Hulk Smash

So here are my completely unasked for thoughts on the Avengers movie.

There isn't much left to say at this point.  Just about everyone loves it and it made over a bajillion dollars at the box office.

So I am going to talk about the Hulk.  Everyone loves him and he is being touted as the breakout star of the film.  Some are noting that Marvel finally got the Hulk right.  I don't think it is so much about finally getting the Hulk "right" but about getting the Hulk into a third act.

By my count there are three (modern) Hulk movies Hulk (2003-with Eric Bana and directed by Ang Lee) The 2008 Ed Norton The Incredible Hulk, and this year's Avengers.  I agree that Hulk was awesome in the Avengers.  What I disagree with is that Marvel finally got it right.  My thesis is that we needed the other two films to get to the satisfying portrayal of Hulk in the Avengers.

In high school I had a history teacher that boiled philosophy down to three questions: Who am I?  Why am I here? and Where am I going?  I believe that (well done) superhero movies answer these three questions.

Most superhero films start with the origin:  Mild manner so and so, runs into some kinda accident, montage designing a costume and learning how to control their powers, fight with minor villain to show competence (or minor fight with the major villain), then big knock down drag out fight with the big bad.  Victory, big musical score, action pose, credits role.

The main draw back to these types of films is that most want to see the fighting and not so much the becoming.  Spider-Man works because Sam Rami made the becoming fun to watch.  Iron Man works because Tony Stark is fun to watch even when he isn't in the flying suit.  Hulk (2003) suffered because no one wanted to watch Bruce struggle with inner demons, they just wanted to see HULK SMASH!  Most heroes become better people after the transformation and revel in the joy of flying through the sky or swinging from buildings.  Bruce doesn't like being the other guy, so to be true to the character you gotta keep the Hulk at bay.  And that ain't any fun.

So the origin film answers the question: Who am I?  In the case of the Hulk the answer was a conflicted guy who no one wants to watch wine about his childhood.  And yes there are other problems with the Ang Lee Hulk film, but I still contend you have to establish the before and after of the character.  You have to answer the Who before you answer the Why.

The Incredible Hulk (2008) had the advantage that all superhero sequels have.  We know who is behind the mask, so now we can just get on with the story.  However, like all story there needs to be conflict.  Most second superhero outings ask the question "Why am I here?"

Sure the first film ends on a heroic note and the do gooder wishes to, well, do good.  But doing good comes with a price.  Usually for the cape and tight crowds it means giving up a normal life.  The "Why am I here?" question becomes "Am I here for them or me?"  I have this great power, do I really need to live into the great responsibility?  Superman II, Spider-Man II, and The Dark Knight all touch on this theme (Hellboy II takes this question and flips it on its head).  Hulk II aka The Incredible Hulk asks this question as well.

In the Ed Norton film, Banner wants to get rid of the Hulk because he wants a normal life.  And what happens at the end?  He makes a sacrifice for the greater good.  He gives up the normal life for our greater good.  That final scene where "The Days Without Incident" clicks down to Zero and Banner smirks as his eyes go green sets up the appearance of Hulk in the Avengers.  Now that we have answered the first two questions (Who and Why) the Hulk is a rounded character and we can get to the third question.

The third question "Where am I going?"  is a bit of a stretch in this analogy, but bear with me.  The third Super-Hero film often puts the protagonist up against the question, "Whose side am I on?"  that is to say "Where am I going?"  The hero has the powers and a normal life is out of the question, but the question that remains is "Do I have to be selfless or can I be selfish"?  Granted that sounds a little like question two, but there is a nuance between the two.

Most comic films have the hero face an "evil version" of themselves in their third chapter.  Sadly, this has rarely been done well.  But with the Hulk this is a tailor made story line.  The evil version is the Hulk himself.  Note that throughout the Avengers Banner refers to the Hulk as "the other guy."

That is why the  big reveal with the line (SPOILERS)"I am always angry."(END SPOILERS) is so great.  The Hulk owns up to who he is.  He owns his flaws, he owns his strengths, and he saves the day.

Yes having Joss Whedon write and direct helped.  Yes having better CGI now than in 2003 helped.  Yes having the Hulk play off other characters helped.  Yes the Hulk taking control was brilliant and hadn't been done before in the other films, but I believe without the other two stories as foundation this revelation wouldn't mean as much.  It wouldn't have been earned.  It wouldn't have been as satisfying to finally see the Hulk stop running from himself, if we hadn't been on that journey thus far with him.

And yes Hulk dogs are still the dumbest thing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

 

--Serving Him alongside all of you, just from further away

 --Jesse Letourneau