The Low Down on Hulk 2

The low down on the differences between Hulk 1 and 2. And check out the cool Edward Norton as the Hulk pic. I made it! What do you mean it’s not good? Go to hell…It was announced on Friday that Liv Tyler will be playing Betty Ross in The Incredible Hulk, the semi-sequel to 2003’s Hulk. This is yet another announcement that moves the series further away from the disappointing Hulk. So for those of you who haven’t been paying attention, here is a brief comparison of what’s different.

Director:
Hulk – Ang Lee
Incredible Hulk - Louis Leterrier

Ang Lee went into the Hulk with an impressive resume of dramatic work (The Ice Storm, Sense and Sensibility) and delivered a film criticised for being too dramatic and lacking action. Leterrier couldn’t be any more different. Coming from an action background (The Transporter Movies, Unleashed), Leterrier has an eye for the visual and his movies have always looked bigger than their budgets.

Screen Writer:
Hulk – James Schamus
Incredible Hulk – Zak Penn

Schamus has almost exclusively written movies for Lee and his Hulk screenplay offered a father/son conflict, angry poodles and a cut-and-paste villain. Penn on the other hand is preaching a script with more action, featuring Bruce Banner on the run from the authorities and his darker persona. However, this is the guy who cooked up Elektra.

The Hulk/Bruce Banner:
Hulk – Eric Bana
Incredible Hulk - Edward Norton

Bana was relatively unknown (and generally still is) when he played the Hulk. Some criticised his performance for being to wooden, but many wanted him to return for the sequel. Norton on the other hand is a much bigger name and generally has a good record with script selection. Plus, he will often put his foot down when he thinks a director is taking a project in the wrong direction, which could be helpful here.

Betty Ross:
Hulk - Jennifer Connelly
Incredible Hulk – Liv Tyler

The casting of Tyler definitely reflects Marvel’s desire to make this into more of a popcorn film. Connelly is better known for her dramatic work and there is a definite melancholy in her performances, which is pretty much the opposite of Tyler.

The Villain:
Hulk - David Banner
Incredible Hulk – The Abomination

Nick Nolte played one of the most irrelevant villains in film history in Hulk (which in my opinion was what was wrong with the movie – and of course the poodles). Instead of taking an actual villain from the comics they took bits from here and there (mainly, Zzzax and Absorbing Man) to create Hulk’s father. The sequel will pit Hulk against The Abomination, a giant radiation freak similar to the Hulk, who in the comics was originally from the KGB.