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IRON MAN WORKED, THE HULK DID NOT
Movie Evaluation by Jeff Swenson

There are several reasons between the two films but ultimately I believe it comes down to one reason as to why Iron Man struck a chord with the American Public.

New Hulk movie Iron Man winner with public

I'm going to list some points here real quick and then conclude. It may already be obvious to most viewers who went and saw both films but let's see if you agree...

• The Hulk is about a war profiteer wanting to exploit Bruce Banner as a bio-weapon. Iron Man is about a war profiteer who sees the error of his ways and redeems himself, much like a religious process. The war profiteer in The Hulk can be seen as a misguided patriot. The war profiteer in Iron Man is an outright traitor, we have no misgivings in wanting to see him die horribly.

• Iron Man likes to get laid. Bruce Banner is impotent due to the possibility that the excitement will release The Hulk (reference the scene in bed where Bruce and Elizabeth almost get it on).

• The Hulk is about "guilt" for transforming into an uncontrollable beast who wreaks havoc on all around him. Yes he protects Elizabeth, but what about all of the property damage and collateral damage? Iron Man on the other hand destroys very little in comparison, maybe some empty street damage and his own facilities. You can't sue The Hulk, but you can sue Tony Stark to make amends if need be.

• Iron Man is a smart ass. The Hulk is a dumb ass.

• Iron Man can fly. The Hulk can jump. The Ang Lee version had some cool scenes of The Hulk traveling, almost flying with his jumps. This 2008 version does not. Fact is, there was very little that was clever about the action scenes in the new Hulk movie.

• The Iron Man villain seems more formidable and--while this is not a real word--more "hateable". The Hulk villain is kind of annoying, much like if Tim Roth were picking on you in real life. The Iron Man villain dies, The Hulk villain "Abomination" is beaten into submission.
Bruce Banner relationship cartoon BUT THE REAL REASON IRON MAN WORKS WITH THE AMERICAN PUBLIC AND THE HULK DOES NOT?
Iron Man kicks some terrorist ass in Afghanistan! The hero action movies have been very disappointing in this area. We are at "War with Terrorists" and politically that's debatable because it's hard to define such a war, but ultimately Americans want to see their heroes kick their enemy's ass.
It has nothing to do with right and wrong, but the simplification of right and wrong. We want Superman, Batman, Spiderman, and every type of comicbook hero to descend on the Middle East and throw out the villainous terrorist extremists. The same thing happened with World War II. Pulp stories of American Heroes conquering Nazis and Japs (yes, I know that's a derogatory term, but that's what was used back then) and it made the American public feel good and feel good about the war effort.

I guarantee you The Hulk would have been a success if the story somehow had taken him to Iraq where he was captured by insurgents. The terrorist captors film a video for their website about their supremacy of morality against The Great Satan--"Praise Allah"--and try to cut off Bruce Banner's head. He Hulks out and storms the terrorist camp. Suicide bombers rush him from every side and he claps them in his huge hands like snuffing candles.

American action filmmakers and producers have been far too timid from the obvious. The American public wants to see our heroes confront what is in the news right in front of us. And it doesn't have to be limited to terrorists. With the tide turning against Bush, I would love to see The Hulk stomp on Haliburton too. There are endless possibilities. Even Die Hard 4 wimped out by using virtual terrorism.

The Hulk ending hinted at a sequel (can you call it a sequel?) that would involve more than one hero forming a well known comic book team. Wouldn't it be great to see "The Avengers" take on the Middle East? Is there any other issue that is weighing heavier on American minds other than Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran? I realize there will be idiots who will confuse Islamofascism with the peaceful practice of Americanized Islam but those idiots are looking for any excuse to be bigots. I think it's time our hero films make the distinction. The series Sleeper Cell was able to do it, why can't Marvel Cinema?

 





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