Movie Info
Movie Year:
Cast:
Terrence Howard
,
Jeff Bridges
,
Robert Downey Jr.
,
Leslie Bibb
,
Faran Tahir
,
Shaun Toub
,
Gwyneth Paltrow
,
Clark Gregg
,
Bill Smitrovich
,
Will Lyman
,
Paul Bettany
,
Peter Billingsley
,
Tim Guinee
,
Samuel L. Jackson
,
Sayed Badreya
Screenplay:
Stan Lee
,
Jack Kirby
,
Larry Lieber
,
Don Heck
,
Mark Fergus
,
Hawk Ostby
,
Art Marcum
,
Matt Holloway
Genre:
Action/Adventure,
Studio:
Paramount Pictures
Genre:
Action/Adventure
Other
Horror/Suspense
Television
Romance
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Thriller
Animation
Comedy
Documentary
Drama
Kids/Family
Studio:
DVD Release:
2008/09/30
Theater Release:
2008/05/02
Blu-ray Release:
2008/09/30
Blu-ray 3D Release:
No release information.
DVD Release:
(ex. 2002/10/21)
Synopsis:
Tagline:
This Summer: Heroes Aren't Born, They're Built.
Mar 09, 2009
Everyone wants to make more friends, be more charismatic, and eradicate tooth decay; sources say that improving your communication skills can be a vit ...
Everyone wants to make more friends, be more charismatic, and eradicate tooth decay; sources say that improving your communication skills can be a vital step toward such lofty goals. For instance, when you're talking, create related gesticulations: when the subject is spaghetti, make fork motions in the air; when the subject is a car, grasp a steering wheel and twist it madly; when the subject is disco, manipulate your genitalia wildly; and when the subject is a certain green, viridian Hercules, I find the best illustration is a copious amount of flexing. Make angry faces, too—they'll like you when you're angry. And flexing your mouth strengthens your gum line.
Flexing is clearly what was in mind when this film was made. We're talking about a character that has "destroys things" engrained as his only defining feature, so we can only call this approach "accurate." Whether you think this is too much machismo for one premise is beside the point; “The Incredible Hulk” was written for a niche audience while it was still acceptable to toy around with basic archetypes and one-dimensional characters. Comic books have been trying to branch out lately, though, as part of a concerted effort to harness the power of capitalism, so while this movie needed to hit it off with fans of smashing and bashing, it needed to have a solid backbone to make it likable.
Enter Edward Norton. Honestly, I didn't foresee him taking the role of Bruce Banner, but I feel silly for not anticipating a guy whose best-known role involved him getting the living snot beaten from every pore of his body. As a scientist, Banner devoted himself to such altruistic goals as making people impervious to disease, but by freak accident, was left as a danger to all living things; the skill in Norton's performance isn't simply playing opposite to the Hulk's rage, but portraying a man emotionally worn by bleak circumstance.
In this ‘Hulk’ Banner has fled to Brazil to hide from General Ross (William Hurt), searching for a way to stop the menace within him. Since the movie needs a plot, things don't go as planned, and he ends up embroiled once more in military affairs. Pit against Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), a strength-obsessed soldier who eventually becomes a version of the Hulk himself, Banner is forced to realize that it's not always possible to run. To prevent the military from gaining the secrets of gamma radiation, he has to let out the Hulk.
The plot’s simple, yet it sounds pretty good; a man with a terrible, uncontrollable power learns that the lesser of two evils is sometimes a necessary choice, and must confront, embrace, and even trust his inner demons. Unfortunately, no other character in the movie enjoys anywhere near a similar level of development. Greedy General Ross is concerned, primarily, with capturing the Hulk. At least until his daughter, Betty (Liv Tyler), is saved by the beast. Incidentally, Betty is also in love with Bruce. Ross now has to trust Bruce to save his daughter. It's not complex, but I might have enjoyed it a bit more if William Hurt made Ross look like a devoted military hero instead of a bungling middle manager.
Betty Ross is no prize either—Liv Tyler describes her roll as being akin to "a deer caught in the headlights," and I feel the statement is a bit more accurate than she intended. Sure, Betty is shocked that Bruce came back into her life, but she never loses that bemused air, and it detracts from scenes that would have been served by a greater emotional depth. This is something I felt throughout the movie; aside from Norton, no one seems capable conveying emotions that don't involve a lot of yelling.
Tim Roth takes Emil Blonsky from gruff soldier to megalomaniac peppered with just the right amount of frustration and insanity, but at the end we're left without a concrete explanation for his degeneration into madness. Sure, he might want to match the amazing strength of the Hulk, and sure, the army's put pressure on him about his age, but what we don't have is a believable motivation—he just really likes to fight. A rivalry with the Hulk is fine, but we're left with a career soldier immediately shirking all responsibility just to fill in the action sequences. This problem becomes more apparent when he's turned into an oversized mass of muscle and, instead of seeking out the Hulk to enact his revenge, he instead lays waste to the surrounding city. Why would he just now descend into behavior more appropriate for a Hell's Angel? Whether his primary concern is his status in the military or his rivalry with the Hulk, butchering innocent bystanders can only be a shoddy way to make him seem worthy as the final antagonist. Plus, the buildup is off—while Blonsky might hate the Hulk, we get the feeling that no one else in the story gives half a hoot about Blonsky.
To its credit, the movie doesn't get too bogged down in fancy visualizations. There are explosions and muscle and punches, but the eye isn't ever distracted heavily from the main events. If someone's being thrown through the air or the Hulk's tearing apart some hummers, we get the gritty details without extra noise cluttering the shot. It’s stylistically simple, but when you're focusing on carnage and flexing, no one is asking for artistry. The craft is the concern here, and while CG is used a good deal, it’s rarely distracting.
The action sequences stand up well to other fare we've seen recently, despite shortcomings elsewhere. ‘The Hulk's’ fast-paced blend of CG and live action liken the film to “Iron Man,” though more dynamic scenes and an array of competent performances help the latter significantly. To be sure, both Robert Downey Jr. and Edward Norton turn in solid performances, and it's reassuring to see a planned sequel featuring them and other Marvel Comics heroes on down the line.
I have a few requests for this upcoming Avengers flick: better performances from supporting actors, a more memorable final conflict, and less cameos. Lou Ferrigno and Stan Lee? Get the hell out of my movies.
LAST WORD: A competent entry as a superhero beat-em-up with a solid performance by Edward Norton, yet hampered by developments either lukewarm in execution or inadequate in explanation.
==Written by Ivan DeWilde==
==From: In Review Online (www.inreviewonline.com)==
Flexing is clearly what was in mind when this film was made. We're talking about a character that has "destroys things" engrained as his only defining feature, so we can only call this approach "accurate." Whether you think this is too much machismo for one premise is beside the point; “The Incredible Hulk” was written for a niche audience while it was still acceptable to toy around with basic archetypes and one-dimensional characters. Comic books have been trying to branch out lately, though, as part of a concerted effort to harness the power of capitalism, so while this movie needed to hit it off with fans of smashing and bashing, it needed to have a solid backbone to make it likable.
Enter Edward Norton. Honestly, I didn't foresee him taking the role of Bruce Banner, but I feel silly for not anticipating a guy whose best-known role involved him getting the living snot beaten from every pore of his body. As a scientist, Banner devoted himself to such altruistic goals as making people impervious to disease, but by freak accident, was left as a danger to all living things; the skill in Norton's performance isn't simply playing opposite to the Hulk's rage, but portraying a man emotionally worn by bleak circumstance.
In this ‘Hulk’ Banner has fled to Brazil to hide from General Ross (William Hurt), searching for a way to stop the menace within him. Since the movie needs a plot, things don't go as planned, and he ends up embroiled once more in military affairs. Pit against Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), a strength-obsessed soldier who eventually becomes a version of the Hulk himself, Banner is forced to realize that it's not always possible to run. To prevent the military from gaining the secrets of gamma radiation, he has to let out the Hulk.
The plot’s simple, yet it sounds pretty good; a man with a terrible, uncontrollable power learns that the lesser of two evils is sometimes a necessary choice, and must confront, embrace, and even trust his inner demons. Unfortunately, no other character in the movie enjoys anywhere near a similar level of development. Greedy General Ross is concerned, primarily, with capturing the Hulk. At least until his daughter, Betty (Liv Tyler), is saved by the beast. Incidentally, Betty is also in love with Bruce. Ross now has to trust Bruce to save his daughter. It's not complex, but I might have enjoyed it a bit more if William Hurt made Ross look like a devoted military hero instead of a bungling middle manager.
Betty Ross is no prize either—Liv Tyler describes her roll as being akin to "a deer caught in the headlights," and I feel the statement is a bit more accurate than she intended. Sure, Betty is shocked that Bruce came back into her life, but she never loses that bemused air, and it detracts from scenes that would have been served by a greater emotional depth. This is something I felt throughout the movie; aside from Norton, no one seems capable conveying emotions that don't involve a lot of yelling.
Tim Roth takes Emil Blonsky from gruff soldier to megalomaniac peppered with just the right amount of frustration and insanity, but at the end we're left without a concrete explanation for his degeneration into madness. Sure, he might want to match the amazing strength of the Hulk, and sure, the army's put pressure on him about his age, but what we don't have is a believable motivation—he just really likes to fight. A rivalry with the Hulk is fine, but we're left with a career soldier immediately shirking all responsibility just to fill in the action sequences. This problem becomes more apparent when he's turned into an oversized mass of muscle and, instead of seeking out the Hulk to enact his revenge, he instead lays waste to the surrounding city. Why would he just now descend into behavior more appropriate for a Hell's Angel? Whether his primary concern is his status in the military or his rivalry with the Hulk, butchering innocent bystanders can only be a shoddy way to make him seem worthy as the final antagonist. Plus, the buildup is off—while Blonsky might hate the Hulk, we get the feeling that no one else in the story gives half a hoot about Blonsky.
To its credit, the movie doesn't get too bogged down in fancy visualizations. There are explosions and muscle and punches, but the eye isn't ever distracted heavily from the main events. If someone's being thrown through the air or the Hulk's tearing apart some hummers, we get the gritty details without extra noise cluttering the shot. It’s stylistically simple, but when you're focusing on carnage and flexing, no one is asking for artistry. The craft is the concern here, and while CG is used a good deal, it’s rarely distracting.
The action sequences stand up well to other fare we've seen recently, despite shortcomings elsewhere. ‘The Hulk's’ fast-paced blend of CG and live action liken the film to “Iron Man,” though more dynamic scenes and an array of competent performances help the latter significantly. To be sure, both Robert Downey Jr. and Edward Norton turn in solid performances, and it's reassuring to see a planned sequel featuring them and other Marvel Comics heroes on down the line.
I have a few requests for this upcoming Avengers flick: better performances from supporting actors, a more memorable final conflict, and less cameos. Lou Ferrigno and Stan Lee? Get the hell out of my movies.
LAST WORD: A competent entry as a superhero beat-em-up with a solid performance by Edward Norton, yet hampered by developments either lukewarm in execution or inadequate in explanation.
==Written by Ivan DeWilde==
==From: In Review Online (www.inreviewonline.com)==
Feb 02, 2009
The calendar may still say it’s spring but the summer blockbuster season has officially kicked off with the latest from the Marvel Universe Iron Man. ...
The calendar may still say it’s spring but the summer blockbuster season has officially kicked off with the latest from the Marvel Universe Iron Man. Similar to other films based on characters from that world it looked great, from it’s posters to it’s well put together trailers. But unlike those which have previously disappointed and generally sucked; Iron Man delivers, even if it’s not as you’d expect.
For anyone who may not know the general premise here goes; Tony Stark, an extremely wealthy industrialist, is forced to build a missile after he is captured in Afghanistan by terrorists. But unbeknownst to the capturers Stark takes this opportunity to build a prototype suit to break his way out of captivity. Once back home he decides to use his newly acquired technology to fight the forces of evil.
I am glad to see that the first official blockbuster of 2008 gets us off to a good start, more than good in fact. It was clear from even the very first film from summer of last year that it was going to be a catastrophe for the biggest money making season of 2007. If we are to roughly judge the quality ahead by looking at Iron Man alone then the blockbuster season of 2008 is gong to be an impressive one indeed.
What I was expecting from Iron Man was lots of action with big expensive looking set pieces but nothing much else. What we get is something quite different because although action is there, and there are big set pieces and CGI there is a lot more to it, most notably the script and how Robert Downey Jr delivers his lines. For anyone familiar with him as an actor you will know exactly what I’m talking about, he has this wit and charm about him that could make even the worst of scripts bearable. He employs his style with much gusto, injecting fresh life into the dramatic-actor-playing-a-superhero exercise.
What jumps off the posters for the film, besides the awe of seeing the suit, is the fantastic cast. They support Downey Jr very well, from Jeff Bridges creepy colleague to Terrence Howard’s sceptical but supportive army general. But what I was most pleasantly surprised about with regards to the cast is Gwyneth Paltrow. She provides her best performance in years and she and Downey Jr work so well together with the dialogue, playing off of one another and keeping each other on their toes. It’s this that’s one of the primary strengths of the film; the dialogue, even if it isn’t top-notch throughout, and the way Downey Jr handles it and how others play off of him makes for a extremely entertaining time when the action isn’t taking place.
What most die hard fans of either superhero movies or the title character (most probably those two will go hand in hand) will be looking for in this movie will be the joy of seeing the suit being put together and for some kick-ass action sequences. While it certainly delivers on the former, although people may be somewhat disappointed that it’s close to an hour before we even see the suit, it’s the latter that I fear might not completely satisfy people. Director John Favreau isn’t the great action director in the world to say the least; his style I feel is more suited to the dialogue centric scenes or those involving the building of the suit. The action here, although decent enough and with some great little sections here and there, it isn’t the full-on, fantastic, blow-you-away action that a lot of people are expecting and hoping for. Throughout the action scenes it just felt like Favreau was a little out of his depth and it needed a more experienced director in this field to give it that extra push to the next level. I wasn't irked with it all that much, as I found many other things other than the action in Iron Man to enjoy, but I am sure it will bother others.
My favourite aspect of the film was the dialogue and the delivery of it from everyone, most notably from Downey Jr. But outwith that the other biggest joy for me to be found was just the general idea of seeing the suit on-screen. I am not a huge fan of the character from the comic books but I admit it’s one of my favourite looking ones. Just the idea of seeing this suit being built from scratch using various gadgets and Mr Stark's expertise had me drooling in my seat.
The movie is not without its flaws, however. As I said the action isn't handled as well as it would have been with a more experienced director at the helm and some of the plot points are easy to see coming, for example it’s fairly obvious who the bad guy is going to be. But I am willing to forgive those flaws for the sake of everything else which is quite impressive.
It’s very clear that this is only the beginning of a huge money-making franchise and I, for one, welcome it with open arms. If they can keep the rest at least on par with how good this one is I will be very happy. Downey Jr is great at the title character, his handling of the dialogue and inclusion of his trademark wit and charm is an absolute joy to watch. Great supporting performances, a fun script and some decent action sequences make this worth checking out. Now let's roll on the rest of the blockbuster season.
==Written by Ross Miller==
==From: Movie World (www.movie-world.moonfruit.com)==
For anyone who may not know the general premise here goes; Tony Stark, an extremely wealthy industrialist, is forced to build a missile after he is captured in Afghanistan by terrorists. But unbeknownst to the capturers Stark takes this opportunity to build a prototype suit to break his way out of captivity. Once back home he decides to use his newly acquired technology to fight the forces of evil.
I am glad to see that the first official blockbuster of 2008 gets us off to a good start, more than good in fact. It was clear from even the very first film from summer of last year that it was going to be a catastrophe for the biggest money making season of 2007. If we are to roughly judge the quality ahead by looking at Iron Man alone then the blockbuster season of 2008 is gong to be an impressive one indeed.
What I was expecting from Iron Man was lots of action with big expensive looking set pieces but nothing much else. What we get is something quite different because although action is there, and there are big set pieces and CGI there is a lot more to it, most notably the script and how Robert Downey Jr delivers his lines. For anyone familiar with him as an actor you will know exactly what I’m talking about, he has this wit and charm about him that could make even the worst of scripts bearable. He employs his style with much gusto, injecting fresh life into the dramatic-actor-playing-a-superhero exercise.
What jumps off the posters for the film, besides the awe of seeing the suit, is the fantastic cast. They support Downey Jr very well, from Jeff Bridges creepy colleague to Terrence Howard’s sceptical but supportive army general. But what I was most pleasantly surprised about with regards to the cast is Gwyneth Paltrow. She provides her best performance in years and she and Downey Jr work so well together with the dialogue, playing off of one another and keeping each other on their toes. It’s this that’s one of the primary strengths of the film; the dialogue, even if it isn’t top-notch throughout, and the way Downey Jr handles it and how others play off of him makes for a extremely entertaining time when the action isn’t taking place.
What most die hard fans of either superhero movies or the title character (most probably those two will go hand in hand) will be looking for in this movie will be the joy of seeing the suit being put together and for some kick-ass action sequences. While it certainly delivers on the former, although people may be somewhat disappointed that it’s close to an hour before we even see the suit, it’s the latter that I fear might not completely satisfy people. Director John Favreau isn’t the great action director in the world to say the least; his style I feel is more suited to the dialogue centric scenes or those involving the building of the suit. The action here, although decent enough and with some great little sections here and there, it isn’t the full-on, fantastic, blow-you-away action that a lot of people are expecting and hoping for. Throughout the action scenes it just felt like Favreau was a little out of his depth and it needed a more experienced director in this field to give it that extra push to the next level. I wasn't irked with it all that much, as I found many other things other than the action in Iron Man to enjoy, but I am sure it will bother others.
My favourite aspect of the film was the dialogue and the delivery of it from everyone, most notably from Downey Jr. But outwith that the other biggest joy for me to be found was just the general idea of seeing the suit on-screen. I am not a huge fan of the character from the comic books but I admit it’s one of my favourite looking ones. Just the idea of seeing this suit being built from scratch using various gadgets and Mr Stark's expertise had me drooling in my seat.
The movie is not without its flaws, however. As I said the action isn't handled as well as it would have been with a more experienced director at the helm and some of the plot points are easy to see coming, for example it’s fairly obvious who the bad guy is going to be. But I am willing to forgive those flaws for the sake of everything else which is quite impressive.
It’s very clear that this is only the beginning of a huge money-making franchise and I, for one, welcome it with open arms. If they can keep the rest at least on par with how good this one is I will be very happy. Downey Jr is great at the title character, his handling of the dialogue and inclusion of his trademark wit and charm is an absolute joy to watch. Great supporting performances, a fun script and some decent action sequences make this worth checking out. Now let's roll on the rest of the blockbuster season.
==Written by Ross Miller==
==From: Movie World (www.movie-world.moonfruit.com)==
You know you're going to get a different kind of superhero when you cast Robert Downey Jr. in the lead role. And Iron Man is different, in welcome ways. Cleverly updated from Marvel Comics' longstanding series, Iron Man puts billionaire industrialist Tony Stark (that's Downey) in the path of some Middle Eastern terrorists; in a brilliantly paced section, Stark invents an indestructible suit that allows him to escape. If the rest of the movie never quit hits that precise rhythm again, it nevertheless offers plenty of pleasure, as the renewed Stark swears off his past as a weapons manufacturer, develops his new Iron Man suit, and puzzles both his business partner (Jeff Bridges in great form) and executive assistant (Gwyneth Paltrow). Director Jon Favreau geeks out in fun ways with the hardware, but never lets it overpower the movie, and there's always a goofy one-liner or a slapstick pratfall around to break the tension. As for Downey, he doesn't get to jitterbug around too much in his improv way, but he brings enough of his unpredictable personality to keep the thing fresh. And listen up, hardcore Marvel mavens: even if you know the Stan Lee cameo is coming, you won't be able to guess it until it's on the screen. It all builds to a splendid final scene, with a concluding line delivery by Downey that just feels absolutely right. --Robert Horton
Stills from Iron Man (Click for larger image)
Stills from Iron Man (Click for larger image)
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Movie Disc Details
Disc Version:
Runtime:
01:41:45
DVD Region:
1
Disc Type:
DVD
Aspect Ratio:
16:9
Video Format:
MPEG-2
Parental Control:
3
Video Signal:
NTSC
Layers:
2
Subtitles:
English (United States)
French (France)
Spanish (Spain, Traditional Sort)
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital
