Film Reviews by AL

Even today, Ang Lee’s masterpiece remains the greatest Marvel epic from two decades of the Golden Age of Superhero Cinema. Getting a film director who was best known for art-house dramas to helm a highly commercial blockbuster was a daring approach, but all the risks paid off, handsomely, resulting in the best film of 2003. What Lee created was the first serious drama of its type, rich in mutated subgenre themes and supremely iconic images, derived in part from the very same influential mythological and literary sources which had obviously inspired the comic-book original Hulk’s creators, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, back in 1962. The singular tour de force of HULK blends sci-fi adventures, monster-movie traditions, and miraculous wonders with bravura visuals. It remains far superior in every way to the unnecessary sequel or unfortunate remake, a needless franchise-reboot, titled The Incredible Hulk (2008). I did enjoy that, of course, but still think it's rather unexciting, and not very inventive, when compared to Lee’s instant classic. HULK is so good, I wrote a monograph book (published by Telos) explaining why it's the very best 21st century superhero movie, so far.