Ok. First things first… I'm a sucker for Marvel Comics.
I know, I know, Marvel characters may not be as iconic as Superman or as edgy and moody as the Dark Knight (Batman), but the fact remains that Marvel characters constitute a majority of superhero-dom, all the way from Xavier's mansion to Peter Parker's Daily Bugle. They are numerous, they are all over the place, they come in various shapes, sizes and powers and, most importantly of all, they are flawed.
They're weak and vulnerable, they have problems and shortcomings and they're not the quintessential "good guys." They are flawed, human characters who couldn't be more different from their square-jawed, "perfect" DC counterparts. (This is, by no means, to say that DC characters are not cool. Far from it… I think Batman is the personification of the word 'cool').
Most Marvel characters are anti-heroes (at least in their modern renditions, for example, in the Ultimate series). More often than not, they are shunned by society and hunted by the government, but they never cease to be heroes, albeit reluctant ones. Pretty much all Marvel superheroes fall under this description and 2008's biggest superhero (pun intended) is no exception. Who am I talking about? The Incredible Hulk, of course…
This June saw the biggest and "baddest" of them all finally come alive on the big screen for a second time, after Ang Lee's nightmare in 2003. The Incredible Hulk was one of the few superhero movies that lived up to the hype generated by pre-release campaigns and unlike its 'we-attempted-to-do-a-serious-work-of-art-using-a-much-loved-comic-book-character-which-we-didn't-realise-was-plain-Wrong predecessor, the new movie delivered the goods.
It had everything fans of the Hulk comics and TV series expected: Raw, jaw dropping action sequences and a story that didn't disappoint. Edward Norton did justice to the complex, many layered, brooding character of Bruce Banner and the introduction of the Abomination, even though he was not named as such, was a welcome first step in taking the franchise down the right path - meaning the way of the comics.
Anyway, getting to the point of this article, Plato's Girl, who has never read a comic book in her life (apart from Archie Comics, Tintin and Asterix), and is a complete non-fan of Hulk and a total newbie to comicverse, decided to be brave and take on the big green guy and give us her interpretation of The Incredible Hulk.
Here it is, folks. (Note – the views expressed by her are entirely her own).
No Hulk fan
By Plato's Girl
I ain't a Hulk fan, but I watched the movie anyway. Not my kind of thing, but I guess it wasn't too bad. It dealt with certain 'Hulking' issues.
In a nutshell – Hulk is a good guy. We have every reason to believe so. Apart from the tiny 'flaw', where if you make Bruce Banner extremely angry (or maybe happy), he turns into a big green creature, all evil and dangerous.
Another Frankenstein's monster, perhaps? Well, this 'quality' or 'power' (or any other way you choose to see it) was a result of a scientific experiment which did not quite succeed as planned. But then, Banner is not a monster as such, but is turned into one by others. Why couldn't they just let it be? Besides Banner warns them about it, but when will people be willing to listen to a person they label the bad guy?
So, good for them and good for Banner, after all, the latter is paying the price for being a bit too curious. Ah, but who can blame him? It's just science and man.
When Banner turns into Hulk (meaning, he becomes so angry), it's best to keep away. Try killing him. Impossible (superheroes don't fall easily now, do they?). Bring all your weapons, military equipment, sound waves and use on him, but in vain. You're merely loosing you gear and man power. So, create an even bigger creature, bigger in size and power (and bigger in ego). You might think you've won, but, as we can always predict, the good brings down the bad.
All good. Hulk wins.
Dear old Hulk, a miserable outcast, who got more than what he bargained for, now fighting to get rid of that very thing which seems to haunt him forever. A creature so big, so powerful, feared by many and admired by some, fighting a lone battle. But, there's much to learn from it.
Firstly, think hard before experimenting with science. True it's all marvellous and its possibilities are endless. But the probability of it not succeeding and you ending like Hulk is also quite high.
On another note, the movie is all about this superhero fighting against that very thing that makes him different to ordinary man, longing to be ordinary, longing for love and and a sense of belonging.
Banner cannot control his anger. Nor can we control our emotions. He fights against it, but fails. Would he learn to live with it? Would he accept it? And above all, would others accept it? Banner is fighting his own creation. Even Abomination – nothing but a creation of over ambitious, power hungry, self interested human beings who comes back to haunt its creator. Are we not fighting the enemy we've created ourselves? Haven't we brought about war, poverty, disease, global warming and all those other issues faced today?
It is sometimes by chance we are faced with unfortunate situations, but more often than not, it is our own actions which bring about such situations. Are we not responsible for our very own actions? Therefore, are we not responsible for all these 'problems'? But, are we ready to deal with their consequences? Or, by the time we realize the gravity of our actions, is it too late?
Think. Think of Hulk.
PS – I am told, by comic enthusiasts, that's there's more of this sort of thing coming soon! Send in your comments to cynicsil.mm@gmail.com |
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