still was more believable than anything in the films. I actually think its one of the most convincing relationships in a comic based property ever, all achieved without a single kiss. I enjoy Bana and love Norton, but neither was interesting, dark or particularly intense in comparison to Bill. Not even close.
I have to agree. Every superhero movie after another it's the same thing about love interests: they all suck. they're there just because or are annoying or are one-dimensional, etc.
But in the TV pilot it was more believable and tragic that dozens of kisses and tragic music. And it barely took any screentime. It was just floating there. And it made the most of the Hulk state: Hulk knows she loved Banner but Banner himself can't remember it, which makes us, the audiences, the only mute witness of this tragic love. Impossible not to get engaged.
I was was just recalling how many years ago there was some debate on this board about whether Hulk would look silly being able to speak in a live action film. I think even Stan Lee once held this opinion too.
Stan Lee said,
"In the comic books I had him talking, because a pannel without any dialogue baloons - and I couldn't give him thought baloons cuz he was too dumb - it can get a little uninteresting. When we started the TV show, Ken said to me, you know Stan I don't think the Hulk should talk. The minute he said it I knew he was right. Because I had, in the beginning, I had the Hulk talking like this, "Hulk crash! Hulk get him!" you know, I could get away with it in a comic, but would have sounded so silly if he spoke that way in a TV show. SO by having him not talk at all I think he made it more like a real monster, more frightening than that silly pidgeon dialogue. Everything about that show was good."
Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEQki8T3fr0
I was was just recalling how many years ago there was some debate on this board about whether Hulk would look silly being able to speak in a live action film. I think even Stan Lee once held this opinion too. Hulk has said his famous "Puny human" line in the 2003 film as well as his calling cards "Hulk Smash" "Leave me alone" and "Betty" lines in the 2008 film. IMO...those were some of the best scenes.
Thing is, were the scenes good because Hulk talked?
I liked a lot the "leave me alone," because it was said in the shadows. It was almost if Hulk's "soul" was speaking. "Betty" was also good because it showed what it always shows: Hulk cares for her. "Hulk smash" I didn't give a damn about. I mean it wasn't and and it's justifiable because it's Hulk's famous line but only from the movie's perspe3ctive it added nothing to teh action.
Which leads me to the next point: my problem with Hulk speaking is what is he going to be talk about. Many times Hulk just keep describing what he's doing, what's he's going to do and what he feels. And that's everything a writer shouldn't put in a character's mouth. You show instead of tell.
But giving Hulk a full personality doesn't sound bad. Problem is, how. Just having him speaking is not the magical solution.
I wonder with Hulk being a bit more vocal in the Avengers movie if the same posters will feel the same way, which is something I never understood considering many weird looking creatures are able to speak in films?
I have to see the movie first.
But if King Kong had spoken... I don't know.
^They claimed it would just be weird having someone in a mask or with non-human looking constantly carrying on conversations. Treating them more as a special effect. I noticed that Iron Man rarely spoke in the first one when he goes on his first mission to the Middle East.
It was weird when Spider-man and Goblin had their little chat on that rooftop. It looked just like two costumed characters barely nodding once in a while while their voices sounded. To me it looked weird and boring. They could have been regular people in Tobey and Willem's costumes and it wouldn't ahve made any difference.
The problem to me is that the masks have a personality. Not only Spider-man and Goblin's but any mask. And that personality has to come out through the actor and that involves hard work, using your whole body, etc. Not just talk with the mask on.
I think translating Spider-man's mask to the screen is a major challenge because the original design could easily not work as the quick-witted superhero we all know. That's why they had him losing his mask all the time (and I saw a lot of unmasked Spider-man in the TAS trailers).
I remember the old Spider-man live action series. The mask had a special look. It worked for the mkisterious character he was there, but not sure about the way he is in the comics.