Double Feature: The Incredible Hulk (2008) & Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Next up in the double features, we head into a Marvel Cinematic Universe double feature as I try to catch up with all the movies that I’ve missed to date. Also, one of the reasons why I haven’t gone to see Avengers: Endgame in theatres as almost everyone has. Pairing it with my I selection on Netflix, The Incredible Hulk is a rental that I got for cheap and chose to see what the latest version of Spider-Man is like, because we’ve had a lot of them in the past 15 to 20 years. If its the first time being here, I have no basis on comic book adaptations or how it is there and only the movies so if you want to share your knowledge about how characters and villains are and how they are adapted in terms of these movies, feel free to share it in the comments below but  I’m not comparing to the source material.

Let’s check it out!

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Director: Louis Leterrier

Cast: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt, Tim Blake Nelson, Ty Burrell

Bruce Banner, a scientist on the run from the U.S. Government, must find a cure for the monster he turns into, whenever he loses his temper. – IMDB

Its quite incredible to think that The Incredible Hulk is the second film in Phase 1 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films especially since he’s essentially become a supporting superhero in the films that follow with no sequel. However, it is understandable as this one outlines how he became Hulk. The Incredible Hulk portrayed Edward Norton is pretty much different from the one that reappears in The Avengers portrayed Mark Ruffalo. The Incredible Hulk isn’t a bad film, in fact, it lines up quite well the style that Marvel was doing in Phase One. There is some dark humor and then some deeper moments. Hulk is a pretty sad origin story as he has no control over his actions when he transforms and turns into a beast. In that sense, the story here is done well. Plus, its paced fairly well. The best part here does have to go to Tim Roth playing a fairly adequate villain (and I don’t quite acknowledge a lot of the villains much). However, it still feels slightly far-fetched in the sense of the motives of Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) and Abomination.

Its not that the movie itself isn’t enjoyable. The Incredible Hulk feels a bit disjointed in its storytelling in general. The story doesn’t lean too much on the origin and never dives too deep in the relationship side nor does it go very deep on the disapproval and the issues with the General and then it never really explains the reasoning behind Tim Roth’s Emil Blonsky and Abomination. However, the movie does offer up a lot of action and there’s some cool moments here which work to make this a fun movie to watch.

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Director: Jon Watts

Cast: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Gwyneth Paltrow, Zendaya, Donald Glover, Jacob Batalon

Peter Parker balances his life as an ordinary high school student in Queens with his superhero alter-ego Spider-Man, and finds himself on the trail of a new menace prowling the skies of New York City. – IMDB

I’ve lived through three changes in Spider-Mans already. To be honest, Spider-Man is about the most familiar superhero now other than Batman at this point. Another very fair point is that there is something  about being quite skeptical about how successful this Spider-Man will be and what makes him different. Of course, we’ve already had a snippet of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man due to Captain America: Civil War (review) who was adequate enough with that dose of geeky humor. Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is not too different from the first films of both Spiderman (Tobey Maguire version) or The Amazing Spiderman (Andrew Garfield’s version) in the sense of say humor and personality. However, this one changes because we don’t see how he became Spider-Man which is a nice step because after so many, most people already know but rather takes the path of his feelings after the events of Captain America: Civil War and coming to terms with his desire to be more helpful rather than stay in his everyday routine as Ironman would like him to do. However, as dynamic as Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. add to the humor of the film, its feels underused in the sense of Peter Parker and his best friend because there is a nice friendship bond with that as well.

One of the things I also did enjoy with this one (similar to The Incredible Hulk) is Michael Keaton as The Falcon. For one, the villain design is really nice. The Falcon still doesn’t have that sort of evil villain sort of feeling to him but there is this nice mesh of bringing together past events and technology to create this character and the many situations that Spider-Man encounters because of it. At the same time, it gives this Spider-Man a real sense of learning a few qualities to become a part of The Avengers and realizing when he feels that he is ready for it and how it ends gives it a sense of the coming of age of Spider-Man. The direction and the characters and even the humor works overall in Spider-Man: Homecoming. However, the issues with it is that the film does feels at times a bit dragged out and long (but then I have issues with a lot of these superhero films being too long).

That’s it for this Marvel double feature!
Have you seen these two films?

The Amazing Spider-man (2012)

After trying multiple times to go see a movie at the theaters, today I finally succeeded to go see The Amazing Spider-man.  It was a debate between 3 movies for me but due to various reasons, this was the final choice.  I wasn’t really sure what I expected from this movie but it was definitely one of the movies I did anticipate starting earlier this year when I had already seen its previews multiple times.  Other than the effects during the preview making this movie very appealing, I did have certain aspects that I wasn’t particularly sure how to feel about.

My biggest issue was Spiderman himself.  Right, right, I’m laughing as I write this.  Technically, if I’m not too sure about the main actor, perhaps it should be something I’d catch at home instead, but then thinking about it deeper, when the Spiderman trilogy started with Tobey Maguire, he was a newbie also.  The same was for Andrew Garfield.  At least I hadn’t seen anything he’s done (or not in a movie I’d recollect much of).  I took a quick research on what he’s done: The Social Network, Never Let Me Go, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, etc.  Okay, I saw Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus but that movie didn’t really make much of a good impression on me, so most days I tend to forget what it was truly about.  I did come back and just finished watching Never Let Me Go (finally gave me the extra push to pick it off my shelf and watch it).  I am down for more of him as Spider-man.  I never read the comics to start with so I’m not sure what Peter Parker is supposed to resemble as the original character in the comics, but I do like this dorky, lost, slightly clumsy act he has but at the same time, learning and growing.  His character development was really done very well and I think that helps in the whole storyline and makes this movie good.

On the line of the cast, Emma Stone was great.  I love her as an actress already and she did this role very good as well.  I’m also a big fan of Sally Field so when I knew she was doing the role of Peter’s aunt, I was overjoyed.  As always, she did a stunning job.  What else can I say about the cast, I liked Martin Sheen as Peter’s uncle.  The last role I say of Rhys Ifans, The Lizard, it was in Pirate Radio/The Boat That Rocked and he did a fantastic job there.  I actually had to search up his filmography to be sure it was him.  I’m not exactly sure what The Lizard was supposed to be like but I saw some pictures online for it but I just find he is the most poorly CGI one in the movie but it wasn’t a big deal for me.  My boyfriend said that in a movie that relies so much on CGI, there’s a point that you can’t really complain so much where there’s just one aspect that didn’t work as well.  I agree with that.

Let me tell you one thing though: I loved the movie.  It was a fun movie that mixed in a bit of humor, wasn’t too serious and the cast was great.  The effects were amazing, and the 3D enhanced the experience quite a bit.  I was thoroughly impressed.   It kept me pretty focused through the whole movie.  There were scenes that had I had expected something to happen and still, despite expecting it, I was still buying into it completely and getting me to feel what I should for the characters.  The storyline was enhanced by decent character development.  Its definitely worth the visit at the theaters, just for the whole 3D experience even.   Just a sidenote, remember to stay for a bit into the credits, there is an ending in between.  Maybe its to work up to a second movie? I don’t know but at this point, I’m in for a second one if it happens.