Netflix Losing Marvel Epic Everyone Overlooks, Stream Now
By now, the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe has all but eclipsed the landscape of cinema as we know it, unloading a seemingly endless barrage of new movies, shows, and tie-in products each year. However, one Marvel film, which pre-dates the MCU entirely, is criminally underrated, often forgotten, and definitely deserving of a rewatch. The film in question, 2003’s Hulk, is currently streaming on Netflix, though it is slated to depart the streamer as of August 1. So you’ll have to hurry up and check it out today before it’s too late.
Hulk Not The Incredible Hulk
Hulk on Netflix, not to be confused with the Edward Norton-led The Incredible Hulk which helped to officially kick off the MCU in 2008, was written by James Schamus and directed by Ang Lee.
The film serves as one in a long line of collaborations between Schamus and Lee, following such efforts as Pushing Hands, The Wedding Banquet, The Ice Storm, and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.
While the pair were not generally known for flashy, CGI-heavy comic book films, Schamus and Lee managed to create something totally unlike your run-of-the-mill superhero movie, resulting in an artsy, elevated film that was way ahead of its time.
Ang Lee On As Director
Even when Ang Lee first signed on to helm the project, his involvement was seen as highly controversial. Hulk had been in development since the early 1990s and had already been passed on by several filmmakers.
As a result, the final cut of Hulk which exists on Netflix today is one of the most fascinating and introspective comic book adaptations. It focuses on the metaphysical aspects of what it means to be Bruce Banner and offers themes of unaddressed childhood trauma in place of a standard doomsday plot.
Eric Bana Is Bruce Banner
Hulk stars Eric Bana as Bruce Banner, which was endlessly confusing to me as a child, especially because I grew up in Boston where “Bana” and “Banner” are pronounced exactly the same.
The film touts supporting performances from Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, Nick Nolte, and Breaking Bad‘s Kevin Rankin, along with a few cameo appearances from the likes of Stan Lee and former Incredible Hulk performer Lou Ferrigno.
CGI Is Rough, But Performances Are Solid
While the CGI is a bit dated, especially in the Hulk design, the Netflix outing offers some truly well-placed performances, cerebral storytelling, and ambitious comic book-style editing choices, which make Hulk a standout entry in the long line of comic book adaptations.
Like many other viewers, I had completely forgotten about this movie over the course of the last two decades, despite having logged hundreds of hours on the Game Boy tie-in game that came with it back in the day.
Hulk Is Well-Crafted
It wasn’t until I rediscovered Hulk on Netflix last week that I came to realize just how well-crafted the film was under the hundreds of layers of shoddy early 2000s CGI.
Clearly, the themes were a little too deep for my 6-year-old self to fully grasp when I caught Hulk in theaters back in 2003, though today, I’d say it offers more pound-for-pound than most MCU movies overall.
Hulk On Netflix
If you’re interested in revisiting this decades-old classic or even checking it out for the first time, be sure to stream Hulk on Netflix today. Just remember to check this one off of your watchlist before August 1 because otherwise, you might miss out. Missing your chance to catch Hulk on the streamer can make you angry… and we wouldn’t like you when you’re angry.
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