Hulk vs 8 Mile

Ang Lee has mastered more genres of film than almost any other other director. (I promise phrases like “mastered more genres of film” will be few and far between around here. I reread these and I think “who’s this jerk?” and then I realize, oh yeah, it’s me.)

Consider the range of his most recent movies:  The Ice Storm, Ride with the Devil, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.  In only four years, he released a 1970s domestic drama, a Civil War movie, and a martial arts fantasy.  And before one of you smart-asses calls me on it, no, I didn’t see Ride with the Devil.  But the box for the video looks different from his other movies, and Jewel seems like a very good actress, you know, in the video for her song on the soundtrack.

I assume it’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon that prepares viewers most for Ang Lee’s interpretation of the Hulk, his first attempt at a comic book movie.  But, while you don’t need to like martial arts movies to appreciate Crouching Tiger, a working knowledge of comic books wouldn’t hurt before watching Hulk.  And that’s just fine by me.  Hulk becomes a comic book on the big screen.

With every scene, there’s the possibility that the action will split into more than one image, and at times, more than two, or three, like the pages of a comic book.  When it does, it’s exhilarating.  Scenes that are normally static, like characters sitting at a computer, become alive; sometimes the panels give us more than one angle of the same image, just like in a you-know-what.  I don’t recall the last time a movie excited me so much in such a simple way. (Okay, I do. But let me gush for a second, okay? It only happens once in a while.)

Hulk stars Eric Bana as Bruce Banner, a scientist working in the field of, well, I suppose it’s genetic mutation, and limb regeneration, and test-tubing, and keyboarding, and screen watching, and office-chair sitting and other movie scientist stuff.  His partner is Betty Ross (Jennifer Connelly), who also happens to be his ex-girlfriend.  They have an amiable enough relationship, but couldn’t be together because Bruce kept too much bottled up inside (she obviously hasn’t seen the trailer. Come on, Betty, they played one before Spider-man over a year ago. You have no excuse.) Bana and Connelly are good.  If you’ve seen Chopper, you’ll barely recognize Bana as the same actor. He’s subtle and intense, but also finds moments of sly humor.  Connelly, of all the talented actors who are also exceptionally beautiful, is perhaps the most talented and the most beautiful.  She doesn’t have an incredible amount to do here, but does it all in such a natural way it’s like she’s got a stash of comics at home and believes every word.  If we weren’t living in Us Weekly Nation, Jennifer Connelly’s eyes would get as much attention as J Lo’s ass.

Of course Bruce and Betty share more than work, they also share some major daddy issues. Betty’s father is Thunderbolt Ross, played by Sam Elliott’s mustache, the biggest opponent of her research, as well as the leader of the troops against…you know…near the end of the movie.  Bruce’s father is David Banner (shout out to Bill Bixby), a pioneer in Bruce’s field, who has a shady past that includes experimenting on his son and a present that includes experimenting on his bad-ass dogs.  David Banner is played by Nick Nolte’s mugshot.  Nolte and Elliott are both a lot of fun, especially Nolte, who plays a fun variation on Mad Scientist.  He’s got this funny little George Carlin-esque thing he does once in a while with his line readings, and he lives in a house that undoubtedly smells like more than one kind of urine.  At the end of the movie, he takes a bite of something that he probably shouldn’t have been able to take a bite of, but by that time his jaws had probably grown stronger due to his all-scenery diet.  Bruce’s rival—for Betty’s affections as well as his research—is Glen Talbot (Josh Lucas), who wants to steal genes from Hulk to build super-soldiers.  It’s no surprise that he’s crooked, or that he gets his eventually, but when he does, it’s as the first living splash page.  I’m normally fairly reserved in a movie theater, but I’ve been told I applauded at this moment.

It’s called Hulk, you’re thinking, so how’s the Hulk?  I think it’s pretty damn good.  When Bruce transforms, it’s in a fluid, random way, with this thigh swelling, and then that arm.  His skin becomes green from inside, like when you pour Kool-aid into water and it dances around some first before turning the water red (or green, but I don’t recommend the green one.)  When he’s fully the monster, it’s a sight to behold. The trailers and print ads made the monster out to look a little glossy and two-dimensional, and I was worried that he was gonna be all SHREK SMASH! I shouldn’t have worried.  The finished product is pretty amazing.  He moves in a natural way, with a full range of human mannerisms and emotions.  He takes up actual physical space and has weight and depth, uncommon among CGI characters.  At one point in the movie, he’s captured and held in an underground military facility in the desert.  His escape and subsequent tank and helicopter bust-em-up is the most fun computers should be allowed to have. It rocks over and over.  I like Bana’s performance, but the movie comes to life when he gets really mad and lets Hulk take over.

Of course, Betty and Bruce aren’t the only ones with issues.  Like some  comic books, Hulk has a few too many endings.  There’s the ending, the one where the battle has ended, and then there’s the ending to deal with the character issues, and then there’s another a year later, and really the first one is the only one necessary (I’m not positive what really even happens in the second one, it’s really dark in there.)  Also, the whole movie takes place in, what, a week?  A couple days?  We never really get any impression of how big an impact Hulk is having on anyone other than Bruce and Betty, and we get little impression of any version of the world outside their offices and living rooms. The trade-up, luckily, is that we know who the characters are and what sacrifices they’ve made by the end of the movie. A comic book movie that’s too intimate?  If this is a problem, I’ll take it over the alternative any day.  Plus, Hulk is the only opportunity I can think of to see a giant dog get punched in the nuts.

Like Ang Lee, Curtis Hanson works as a different director with each movie. With L.A. Confidential, Wonder Boys, and now 8 Mile, he hasn’t repeated himself yet. Film noir, mid-life crisis, working class Rap Rocky…nothing feels false from Hanson. (Nope, not even The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. You thought I left it out cause I’m a big movie snob didn’t you? I’m so insulted.)  I wanted to hate 8 Mile, in a way, and in a way, I think Eminem wanted me to hate it too. He craves conflict and probably knew I was out there, rolling my eyes at what was potentially TRL: The Movie.  I’m not sure why Eminem is so angry; most millionaires who wear sweats every day are fairly agreeable.

But there’s something about the poster for 8 Mile.  Eminem’s head is down, so it doesn’t scream "Eminem!" like the TRL kids waiting out on the sidewalk.  Plus, right there are those magic words “A Curtis Hanson film”.  What are the odds he’d sell out, given the streak he’s on?  The answer, thankfully, is slim to none.  8 Mile is surprisingly good, and not only fits in with Curtis Hanson’s other movies, it makes for a nice at-home viewing when you get back from Hulk.

Eminem stars as Rabbit, a Big Loser from Detroit.  He recently lost his job at Little Caesar’s (Did it close? Otherwise he must have messed up big time.); his girlfriend is now his ex-girlfriend (Taryn Manning) despite the fact that she might be pregnant; and flat broke, Rabbit has to move into his mom’s trailer, which is bad for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that mom lives there too.  She’s played by Kim Basinger, who better never forget Curtis Hanson’s birthday, what with him giving her two of the most fully-written roles of her career and all.  I like Kim Basinger, because like Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, whether she’s playing a newspaper reporter or a missionary, she always has Pilates muscles and an $800 haircut.  She might live in a trailer, but her assistant is right outside with a soy cappuccino and a sun umbrella.  Jokes aside, Basinger has what could have been a shrill, annoying character, and makes it human.  A shrill, annoying human, to be sure, but those of you who know the difference will appreciate her performance.

Rabbit (with black hair, to show he’s Serious) has a posse of sidekicks, including a chubby guy and a Steve Zahn guy.  His best friend is Future (Mekhi Pfeiffer) who must be a true friend, cause he gets him into local rap battles, even though Rabbit’s public performing skills rank up there with Tonya Harding and Jimmy Kimmel.  As the movie opens, Rabbit is in the bathroom of a club, shadow rapping and listening to beats on his head phones. Soon, he’s puking, and then running.  When he finally makes it on stage, he freezes and can’t say a word.  The quickest way to win me over with Eminem?  Shut him up. Nice move, Mr. Hanson.

At home and work, though, is a different story.  Rabbit makes up rhymes to help his little sister sleep, and battles with other freestyle rappers on his lunch break.  When he gets really fired up, Rabbit puts the other amateurs to shame, although you get the feeling he’s holding back.  He raps slower than we’re used to Eminem rapping, and he’s more deliberate.  He’s not flying off at the mouth so much.  He knows his rhymes are more than just a way to kill a lunch break, and doesn’t want to waste them on losers in a parking lot. Also, there’s a new girlfriend to screw inside the factory.  She’s played by a well-cast Brittany Murphy.  She’s able to suggest a dark past in her character with few words and keeps her honking talk-show laugh at bay for the entire movie.  Since this is an underdog movie, and basically everyone betrays Rabbit, Murphy’s character eventually becomes something he must overcome. Somehow, Murphy keeps it all from being too unsympathetic.  Hey, sometimes a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do to make it in the modeling world, right?  By the way, Murphy and Manning need to cancel their memberships to Actresses Against Carbs right now.  Seriously, someone get them a dozen Krispy Kremes.

Eventually, of course, all the backstabbing, and fights with Mom’s boyfriend and gang-ups in the parking lot wear down on Rabbit, and he takes it out on the mike.  His raps near the end of the movie are as exciting in their own way as Rocky fighting Apollo; Rabbit runs up the steps but never breaks a sweat.  Some people think Eminem is just playing himself, to which I say so what?  Countless actors have tried to get by on just playing themselves and countless actors have failed. It’s a lot harder than it looks.

Likewise, Curtis Hanson has taken on several different threads (rap music, underdog makes better, family drama, working class slice of life) and brought it all together seamlessly.  Sure, it’s a traditional story, and the ending, though thankfully not as glamorous as it could have been, happens pretty much how and when we think it’s gonna.  But there’s something about Hanson’s subtle direction and pacing, and Eminem…well, I guess I gotta hand it to him: he’s infuriating at times, and contradictory, and a little annoying, but in 8 Mile, there’s just something about him when he gets angry.

So, Lee and Hanson, keep trying out those different movie genres.  So far, it’s working like gangbusters.  Unless you dip into fetish porno or fast food employee tutorials, you can count me in.

Hulk:  B+
8 Mile:  B+