What is it about underdogs that make them so darn likable to read and watch? Is it that their quirky character traits remind us of ourselves? We love rooting for the underdog because we know that in entertainment, the underdog will somehow miraculously come out on top. Then we can claim their victory over some unstoppable power as our own, taking pride in our inner pencil-necked geek.
If there is one character that is the undisputed champion of “Geek’s Gone Wild” – it’s Dr. Bruce Banner. He’s the quiet nerd with a big heart, which just wants to love a sweet girl named Betty. Bruce is the guy around the block you tend to forget since you’re so used to walking all over him. But, that’s the problem. When he asks you to leave him alone, you had better. Else, he’ll unleash his inner Hulk – literally. And, literally, his Hulk will Smash.
Throughout comic history, the Incredible Hulk has always been a character that just loves to smash, and we love watching him smash. But, the stories of the Hulk usually dealt with more than non-stop fighting. The Hulk was a conflicted character that just wanted to be left alone. It took a certain kind of writer to help show us the Hulk was more than a raging beast; he was the misunderstood monster with a heart.
Hulk’s venture into the world of animation was always lacking. How can the Hulk smash if he had to worry about the pansies at the FCC?
Well, thanks to Marvel’s journey into production, the Hulk can finally Smash through Home DVD releases – free from the burden of Saturday morning cartoon restrictions. Problem solved. Hulk Smash.
“Hulk VS” is the latest release from Marvel Studios. Instead of one long full feature, you get two mini movies: “Hulk Vs. Wolverine” and “Hulk Vs. Thor.” Get ready for a non-stop smash-fest with all the tantalizing blood spatter trimmings you’d expect from a Hulk fight, minus an intricate plot.
In “Hulk Vs. Wolverine,” Wolverine is called in to stop Hulk from tearing up the Canadian wilderness. It’s a classic comic tale, with a Weapon X flavor. All of your old Weapon X favorites, like Sabertooth and Omega Red, show up to add some spark to this brawl – with one major addition. Deadpool. Yes, Deadpool. Finally, one of the coolest comic characters around has made his way into an animated movie. And, he’s totally uncensored. What you get is a fabulous combination of bullets, blood and brash comedy.
In “Hulk Vs. Thor,” the All-Father Odin will take his semi-frequent nap, allowing Loki to run wild. This time, Loki is calling on the power of the Hulk to kill his brother and wreak havoc all over Asgard.
When it comes to story, “Hulk vs. Thor” is the better of the two movies. “Hulk Vs. Wolverine” touches on Wolverine’s history with the Weapon X project, but has a shallow story overall. What wins on this movie is Deadpool, hands down. From the brilliant voice-over characterization by Nolan North, to excellent character scripting, Deadpool wins where the plot fails. “Hulk vs. Thor” has the most thought out plot of the two, but after watching “Hulk Vs Wolverine,” you’ll be wondering if they couldn’t have added in a few laughs.
The downside to this DVD release is the frame rate issues, especially noticeable on “Hulk Vs. Wolverine.” Shortly after Deadpool and Weapon X are introduced, you will notice some annoying flicker whenever a character does any major movement. At first, you’ll think it’s in the style. But, it’s clear that this was not tested for compression before it was released. Luckily, you may be so focused on Deadpool’s comedy you won’t notice.
Bonus Features
Hulk Vs. Wolverine
- Audio Commentary by Supervising Producer/co-writer Craig Kyle and co-writer Chris Yost
- Audio Commentary by Supervising Director Frank Paur and Storyboard Artists Kevin Altieri and Butch Lukic
- “This is Gonna Hurt: The Making of Hulk Vs Wolverine” featurette
- “Fan Frenzy: Hulk Vs Wolverine at the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con” featurette
- “First Look - Wolverine and the X-Men” featurette
- Trailer Gallery
Hulk Vs. Thor
- Audio Commentary by Supervising Producer/co-writer Craig Kyle and co-writer Chris Yost
- Audio Commentary by Supervising Director Frank Paur, Animation Director Sam Liu and Color Key Design James Peters
- “Of Gods and Monsters: The Making of Hulk Vs Thor” featurette
- “Jack Kirby and Thor” (original Thor comic illustrator) featurette
- “First Look - Thor Tales
Buy Hulk Vs. (Wolverine & Thor)
Release Date: January 27, 2009
The Vs Thor portion is another example of the terrible sense of scale that Marvel continues to entrench regarding Hulk.
The pathetic fight that Thor put up against Hulk was simply sad. Just like the recent Avengers DvD, once again Hulk is, irrationally “the strongest one there is”. This is especially sad when you compare Thor’s performance against that of Wolverine.
Thor, God, Defender of Midgard and Asgard, get mashed by what is essentially a green and very fortunate cancer patient. While Wolverine somehow manages match Hulk round after round.
I hope that Marvel doesn’t make the same mistake with the Thor movie - its sold as an epic intro to another aspect of the Marvel universe, and I hope it lives up to this.