Rant Timing #8: HULK SMASH PUNY MOVIE!

So as I was leaving Midtown comics last Friday, a dude was hanging out fliers for a Hulk screening taking place either on Wednesday or Thursday. Since I had no idea if I could leave work early on Wednesday, I chose Thursday. Sure, this meant I’d have to leave the Yankees game a bit early, but I saw the bulk of the game so no worries. Although they came back to win after I left, which might be some kind of sign.

Anyway, got to the theater around 4:30, way ahead of the 5:15 deadline and waited on line for a bit. They gave me a survey to fill out, and handed me my ticket. Once Kris arrived she got on line to get her ticket and then joined me afterward, and into the theater we went. Inside, we got a song and dance routine by the theater manager, who was there to tell us how much we would love the movie, and that we got to be the third audience to see the movie in NY, and according to him, anywhere. He then graced us with an interesting bit of news. As opposed to nto being able to bring in camera phones, ALL electronic devices would not be permitted inside. iPods, mp3 players, phones and camera phones alike. They let me keep my digital wristwatch however, so now I can spread my wristwatch video all over the internets! Mwahahaha! Okay, so maybe not.

We get in there, and sit down for an hour and a half before the actual movie begins. Luckily I had some Chase comics with me from the mid-90’s to read to pass the time, and Kris had her jPod. Interesting enough, they let me take my water bottle in with no hassles. Guess they didn’t care about concession sales at a preview screening?

Once the excruciating wait ended (which was alleviated by the dudes sitting next to us being friendly, hi Sean guy I’ll probably never see again), it was time for movie! Advantage of preview screening: no trailers! Woo! Now I won’t give away any spoilers, but I will give out the basics. The opening credits do the job of retconning the first movie (“So it’s a sequel AND a remake?”), allowing the movie itself to begin without long exposition. The special effects were far superior to those in Hulk, and although there were one or two moments where it looked like a video game on a big screen, it got the job done as best it could.

Ed Norton is Bruce Banner. He gets the calm yet creepy nature down, and always appears as if he is one step away from going over the edge. A lot of the plot can lend itself to Bruce Jone’s early arc on The Incredible Hulk, and aspects such as meditation techniques and anger control are present. Both Stan Lee and Lou Ferrigno, with Stan’s appearance actually adding to the plot in a very…amusing fashion. Liv Tyler, while big lipped as always, plays Betty Ross the way she should be played. Vulnerable yet strong, compassionate yet hard-boiled. And Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky? Well, let’s just say he loves being the military for all the wrong reasons. Jim Segulin of Raging Bullets will have major issues with his haircut and unshaven beard however. That ain’t regulation!

The last scene…DAMN. My showing played it before the credits so I assume it will do the same for the major release, but if it doesn’t, stay til the end just in case! Marvel continues to do the right thing with their properties, and the big green giant whose cereal is getting soggy now has a movie to call his own that doesn’t leave you scratching your scruffy beard in confusion. I give it 4 PUNY HUMANS out of 5.

Go see this movie, people, they did it again!