Why so much hate for The Incredible Hulk

[pr0xyt0xin]

I simply cannot agree with the "great villain" bit. Blonsky had no personality and no characterization, and Ross was exactly the same as every other General Ripper that has ever existed. If anything hurt TIH, it was lack of anything resembling a decent villain.

Put simply, "Someone the Hulk can punch" does not a great villain make.

We may have to agree to disagree here. Blonsky may not have been Loki or TDK Joker but he was exactly what the movie needed and appropriately developed. Just my opinion of course.

 

[ShredderX]

I Thought it was way better than Hulk. Though, I liked Jennifer Connelly WAY more than liv tyler.

Oh , hell yeah !!!

 

[pr0xyt0xin]

why doesnt Liv Tyler bother me as much as you guys? I feel so left out.

Y'all feel the same about LotR?

 

[Cain]

I'm a big Hulk fan and just felt that it was way too generic and mediocre for it's own good as a film. It didn't do anything to really stand out as it's own things and just went through the "superhero movie checklist" marking all the boxes but forgetting to include any engaging characters or soul. The character deserves something much better and far more epic than this. We'll probably get it now that people all of a sudden like the character thanks to The Avengers.

 

[BizarroAids]

I think it's in the eye of the beholder, I liked Ang's Hulk to a degree, but I had more with TIH. I'll agree that Norton was less like a scientist and more just on the run, but I also think with the a better script, he would have been much better.

TIH had some great action, and the last fight is still in my top favorites.

 

[MrGreen]

To me TIH is the best solo Marvel film. Its the only one that feels unique in style. Imo Cap feels like a dream or a story being told rather than events we see happening. Everything looks clean and polished and Thor looks like its trying to be Iron Man. In Thor every set looks like a set and not a place.
Don't take me wrong, I love this films and I love the MCU.

 

[The Guard]

Banner was definitely a scientist in TIH, he was just a "scientist on the run". The movie obviously shifted focus from a scientific thriller to an action/thriller, but there were still plenty of scientific elements.

The main issue in TIH was its villains. Once again you've got Hulk playing that role for much of the film, which is both a good and bad thing. The Abomination made a fantastic villain in terms of action, but characterwise, left a lot to be desired, as did the portrayal of General Ross.

 

[MrGreen]

The only thing I want from the next Hulk movie (because I still think they'll do a sequel) is a transformation scene with Banner wearing a lab coat.

 

[Baneis8feettall]

why doesnt Liv Tyler bother me as much as you guys? I feel so left out.

Y'all feel the same about LotR?

She doesn't bother me at all. She is extremely beautiful. Betty wasn't character needed great talent to portray as well.

 

[chamber-music]

I think Liv Tyler and Ed Norton had better chemistry than Eric Banner and Jennifer Connelly.

 

[The Guard]

Yes, but Eric Bana and Jennifer Connelly had Jennifer Connelly.

 

[pr0xyt0xin]

She doesn't bother me at all. She is extremely beautiful. Betty wasn't character needed great talent to portray as well.

I mean, old old Hulk comics she isn't even a scientist and she is more a damsel in distress than anything else.

 

[Joeyjojo72]

The problem was that Norton was utterly bland as Banner. He was in full "Ed Norton decent reasonable guy" mode, a character hes played in numerous other movies. Banner is an eccentric, and a super-genius. Hes not "normal" by any stretch.

The other problem, also on Norton, was the script. Whatever "changes" he made, they didnt work.

Also, Roth, all 4 feet of him, was miscast as a military badass. He brought nothing but a generic intensity.

And Liv Tyler, who I like, is simply not believable as a scientist. That said, she did bring some genuine pathos to the movie, so her miscasting is forgivable.

Finally, the climactic battle was a letdown for all the reasons already stated. The Abomination design was basically the Hulk, only hairless and slightly bigger. Not very interesting.

On a final note, Norton has the head and neck of a plucked chicken, making it impossible to match the Hulk's head with Banner's.

All that said, I still enjoyed the movie, but it couldve been much much better if Norton hadnt been involved. Easily the worst of the bunch to date.

 

[Aztec]

The problem was that Norton was utterly bland as Banner. He was in full "Ed Norton decent reasonable guy" mode, a character hes played in numerous other movies. Banner is an eccentric, and a super-genius. Hes not "normal" by any stretch.

Although I wouldn't say "utterly" I largely agree. Norton was just a "scared guy on the run". He never once struck me as a thoughtful and brilliant scientist. And again, I really liked TIH. Ruffalo however just OOZED thoughtfulness in The Avengers. Just look at the way he reluctantly agrees with Stark to Cap about Fury's shady-ness. That few seconds spoke volumes about the character, personality, and intellect of Bruce Banner.

The whole Banner-Stark scientist relationship in Avengers was my favorite part of a movie that was filled with nothing but utterly amazing, brilliant, OMG things. That's saying a lot!

 

[pr0xyt0xin]

A lot of people have said they don't like how little Hulk talks in any film he's been in. Quite honestly, I feel like he spoke TOO MUCH in the early comics. My god man, shut your Hulk mouth once in a while.

But it is funny that I can count every one of Hulk's lines in three movies on both hands. Assuming I didn't forget any:

AngHulk
"Puny human"
TIH
"Leave me alone"
"Hulk smash!"
"Betty"
TA
"Your life?" (while transforming)
"Puny God"

 

[Joeyjojo72]

He said "puny human" in anghulk? huh.

 

[pr0xyt0xin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bnh2AplyKi4

 

[Shikamaru]

I also happened to really like this movie and I agree it's underrated. I may even prefer it over Iron Man 1, though I still think Iron Man 1 is a better movie from an objective point of view. Out of the six Marvel films, I think Iron Man 1, The Incredible Hulk, and The Avengers are the movies to be considered as some of Marvel's greatest effort. They're fantastic IMO. Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America are good too but I felt they could've been a lot better.

Part of what hurts Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America is that they spend too much time setting up for Avengers and bringing in other characters from the Marvel universe. It made the Avengers movie better and hyped it up very well but the solo films themselves suffered.

If I were to rank the Marvel movies from an objective film point of view, I would rank them like this:

Great movies:
1. The Avengers
2. Iron Man
3. The Incredible Hulk

Good/Alright Movies:
1. Captain America: The First Avenger
2. Iron Man 2
3. Thor


If I were to rank the Marvel movies from an enjoyment and preference point of view, I would rank them like this:

Movies I enjoyed a lot:
1. The Avengers
2. The Incredible Hulk
3. Iron Man

Movies I thought were fun/decent:
1. Iron Man 2
2. Captain America: The First Avenger
3. Thor

 

[The Batkilt]

I liked it. It's one of my favourites of the MCU, but I agree with metaphysician's points about how The General was portrayed - though I can also see why he was portrayed as such - but Norton and Tyler as Banner and Betty just didn't gel for me. It came through that Norton cared about the role and was trying, but...it seemed a bit too forced for me.

 

[DrCosmic]

The reason TIH was disappointing for me was that it just wasn't very interesting. A lot of same 'ol same old, and nothing new or cool or incredible, in the action or performances or monster story. Sad, because it really could have been something epic.

 

[KangConquers]

Hate for the Incredible Hulk? I see it getting overrated on here consistently.

 

[KangConquers]

I also happened to really like this movie and I agree it's underrated. I may even prefer it over Iron Man 1, though I still think Iron Man 1 is a better movie from an objective point of view. Out of the six Marvel films, I think Iron Man 1, The Incredible Hulk, and The Avengers are the movies to be considered as some of Marvel's greatest effort. They're fantastic IMO. Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America are good too but I felt they could've been a lot better.

Part of what hurts Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America is that they spend too much time setting up for Avengers and bringing in other characters from the Marvel universe. It made the Avengers movie better and hyped it up very well but the solo films themselves suffered.

If I were to rank the Marvel movies from an objective film point of view, I would rank them like this:

Great movies:
1. The Avengers
2. Iron Man
3. The Incredible Hulk

Good/Alright Movies:
1. Captain America: The First Avenger
2. Iron Man 2
3. Thor


If I were to rank the Marvel movies from an enjoyment and preference point of view, I would rank them like this:

Movies I enjoyed a lot:
1. The Avengers
2. The Incredible Hulk
3. Iron Man

Movies I thought were fun/decent:
1. Iron Man 2
2. Captain America: The First Avenger
3. Thor

I'd personally say:

1. Avengers- 9/10 (My #1 CBM ever, but I still can't justify a 10.)
2. Iron Man- 8/10
3. Captain America: The First Avenger- 8/10
4. Thor- 7/10
5. Iron Man 2- 6/10
6. The Incredible Hulk- 6/10

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

My biggest problem with all three Hulk depictions is that we've never been able to see the Hulk as the sympathetic character that I remember from the comics.

The scenes that I remember the most from the comics are the ones in which he is child-like, observing nature, chilling . . . and then some asshat comes along and attacks him.

That aspect of Hulk as a misunderstood, child-like character - similar to Frankenstein in the original film or the Hunchback of Notre Dame - has not been properly explored.

The best villain would be . . . us. A society that fears and hates and attacks a 'monster' because we don't understand him.

Also, the Hulk's original origin was great - a result of our ignorant experimentation with forces we couldn't comprehend or control in the form of the nuclear bomb. That aspect has been greatly watered down and lost. Sure, you could argue that the experimentation with genetic engineering had a similar connotation, but any message about that as a societal issue as opposed to the acts of a single madman were blurred with Lee's treatment (and then we never really got to revisit or explore that aspect in subsequent films).

The original Hulk story had a lot of great classic elements of monster movies, classic literature, sci-fi etc. that were lost in translation along the way.

 

[YoungPrime]

So I wasn't around the SHH forums when the movie was released so I probably missed a lot. But after delving into all your opinions I find so much hate for this film.

What on earth is the issue?

I'm not asking why it didnt do well in the box office or why the common folk didnt enjoy it, but why YOU the fans didn't like it. No need to bring up Ang Lee's Hulk (which I thought was a disgrace) or Mark Ruffalo's Hulk (who I thought was fantastic). In my opinion it is the best solo MCU film. Great acting, script, action and effects. Great villain, hot Betty Ross, good subtle Avengers tie-ins.

I won't argue your points unless you ask me to, I just need to know why its so "bad."

I think if Ed Norton didn't have the little hissy fit during post production. I honest believe that the film would've received higher box office results which would've shifted popularity and Norton would still have a job at Marvel.

That said, Incredible Hulk is one of my favorite comic book films. The people who hate it are a non-factor as far as I'm concerned. And I'm almost certain that we'll see another Hulk film in phase 3 despite their feelings.

 

[JeetKuneDo]

For me, one of the Biggest Hulk fans around, did Not Hate the movie at all! But TIH still fell short on action. Or maybe what I Mean to say is it felt like it barely seem to have more than the the Lee Hulk movie. There were some sequences in parts of the action that weren't clear. I personally am sick of the Hulk not being able to talk, all which is mostly because of the old live action TV show. Yeah, he said a few things but it's still not enough for what Hulk has always been able to say in comics. Sure the Abomination can speak just fine! But Hulk still has to remain a modern Frankenstein's monster! But all that aside, My only real problem with TIH was that the action could have and Should have been much more than it was. And Abomination's character design.Ugh. Next Hulk movie, I want to see some Micheal Bay size, action! Hulk and Abomb should've taken out an entire city, not just a couple blocks. It was still a decent film but there was still room for improvement.

I hated, hated, hated Anghulk and thought just as a film TIH was a significant improvement. However, I still have my issues with TIH. Almost all of them coming from the fact that while TIH corrected so many things that were wrong in the previous film, they still kept Hulk as a non-character in and of himself(and even TA didn't fully satisfy me on that account).

As an adaption of the old TV show, TIH is excellent. Probably one of the best TV-to-Movie adaptations I've ever seen. The problem was though that I wanted a more comic book-to-movie adaption. As an adaption of the comics, it's rather wanting. You can't cut the single most interesting aspect out of a character(how Hulk & Bruce relate to each other) and not have it hurt your film. Now I know, making a CGI character like Hulk being a truly complete character would be exceptionally difficult. All I can say to that is that them's the breaks and that's who the character is. Either do it right or don't do it at all.

My feelings are similar to those two above. The Hulk being a mute non-character has been what has bugged me ever since the TV show. I read the comic for the Hulk character...NOT Banner. Yet every live-action adaptation has been "The Incredible Bruce/David Banner (with special guest appearance by the Hulk)". As said above, even the Avengers didn't change that. It worked in Avengers because there were lots of really interesting characters around to keep the audience from nodding off during the Banner show. (Most boring Marvel character ever maybe?) But if they try the same thing in another Hulk movie be prepared for the audience to again lose interest. ("Wait....why is this boring? He was great in Avengers!")

We actually spend most of our time talking about who plays Banner....there's your problem. I am glad Norton is gone though....didn't care for him as Banner.

I also happened to really like this movie and I agree it's underrated. I may even prefer it over Iron Man 1, though I still think Iron Man 1 is a better movie from an objective point of view.

If I were to rank the Marvel movies from an objective film point of view, I would rank them like this:

Great movies:
1. The Avengers
2. Iron Man
3. The Incredible Hulk

Good/Alright Movies:
1. Captain America: The First Avenger
2. Iron Man 2
3. Thor


If I were to rank the Marvel movies from an enjoyment and preference point of view, I would rank them like this:

Movies I enjoyed a lot:
1. The Avengers
2. The Incredible Hulk
3. Iron Man

Movies I thought were fun/decent:
1. Iron Man 2
2. Captain America: The First Avenger
3. Thor

I say your 2nd list is the only one that counts. I don't believe in "objectively better" in art. The way it effects us as individuals is all that matters. No other opinion is relevant in art.