Everything I LOVE About Hulk (2003) 

I used to loathe this movie when I was younger, as I felt it didn't do Hulk justice. But yesterday, I decided to give the film a rewatch, and being much older and wiser, it blew me away. I guess the reason why younger me didn't like it was because I expected a more traditional superhero flick, but when I watched it as a drama movie instead of a superhero movie, it really resonated with me. The themes of mental illness, trauma, abuse, and masculinity really touched me, being a victim of child abuse and a sufferer of anxiety. To add the cherry on top, I am a scientist by profession, so Bruce became a "literally me" character. I also need to confess that I teared up at the end of the film, too. 😅

I love this movie. It’s my first major exposure to Hulk, and it’s what led to my love for the comics years later. The animosity between father and son is one of my favorite tropes in any story, and while this film could have done it better, it was still a satisfying experience, at least for me personally. Plus that lightning sequence during the final battle is breathtaking.

I think my favorite detail is it looks like (to me, who hasn't seen the BTS stuff) Ang Lee didn't want the Hulk's rage moments to look *cool*. He wanted Hulk's rage to look *real*, like he could barely contain it and didn't care to. He was possibly worried that he couldn't properly communicate that to a stunt worker without it being misinterpreted so he did himself.

I got such strong "Bill Bixby's Banner" vibes off Nolte's character that I will forever contend that they are one and the same. Something that sells Bana's performance, I think, is that he always has this smouldering anger just behind his eyes. Good episode, thanks! Your first video about this was simply amazing too.

Okay, speaking as someone who has written multiple research papers on this film, I actually have some fun facts about some of the stuff you talk about, which makes those aspects even more fun! - With the Hulk's first appearance, yes, the lighting was supposed to evoke the Universal Monster movies, but Lee said that it actually had another purpose, as well. The idea was to cast the Hulk in shades of grey, to try to make him look as much like the grey hulk from his first appearance as possible - The scene with the dogs was intentionally designed to evoke another classic monster movie - King Kong. Specifically, it was an homage to Kong fighting the T-rex with Fay Wray frightened and helpless in the tree. - When Hulk is changing back to Banner in San Francisco, there are two fun things to notice, related to Lee's wife's occupation. First, the water streaming from Hulk as he changes back to Bruce: as she stated, all that mass had to go somewhere, so it was 'bled' out as excess water. Second, if you pay very close attention, some of the water is steaming off of him, because, again according to her, a change like that would involve a ridiculous amount of energy expenditure, leading to increased temperatures. - So, you're right, the 'One year later' ending was tacked on - they were forced to by Universal to set up a sequel (I mean, at that point, it was one of the most expensive movies ever made, so Universal wanted to capitalize on its investment, right?) - Finally, and this is more of a macro one, James Schamus pointed out in an article he wrote for the New York Times that he and Lee approached the story as a Greek tragedy because of the whole 'sins of the father' thing. As a result, the film's structure mirrors that of a classical tragedy such as Aeschylus' Agamemnon. This was a great video, and I love this movie so much. I hope this contribution makes it even more enjoyable!

The design and look of Hulk in this film always gets some derision(compared to the MCU version of the character), his proportions seem to not evoke a giant muscular human or an ape, but a gigantic infant-but that is thematically appropriate and definately deliberate-The anger Hulk/Banner has in this film is the pure, unknowable, and terrifying anger of a very young child.

I'm probably going to watch this again tonight. The scene where Hulk reaches out of the mirror played in front of Spider-Man when I saw it in 2002. It was the first I had scene of this movie, to tell the truth, I'm not even sure I knew they were making a Hulk film.

This is CINEMA and that's why this movie isn't loved by the casual audience - it's just art and not some random popcorn entertainment

Love to see this film get the appreciation it deserves. I always thought combing the elements of childhood abuse and science was very clever, as the Hulk in the comics was always a manifestation of Bruce Banner’s childhood. And it helps make sense of why gamma radiation turns Banner into the Hulk, similar to how the spiders have combine traits of several other species to explain how Spider-Man is fast, strong, can leap huge distances, etc. in the Sam Raimi trilogy.

Great to see Hulk getting some love. Its vastly better than the 2008 film. I love the gigantic size of this Hulk. Jennifer Connelly is always a plus. I think this film did influence the Immortal Hulk run with its green door and his father as the real bad guy and creator of the Hulk. The gamma explosion only really created the physical manifestation of Hulk his father created the Hulk part of Bruce's personality. Its a hugely underrated and misunderstood film.

Sam Elliott's general gives me red hulk vibes, even his rage is very fiery, i love the desert jumping scene it represents him tryna get away from trouble restlessly for a while and i came up with a theory on how david banner survived that blast

I'm a millenial who grew up on reruns of the Lou Ferrigno Hulk TV series and later the Peter David run in the comics. I've been a fan of the character since I was around 2. This movie came out when I was in college and is still my favorite movie with Hulk in it, despite Mark Ruffalo's portrayal being excellent. I think it's Ang Lee's motion capture performance just being so likeable. Hulk biting off the head of a missile and punching a helicopter in the face are my two favorite Hulk scenes of all time. My wife and I took our son to a comic book convention several years ago, when he was a toddler, and we took a picture with Lou Ferrigno. It was great to meet him in person. He charged for pictures per person and my son was half price. While the other celebrity guests had people who collected the money, Mr. Ferrigno handled his own money in a little zip pouch, because who would try to rob him? He then proceeded to squeeze my wife and me in for the picture, and I thought we were about to get crushed by his massive arms.

This movie is the Hulk from the comics come to life the perfect representation of the character I’ve loved this movie since I was a kid and continue to love it to this day can’t believe it’s already 20 years old

I've been waiting for this one Josh! Your previous analysis on this movie still one of my all time favorite videos on this platform. 20 years I've spent loving this depiction of the Jade Giant. Happy 20th anniversary!!

I’ve been meaning to give this movie a rewatch. I was obsessed with it as a kid because there wasn’t a whole lot of modern Hulk stuff.

this movie really evoques those late 80's to late 90's stories focusing on Bruce's relatioship with his father, and eventually his father coming back as the Devil Hulk, which then in combination with this movie itself served as inspirations for Immortal Hulk

I saw this when it came out in the theater back in 2003. Initial thought back then that it was the first Movie Adaptation and was done well and artistically by Ang Lee. I had issues with it as far as the CGI back then, because it was still new. But I've grown to appreciate it more over the years. The guys and I will be promoting this video on the next Podcast Josh. Love what you do! - MK

Your comments on this movie really capture something i see in documentaries i love like Jodorowsky's Dune and Island of Lost Souls. you highlights those dream moments and ideas that Lee and co were probably itching to film and sadly they can seem hit or miss for some people. Interpretations by highly talented and creative people can be really exciting and fun to see even off the end product is not super popular.

David Banners Absorbing Man powers look so cool

Cgi in this film is better than in films today man

Its nice knowing their are more fans of this film besides myself though i show Hulk to somebody they m akways like it. Happy 20th anniversary.

TY!! I feel redeemed for my take-away! I enjoyed this film in 1st-run theater. I later naysaying of Ang Lee's multi-panel views. OK, that had taken me about...roughly...15 seconds to understand, adapt and enjoy. I had also enjoyed the twist on size: Yes, "the angrier Hulk gets, the stronger he gets"...plus the BIGGER he gets! I thought that was a wonderful touch. It was a much better film than many think. One thing I especially liked was also why "the studio" HAD to disown this film: sequels. This film made it clear there were THREE factors involved in Bruce's transformation [gamma radiation, the nanites, and the genetic mutation], therefore he is ABSOLUTELY unique. But they wanted, for future films, to be able to just zap anyone with gamma and have a Hulk-level same-as-you enemy. Further, I thought Bana did a great job of bringing out both the gentle kindness that Bruce wanted to enjoy and the traumatic rage "Bruce" fought to control. JS this was a terrific Hulk movie.

15:03 me too i love watching Hulk leaping around in the same way i love the swinging sequences in Spider-Man movies and shows

In a way, the purple pants being so diametrically opposed to Hulk's green skin serves as a representation of the conflict between Hulk and Bruce; those pants are Bruce's, and they are the last vestiges of his identity once the big guy takes over.

Man, seeing this movie when I was 4 years old REALLY made an impact on me growing up. I saw myself in Bruce; a scared and confused child who had a lot of repressed trauma and some part of me wanted to explode in a fit of rage and anger. Not to trauma dump or anything but this movie stuck with me for the rest of my life. The first time seeing Hulk transform, I was utterly terrified but also intrigued by how real he looked at the time. It really pains me how we don't have this Hulk anymore. Now, we have a kiddy Disney version of him who was nerfed due to the recent Avengers movies. I miss this Hulk and I don't know if we're ever getting him back but at least we have this movie to look back on :)

I also really love this movie! As a kid I thought it was just a cool superhero movie. But as an adult, I like the deeper meaning around it. Its not the Best Hulk movie but its definitely Unique.

I really don’t understand why people find this movie to be boring or forgettable

When I came up with my top 5 marvel films along with top 5 dc films, I put hulk up there for its depth, action and unique take on the character. My only criticism is that the final battle was so hard to follow, it was a serious chore to watch; definitely improved with the Incredible Hulk with the hulk vs abomination fight. Ang lees hulk to me is a good film that deserves some love and recognition.

In my opinion any hulk is still better than the current MCU hulk

You nailed everything i love about this film as well man

Yeah I never got the hate for this movie. I liked it when I saw it in 2003. I still like it now. It's good, it's a great Hulk film.

I would love to see a 2003 Ang Lee's HULK vs Hugh Jackman's Wolverine movie 🔥

💜 Thanks for the video. As an Ang Lee film, Hulk deserves respect 💚

I hope this Hulk returns in Secret Wars in some capacity

You might have the two most definitve videos about this movie on RU-vid. Great work on both videos!

The cast and the storytelling for this movie, I think, make this Hulk movie the best.

I loved this film as a kid and still do as an adult. Nostalgia wasn't its only merit, It stood the test of time as the superhero movies we see nowadays are all the same and don't take risks like Hulk

This movie is awesome. Perfectly cast, gorgeous cinematography, cares for the psychology of its characters, and it looks great for a movie that came out 2 decades ago. Also I agree about the desert shots, some of my favorite imagery in the film. I also unapologetically love the goofy Hulk dogs. But that may be the nostalgia speaking 😅

1:30 i like that as well both hulk 2003 and Spider-Man 2002 do that as well

You know what man i do like this flim! I used to watch this movie all the time as a kid i love the dark tone the psychological elements the fight scenes the look of the hulk the haunting music and i much prefer Eric bana's Bruce banner instead of Mark ruffalo's comedic version i really wish this got a sequel! (Plus it's funny that this movie had hulk's purple pants and sam Rami kept Spider-Man's comic book costume but the X-Men films were just too afraid to give the characters comic accurate suits or at least try to make them look a little colorful)

Although I'm not the biggest fan of this film, I have to admit that this is some of the best casting ever in any superhero film. Every single character is just casted so perfectly. With William Hurt's passing (RIP) they really should have gone back to Sam Elliot playing Thunderbolt Ross in the MCU. I love Harrison Ford, but just do not see him as Ross.

I always thought it was funny how they didn't like alliteration in TV show but they casted a guy named Bill Bixby...

I've always enjoyed this movie since I was a kid

I love your appreciation and observations about the film. I don't share a lot of your sentiments. But I appreciate what you have to say. I wasn't a fan of how this movie adapted Brian Banner. I seem to remember the abuse towards Rebecca and Bruce playing out differently in the comics. I also didn't like that this movie turned Brian, Leader, Absorbing Man and Zzaxx into one character. And despite it being one of the best scenes in the movie, I didn't like that Bruce says that he likes losing control and becoming The Hulk. It just seems to completely misrepresent the core characteristics of who Bruce is and what he feels. I like certain elements of this movie. But overall it's probably my least favorite adaptation of the character.

This movie is why I love comics

GOATED MOVIE RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

My Favourite movie

I agree hulk movies way better than Incredible Hulk

17:43 I wonder if it kinda gave inspiration to that cloudy avatar of The One Below All in Immortal Hulk.

In the MCU There’s no progression or correlation between his anger & strength. The angrier Hulk gets the stronger Hulk gets. You actually see Hulk getting angrier & stronger in the 2003 film.

I still have the VHS one of the first and one best cine comic, still best live action movie HULK

A strange criticism I've heard of this movie is that the green of Hulk is too bright. Can you imagine how boring it would be to dull the green? It's beautiful and thematically relevant. Some people want less comic book and more realism. I think Hulk perfectly blends reality and fantasy.

i just watched it for the first time because of this video! Its not perfect but its endearing, there's a lot to appreciate!

What I look very about Danny eofmans score for this movie is it's so different it's very dark

this is my childhood hulk, eric bana version, including edward norton. The reason why people hated the 2003 hulk is because both, they weren't ready for a heavy psychological movie, and only see hulk as a green angry monster known for smashing things. But that is where they're wrong. He's more than that. He has layers. He's a troubled, traumatized man that so happens to turn into a angry creature due to his dad's experiments and the accidental gamma exposure. Plus, it's obvious that bruce banner is not a sunshine type character. He's lonely and has to be on the run, from people who are hunting him, or to avoid hurting people.

This was and is the first movie I remember watching in theater.

Great video, I learned a lot from this

I love this movie as well man

An NSFW factoid, it was when he picked up Jennifer Connelly in Hulk form, that 20 year old me realized that I had a size kink, for perspective, I'm 6'5". Lol.

This video just popped up as a recommended video yesterday and I have comments. 1. Great video, I've always liked this movie and think it's underrated. 2. I've always thought that if this movie was a big hit that the the comic panel transitions would have become more used in comic book movies.

I love the look of this film, it has this early 2000s sundance film.

I love your Hulk videos

Have you read monsters by berry windsor smith? It started out as his take on the hulk but it became so much more. The 1st half of it is full of weapon x style military scifi body horror

The comic book frames to show multiple things happening at once was genius and good, also no hulk got more mad than this hulk and no hulk showed more human emotion during scenes no one was shooting at it

Thanks for putting some respect on this movie's name. When I was a kid I loved this one as much as blade and Spider-Man and x men. Tho, I also loved Affleck daredevil, so I was a bit of a mark as a kid lol

I like thw cgi, it looks good

This hulk film is very underrated right next to the MCU film, really hope Eric Banna shows up in secret wars or kang dynasty

Ang Lee took some big swings with his Hulk. Not everything works, but it’s vastly more intriguing than the 2008 version on a number of levels. It’s an art-house superhero movie that challenges its audience and it stands in risky company: Defendor, Super and Kick-Ass

I always thought that the 2008 Hulk movie was a sequel to this one as it pretty much picks up right were this one left off and is even set 5 years after, much like how it was released 5 years later.

It's a great film. My one-word review of Ang Lee's "Hulk" (2003): FREUD

I always preferred this movie to even the 2008 version as a kid (despite being 7 when it released lol). Idk why, I just really liked 2003's design, it fit in more with the Spider-Man movies of the time too (imo). I didn't care as much about the story aspect back then ofc, but it still intrigued me. I always wondered what about Bruce's dad was so menacing. To this day I think the CGI in this movie is crazy good. Does it look crappy at times? Sure, but I genuinely think 2008's CGI is less convincing. I loved this movie so much as a kid that I would recreate scenes from it in the PS2 game, Hulk Ultimate Destruction (made by the same devs as Prototype, it's actually really good). I even later on bought the game based on the movie too. I mean it's no secret what my favorite heroes were back then, just look at my username. I feel really sad about where the Hulk is now in the MCU. I already lost interest in it by the time Infinity War released, but post that I don't have any at all nearly. At least for Spidey we still got the animations like Into the Spiderverse...

6:20 😂

Damn, I gotta go watch this movie again

The real hulk

I love this movie and it’s a hidden treasure

Wow you skip the Whole F-22 scene as in; Was it This Really one of the 1st movie With a Top Of The Line USA Fighter Before it Even Became Declassified!?

This movie looks like it was made in the 80s

Dude... I don't think I've ever seen this movie!! 🙀🙀🙀

i like this idea that hulk grow when he angrier but i think that move dident show that as much as we need to

Very big of you to narrate alongside clips from the film, which pretty much refutes any attempt to redeem it, aside from a handful of scenes.

"Everything I LOVE About Dredd (2012)" please

I love this movie, screw everyone else!

For me the best hulk, is one beast

Why couldn't Absorbing Man be in the 2008 movie?

Masculinity isn't toxic, the type of mindset of Masculinity is toxic

The last fight is a bit embarrassing(The bubble). But really like the movie over all.

I love Ang lees hulk I think it's great compared to the others

19:20 lou forrigno

Great video. I think you’re a little off on the reasoning for the name change from “Bruce” to “David”. At the time of the TV show, the name Bruce was associated with gay. This makes little since to us currently…but a quick Google search will show that it was a misguided belief that some held at the time.

Great movie

I love that Hulk fans can't just LIKE both fucking hulk Movies, this comments section is a Cesspit

11:35 I love the look on Jennifer Connelly's face 🤤

eu te amo panel to pixels, eu te amo

An independent drama about the cycles of abuse and domestic violence disguised as a Comic Book movie.

I made plenty of memes based on that movie!

I usually dont say this. Im mostly of the opinion that if you hate a movie that I enjoy, I take the "Oh well, more for me" attitude. But Im gonna say it. Fu€k the haters. This movie goes above and beyond what any comic book movie did at the time and Id say even to this day its gone above and beyond and all it gets is heaploads of crap for really no other reason beyond the most petty of criticisms I've heard. You can say this movie just "isnt your thing" and thats fine. But people for some reason have some weird bone to pick with this movie. Why? Did the movie hurt your puppy or something? Why the visceral hate? Its a d@mn shame this hasnt gotten the retrospective look back that so many movies have gotten. I was sure that for the 20th anniversary it would get it, but unfortunately not. I guess its just going to forever be lumped in as "one of the bad ones" even though there are FAAAAR worse cbm that are just done for profit, with no artistic vision whatsoever. The movie was amazing for its time when I was 6 and it still blows me away as an adult. One of the best CBM ever made.

This film is heavy underrated, but I still think incredible hulk is better, and Ed Norton is the best hulk

I ❤ u..... ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

That toxic masculinity video make me subscribe to your channel. Great work. 👍

I'm not going to get very many likes for this, but next to the 1970's Incredible Hulk series, this movie is my least favorite Hulk movie. My favorite Hulk movie was the one with Edward Norton, I just like how he portrayed Bruce Banner and I thought that it was just a better movie.