History Film / Hulk

** Not to mention the liberal use of NotTheFallThatKillsYou and SoftWater.* BadassAngster: Bruce/The Hulk. His {{Badass}} is actually fueled by his feelings of abandoment and anger problems, which trigger his transformations.

* BadassAngster: Bruce/The Hulk. His {{Badass}} is actually fueled by his feelings of abandoment and anger problems, which trigger his transformations.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic: Among other things, the [[TheDeadliestMushroom nuclear explosion]] associated with the classic Hulk origin is alluded to by the nuclear self-destruct going off when [[spoiler:David kills Bruce's mother in front of him -- the moment the Hulk was truly born]].
* YouFailPhysicsForever: Even if super-jumping is a power that the Hulk has in the comics, the jumps he make in this film just do not work. Something of that much mass would weigh a couple of tons, and yet he jumps like gravity is reduced for him. Gravity does not work that way.
** Not to mention the liberal use of NotTheFallThatKillsYou and SoftWater.

* OscarBait: A ''rare'' superhero film example. Stands in stark contrast to most CriticProof superhero movies including ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk''. Though this pleased the critics, this formula for a superhero film [[{{Understatement}} did not work well at all]] for ''Hulk'' at the box office, where it made a record drop in revenue from first to second week. It was so bad that film franchise was rebooted after only four years, retargeted to the more profitable LowestCommonDenominator.

* GuineaPigFamily: David experimented on Bruce.

* NeverTrustATrailer: The trailer made it seem like a regular action movie. Considering the Hulk takes 45 minutes to appear, it is far too focused on drama.

* ViewersAreGeniuses: Why this movie was critically well-received.
* ViewersAreMorons: Audiences tended to want an easy-going popcorn thriller with fast-moving action and "[[CatchPhrase Hulk smash!]]"
** That's hardly fair, the film has several things fundamentally wrong with it. The revised origin for the Hulk was fairly well received by both fans and the public alike but the cheesy scene transitions, hammy acting, forgettable special effects, silly story elements, and overall poor direction are what killed it. Even if critics loved certain elements of it the movie as whole was and still is regarded as a mis-step.
*** I'd think all of that's a point where Your Mileage May Vary, considering that the film's pretty much a critical favorite among film critics now, like myself and others, especially in the light of it's more average sequel/reboot. Really, it seems like the only people out there who have such a malignant impression of the film were what the OP is referring to, and they do state this pretty clearly, oftentimes. Whether or not that's justified considering the character is YMMV, as well.
**** And then there's the "Hulk Poodles."
***** To be fair, that's from the comics.

*** And then there's the "Hulk Poodles."
**** To be fair, that's from the comics.

Dr. David Banner (Nick Nolte) was a researcher for the U.S. military, [[BioAugmentation finding ways to enhance soldiers genetically]]. Denied permission to use human test subjects, he [[ProfessorGuineaPig began experimenting on himself]], and later on his son Bruce, who inherited ''something'' from his father. Everything ends when Lt. Colonel "Thunderbolt" Ross discovers David's experiments, and Banner sets off the military base's (nuclear and green) self-destruct mechanism before ''something happens'' with him and Bruce's mother...

The film was ultimately a box office bust, it broke even but that's about it and has a "sequel"/reboot 5 years later with ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk''. It was (in)famous for having the opposite critical/audience reaction of the 2008 version. Audiences hated it, but critics gave it generally positive reviews. The comparison between this film and the 2008 version is considered one of the cardinal examples of how critics' reaction to a blockbuster-type film is often diametrically opposite to its chances of box office success -- if critics love the film, movie-going audiences are likely to hate it, and vice versa. This is related to how [[OscarBait most critics are intellectuals]] while entertainment tends to do better financially if it appeals to the LowestCommonDenominator, [[CriticProof even if critics hate it]]. And even then while audiences responded better to ''The Incredible Hulk'' it ''still'' wasn't that financially successful.

** That's hardly fair, the film has several things fundamentally wrong with it. The revised origin for the Hulk was fairly well recieved by both fans and the public alike but the cheesy scene transitions, hammy acting, forgettable special effects, silly story elements, and overall poor direction are what killed it. Even if critics loved certain elements of it the movie as whole was and still is regarded as a mis-step.

* {{Narm}}: The (in)famous comic-styled scene transitions and {{split screen}} effects used wore out their welcome for many. In particular, the effect used when SmugSnake Talbot is killed in an explosion is an iconic head against wall moment for the film. (The AgonyBooth's recap of the film dubbed it '''[[http://agonybooth.com/recaps/Hulk_2003.aspx?Page=10 The Single Most Gloriously Stupid Image Ever Captured On Film]]'''.)
** The "Hulk poodles" Bruce's father David unleashes were derided from the moment rumors about them appeared.
** And let's not forget Nick Nolte's ''amazing'' bout of ham at the end.

See also the [[Game/{{Hulk}} game based on this movie]].

See also the [[Game/Hulk game based on this movie]].

(In)famous for having the opposite critical/audience reaction of the [[Film/TheIncredibleHulk 2008 version]]. Audiences hated it, but critics gave it generally positive reviews. The comparison between this film and the 2008 version is considered one of the cardinal examples of how critics' reaction to a superhero film is usually diametrically opposite to its chances of box office success--if critics love the film, movie-going audiences are likely to hate it, and vice versa. This is related to how [[OscarBait most critics are intellectuals]] while entertainment tends to do better financially if it appeals to the LowestCommonDenominator, [[CriticProof even if critics hate it]].

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: The Hulk's rampage after breaking free of the military base.
* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: DannyElfman's music played during the above-mentioned CrowningMomentOfAwesome.

* LoveItOrHateIt: There is a number of people who genuinely like the film who consider it an interesting blending of 60's Hulk story telling with 80's character issues. And of course plenty hate it.

* TrueArtIsAngsty: My God, Bruce whines a lot.

* UncannyValley: Hulk's green CGI skin was completely opaque, which unsettled a lot of people.
** Not to mention that Ang Lee insisted on doing all of the motion control for the Hulk including his facial expressions. [[{{Understatement}} That wasn't a good combination]].

* {{Narm}}: The (in)famous comic-styled scene transitions and {{split screen}} effects used wore out their welcome for many. In particular, the effect used when SmugSnake Talbot is killed in an explosion is an iconic {{Wallbanger}} for the film. (The AgonyBooth's recap of the film dubbed it '''[[http://agonybooth.com/recaps/Hulk_2003.aspx?Page=10 The Single Most Gloriously Stupid Image Ever Captured On Film]]'''.)

* Not to mention the liberal use of NotTheFallThatKillsYou and SoftWater.

* YouFailPhysicsForever: Even if super-jumping is a power that the Hulk has in the comics, the jumps he make in this film just do not work. Something of that much mass would weigh a couple of tons, and yet he jumps like gravity is reduced for him. Gravity does not work that way

* ChewingTheScenery: David Banner, just before his transformation.

* OscarBait: A ''rare'' superhero film example. Stands in stark contrast to most CriticProof superhero movies including ''[[Film/TheIncredibleHulk The Incredible Hulk]]''. Though this pleased the critics, this formula for a superhero film [[{{Understatement}} did not work well at all]] for ''Hulk'' at the box office, where it made a record drop in revenue from first to second week. It was so bad that film franchise was rebooted after only four years, retargeted to the more profitable LowestCommonDenominator.

** Not to mention that Ang Lee insisted on doing all of the motion control for the Hulk including his facial expressions. [[{{Understatement}} The wasn't a good combination]]

Years later, Bruce [[strike:Banner]] "Kenzler" (Eric Bana) is an emotionally repressed researcher at UC Berkeley working on using a combination of gamma radiation and {{nanomachines}} for medical purposes; they're able to get the test animals to heal, but they keep exploding in cancerous growth. Adding to his stress are his co-worker and ex-girlfriend Betty Ross (Jennifer Connelly), and Glenn Talbot, who's trying to buy Bruce's lab from Betty for ''General'' Ross. Bruce is forced to [[TakingTheBullet Take The Bullet]] for a lab tech who got trapped with a gamma-ray emitter about to go off and nanomachines in the air, and... wakes up later completely normal. Well, ''better'' than normal; all of his minor aches and pains have somehow healed themselves. Still, somehow he survived when every frog who went through this exploded -- and the weird new janitor (Nick Nolte) is very interested in what Bruce has done...

* YouFailPhysicsForever: Even if it is a power that the Hulk has in the comics, the jumps he make just do not work. Something of that much mass would weigh a couple of tons, and yet he jumps like gravity is reduced for him. Gravity does not work that way

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic: Among other things, the [[TheDeadliestMushroom nuclear explosion]] associated with the classic Hulk origin is alluded to by the nuclear self-destruct going off when [[spoiler:David kills Bruce's mother in front of him -- the moment the Hulk was truly born]].