Post by dazz on Sept 9, 2019 22:03:38 GMT
Fair enough, I do think Ang Lee's was shooting for more than TIH was, and for some they would rather have a failure to be spectacular rather than succeeding to be passable, I would rather see something done well if not all that inspired than the other way around though, a fail whilst trying to be spectacular is still a fail and it stinks as bad as any other pile of crap.
I hadn't actually thought about the TV show similarity for TIH, that's a fair point but I don't think a fair criticism, you know these characters and stories are revamped and retold over and over again, the TV show version is as much a Hulk iteration as any other, and probably the most famous prior to the films so it makes sense I guess they would do that.
Like I said though I agree Ang Lee's tried to do more than TIH did but for me pretty much everything about that movie failed to make an impression, outside of Hulk dogs I don't really recall the movie much like I recall vague bits and pieces but that's it, I can however recall most of TIH, but that's me, I wont begrudge anyone for liking the 2003 version, afterall I like Howard The Duck and I don't care what anyone else thinks about that movie 
I experience the opposite effect from you when considering Hulk and TiH. TiH barely registers for me in terms of memorable performances or moments. William Hurt, a fantastic actor in his own right, is - by far -no Sam Elliot. Liv Tyler's doe-eyed vacancy doesn't match Jennifer Connelley's searching intensity and quiet pensiveness. Eric Bana, while not perfect, conveys a man who is trying to understand and cope with a bizarre disability. Norton is so busy remembering to breathe and looking at his G-Shock wristwatch that he forgot to turn in a performance. I cringe every time I think of him lifting his head and smiling into the camera with CG-ed electric green eyes --- while meditating.
TiH fails in my mind because it was a reaction to Hulk. The fans said, "we don't like the chubby Hulk character design." ILM responded with a design that is negative 30% body fat. Fans said, "we want more smashing and more destruction." TiH was promptly scripted to have the Hulk level an entire city block. Fanboys said, "we don't want any psychobabble or internal reflection from the character." TiH dutifully features none of that. There's nothing wrong with giving fans what they want but, I think TiH should have tried a little harder to be more creative and less generic.
I prefer a film to take significant risks and fail rather than deliver on precisely what I requested. A lot of people claim to feel the same way, but when push comes to shove, they'd prefer a safe success like TiH (as is the majority feeling in this thread). And, people say as much with their wallets on opening night (which is why the MCU proceeds as it does).
I think Norton was so enamored of Bill Bixby's thoughtful and "level" take on "David Banner" that he forgot to open up a Hulk comic book and read it. My guess is he likely considered the TV show superior to the comic book material.
I think it's less a reaction to Hulk in some parts and more just Norton's muscle flexing, he did like a full rewrite of the script of something because Marvel foolishly gave him that power to get him to star in the movie, but him maybe being enamored with Bixby's take is right, or he just didn't care about the comics in general or the character, this was before the boom of the cbm's when only Spidey was really making significant waves as a property, a lot of people also were kind of like eh comics at the time, that's all different now thankfully in a lot of situations.