Hulk Vs. doubles the animated mayhem
January 27, 2009 at 10:43 am by Curt Holman in A&E
It’s a clash of the titans. Superhero publishers Marvel and DC Comics have had a pitched rivalry for decades, and in the battle for the big screen, Marvel has enjoyed more victories at getting its costumed characters like Spider-man into movie theaters (the huge success of DC’s The Dark Knight notwithstanding). DC takes the consolation prize for crafting much better shows for television and straight-to-DVD, from the longstanding live-action hit “Smallville” to last year’s intriguing cartoon feature Justice League: New Frontier.
Apart from such tolerable, kid-oriented series as “X-Men: Evolution” and “The Spectacular Spider-man,” Marvel’s animated output isn’t nearly as interesting. DVDs like The Invincible Iron Man and the two Ultimate Avengers films feel more like marketing trial balloons for future film products. Marvels newest animated movie, Hulk Vs. (released today) proves to be a notch above its predecessors, but its eyes still seem more focused on the cinema than its immediate audience.
Hulk Vs. contains two films of about 40 minutes apiece. “Hulk Vs. Wolverine” seems like a way to prime the pump for this May’s theatrical X-Men Origins: Wolverine prequel starring Hugh Jackman. The other, “Hulk vs. Thor,” provides an animated dry run for the characters tapped for 2010’s announced Thor film, reportedly to be directed by Kenneth Branagh. Essentially, the Hulk is a sort of guest star in his own films.
In a sense, the films succeed by aiming low. Hulk Vs. harks back to the pleasures of special double-length, giant-size issues of comic books that would contain two stores of monster mayhem for the price of one. Although the Hulk’s Jekyll-and-Hyde relationship to his alter ego Bruce Banner provides plenty of metaphors for the tension between emotion and intellect, Hulk vs. puts all the emphasis on the monstrous green protagonist’s ability to smash stuff. So which film is better? Who wins in “Hulk vs. Wolverine” vs. “Hulk vs. Thor?”
“Wolverine,” though smaller in scale and shorter in running time, gives “Thor” a thrashing. Inspired by Wolverine’s first-ever comic book appearance in The Incredible Hulk #181, the film finds Wolverine contending with the Hulk in the Canadian wilderness. In direction and narrative momentum, “Hulk vs. Wolverine” is a sturdy little piece of animated pulp fiction, beginning with Wolverine waking up in the woods, popping his dislocated shoulder back into his socket and trying to figure out why he’s beaten and bloody. The appearance of the huge, hollering Hulk jogs his memory.
After the requisite sparring, the plot involves Wolverine and Hulk contending with villains from the mysterious “Weapon X” project that created Wolverine in the first place (apparently this summer’s Wolverine movie fills in that backstory). “Hulk vs. Wolverine” will primarily draw attention for its ardent embrace of the PG-13 rating. Given that Wolverine and his arch-villains like Sabertooth and Deathstrike have sharp metal claws and/or fangs, the previous movies and animated series skirt the fact that these are some of the most violent, bloodletting-est pop icons ever made. “Hulk vs. Wolverine” isn’t very deep, but it gets points for crafting such an inventive bloodbath — one that definitely is not for little kids.
“Hulk vs. Thor” almost literally throws the green giant against as many characters from the Thor mythos as possible. If nothing else, it offers a crash course in Norse mythology and faux-Shakespearean dialogue as interpreted by Marvel Comics. Odin, all-powerful ruler of the gods of Asgard, lapses into a terribly inconvenient regenerative coma, leaving the supernatural realm vulnerable to attack. Thor’s evil half-brother Loki, the trickster, separates Bruce Banner from his super-powered alter ego, so the Hulk can run amok in Asgard without the traces of Banner’s conscience inhibiting him.
The Hulk not only takes on the God of Thunder, but essentially the entire supporting cast of the Thor comics and such guest stars as valkyrie and frost giants. There’s even a trip to the Norse underworld, where Banner gets to make a pivotal heroic sacrifice. But though “Hulk vs. Thor” takes advantage of the scope and outlandish effects offered by animation, the characterizations aren’t particularly memorable. The angular drawing style makes the roles seem visually interchangeable, and while the palaces and rainbow bridges of Asgard should call for a brilliant sheen, there’s a dull quality to the colors, as if a layer of dust covers the video screen.
Primarily “Hulk vs. Thor” emphasizes the big screen challenges of a Thor film project. Rendering the mystical locales will cost a fortune during penny-pinching times, while bringing the roles down to earth will be tall order for the writers. Branagh has his work cut out for him.
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