The Incredible Hulk (2008) or, Hulk 2: The Hulk vs. Abomination!

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A seemingly shameful co-star Edward Norton stands in the shadow of his incensed monstrous alter ego on this very dark poster for Louis Leterrier's The Incredible Hulk

Bruce Banner has isolated himself in Brazil, where he is nevertheless discovered by the US military, who are eager to use his gamma-induced mutation for weapons purposes. Banner's attempts to squelch his green fury fails, and he instead finds that he has to fight the Russian-born madman Blonsky.

 

The Incredible Hulk is written by Zak Penn (Elektra (2005)), based on the Marvel Comics character created in 1962, and directed by Louis Leterrier (The Transporter (2002)). It is a kind of reboot of the character, following Ang Lee's Hulk (2003).

On the back of the unfair reception of Lee's fantastic film, it must be said that Leterrier's fanboy appeasement version here is not a gamma ray better.

There's great action, good-looking effects and some neat cast choices: William Hurt (The Village (2004)) as the cynical general is on-point; Liv Tyler (Ad Astra (2019)) is dishy, - but lacks the depth Jennifer Connelly supplied in Lee's film, - and Edward Norton (Primal Fear (1996)) and Tim Roth (The Misfits (2021)) as his enemy are good.

The Incredible Hulk is very cheesy and has thin spots, (as when Hulk towards the end quells a helicopter fire with a clap), and the monster battle climax lacks dramatic air. But it is an entertaining spectacle.

 

Related posts:

 

Louis Leterrier: 2013 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED VI]

Now You See Me (2013) - Cocky stars trapped in empty construction

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess  

Clash of the Titans (2010) - Leterrier's CGI-stuffed remake is surprisingly good

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 137.5-150 mil. $ (different reports)

Box office: 264.7 mil. $

= Big flop (returned 1.76-1.92 times its cost)

[The Incredible Hulk was released 6 June (Colombia) and runs 112 minutes. Norton, who was not Leterrier's first choice for Banner, was very active in the making of the film, writing his own script, disagreeing with the actual film's ending and runtime, and eventually got denied credit for this writing. Shooting took place from June - October 2007 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, California, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, British Columbia and in Ontario, including in Toronto. The film opened #1 to a 55.4 mil. $ first weekend in North America where it spent another 2 weekends in the top 5 (#2-#5), grossing 134.8 mil. $ (50.9 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 15.1 mil. $ (5.7 %) and Mexico with 12.6 mil. $ (4.8 %). The film also reportedly made at least 80.3 mil. $ on the North-American home video market alone. Roger Ebert gave the film a 2.5/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. The Banner/Hulk character was subsequently laid to rest until The Avengers (2012) and its sequels, then portrayed by Mark Ruffalo, but has not had a character-focused feature since The Incredible Hulk. Leterrier returned with Clash of the Titans (2010). Norton returned in Pride and Glory (2008); Tyler in Super (2010); and Roth in Skellig: The Owl Man (2009, TV movie), Sea Wolf (2009, miniseries) and theatrically in King Conqueror (2009). The Incredible Hulk is fresh at 67 % with a 6.20/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of The Incredible Hulk? 

Planet of the Apes (2001) - Some entertaining fun in Burton's mixed bag sci-fi actioner

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Star Mark Wahlberg fronts a group of human/simian characters looking our way on this gloomy and crowded poster for Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes

In 2029 an astronaut crash-lands on a planet where apes are the dominant race and humans are their subordinates.

 

Planet of the Apes is written by William Broyles Jr. (Cast Away (2000)), Lawrence Konner (The Many Saints of Newark (2021)) and Mark Rosenthal (Mighty Joe Young (1998)), adapting Pierre Boulle's (The Bridge Over the River Kwai (1952)) same-titled 1963 novel, previously adapted for the same-titled 1968 masterpiece by Franklin J. Shaffner and its 4 sequels. The film is directed by Californian master filmmaker Tim Burton (Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)), whose 9th feature it is.

It is an atypical venture for Burton, who fails to make a really good new interpretation of the fascinating source material. 

Mark Wahlberg (All the Money in the World (2017)) as Captain Leo Davidson, this version's human on the ape planet, doesn't muster what it takes to make his character anywhere near interesting. The fight scenes lack dynamic energy and don't bring anything new, which is a big problem for an action movie.

An important quality, however, are the good-looking ape costumes, prosthetics and makeup, which helps us to accept the simian supremacy surprisingly fast. Especially Tim Roth (Broken (2012)) and Paul Giamatti's (Win Win (2011)) ape performances are fun. The reversed world, where apes are in control (over us), is also still thrilling, and especially the film's first half is quite good.

 

Related posts:

The Apes franchise: War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) - Reeves and Co. astonish with truly spectacular film that finishes the Ape circle 

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) or, Ape 3.1: Mad Apes!
Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973) or, The Final Ape!  
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) or, The Ape Uprising   
Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) - The enjoyable if farfetched second Apes sequel
Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) - Decent follow-up to the SF milestone  
Tim Burton: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016) - Burton and a fine cast bond with auspicious material 

Dark Shadows (2012) - Fun, flamboyant vampire romp is a celebration of culture
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess
Alice in Wonderland (2010) - Wasikowska is the perfect lead for Burton's visual wonderland 
2007 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) or, Tim Burton's Bloody Theatrics 
Corpse Bride (2005) - Impressive, loud, hollow, dark doll fairytale 
Ed Wood (1994) - Burton's sticky biopic with strenuous Depp 

Top 10: Best fantasy movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 
Batman Returns (1992) - Burton gives us the ultimate, Gothic spin on Gotham City and its sinister characters
Top 10: The best action movies and TV-series reviewed by Film Excess to date
Batman (1989) - A huge, glitzy, empty joker
Beetle Juice (1988) - Burton and team serve one of the best horror comedies ever   

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 100 mil. $

Box office: 362.2 mil. $

= Big hit (returned 3.62 times its cost)

[Planet of the Apes was released 26 July (Hong Kong, Puerto Rico) and runs 120 minutes. Development of a new Apes movie had been ongoing since the late 1980s with a long list of talent involved including Adam Rifkin, Tom Cruise, Charlie Sheen, Peter Jackson, Sam Raimi, Oliver Stone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Phillip Noyce, James Cameron, Roland Emmerich, Michael Bay and the Hughes brothers, - before Burton was finally hired. Wahlberg was paid 8 mil. $ for his performance. Production was rushed with shooting taking place from November 2000 - April 2001 in Australia, Arizona, Utah, California, including in Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and in Hawaii. Burton insisted that the apes be created with practical effects and not CGI. The film opened #1 to a 68.5 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 2 weekends in the top 5 (#2-#5), grossing 180 mil. $ (49.7 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 24.7 mil. $ (6.8 %) and France with 20.2 mil. $ (5.6 %). It was the 10th highest-grossing film of the year in North America, and the 9th highest-grossing in the world overall of the year. The film was nominated for 2 BAFTAs and a Grammy, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 2.5/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. The film earned an additional 40.8 mil. $ on video rentals in North America in 2001 alone. Plans for a sequel never came to fruition, - and Burton stated that he "would rather jump out a window" than direct a sequel to the film, - as the franchise was instead rebooted for a new trilogy starting with Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011). Burton returned with The World of Stainboy (2000-01) and theatrically with Big Fish (2003). Wahlberg returned in Rock Star (2001). Planet of the Apes is rotten at 44 % with a 5.50/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Planet of the Apes?

Grace of Monaco (2014) - Few attractions in Dahan's deeply flawed biopic

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Nicole Kidman beautifully centered, dressed and made up on this glamorous poster for Olivier Dahan's Grace of Monaco

Grace Kelly is one of the world's most beautiful and adored movie stars, when she decides to retire early to be the princess of Monaco full-time in 1956. Five years later the small European country is on a collision course with France, while Grace is struggling to be in her new 'role'.

 

Grace of Monaco is written by writer/co-producer Arash Amel (Erased (2012)) and directed by great French filmmaker Olivier Dahan (Déjà Mort (1998)).

Kelly's story supplies luxurious, appealingly sounding material for the stars, who nevertheless should probably have read the script here with a more critical awareness. Partly we regrettably don't get an attachment to pre-Monaco Kelly, - either through a montage or otherwise, - partly Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Bright Star (2009)) far from strikes one as the world's greatest filmmaker in his portrait of Alfred Hitchcock; - partly André Penvern's (Vidocq (2001)) portrait of French president Charles de Gaulle is caricaturist; - partly Kelly's closest confidante is her Catholic priest (Frank Langella (Alegría (1999))), but their relation is only vaguely drawn, and they also never discuss anything religious! - But the list of problems for Grace of Monaco goes on beyond these...

Nicole Kidman (Paddington (2014)) does an honest job as Kelly, and Tim Roth also adorns the film nicely as prince Rainier, but Grace of Monaco's biggest attraction remains Kidman's hair and jewellery. Part of the problem also lies in our inability to agree with Kelly's decision to cling to Monaco: As audiences we would much rather see her leave the snobbish, small-minded gilded cage hell in favor of starring in Hitchcock's Marnie the way he wants her to. The romanticizing of the early 1960s is skillfully upset by the conflicted atmosphere that permeates the film. Unfortunately Grace of Monaco moves around too superficially in the certainly difficult period and person's life, which it attempts to portray. It fails as an engrossing biopic and climaxes in a nonsense-like speech, which Kelly gives at a grand Red Cross ball, - in itself an odd climax, - which adds the final weight that breaks the film. Unfortunately Grace of Monaco is just about completely bereft of profundity.

 

 

Watch a short trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 30 mil. $

Box office: 27.6 mil. $

= Huge flop (returned 0.92 times its cost)

[Grace of Monaco premiered 14 May (Cannes Film Festival, opening film, out of competition) and runs 103 minutes. Amel's script had appeared on the 2011 Hollywood Black List, a list of the most-liked unproduced scripts in tinseltown. Shooting took place from October - December 2012 in Italy, France, including Paris, Belgium, including Brussels, and in Monaco. The film was embroiled in controversy over its editing: Dahan's version premiered in Cannes; Amel's version was distributed by The Weinstein Company, whose head Harvey Weinstein decided not to release the film theatrically in North America; and a third cut was released as a Lifetime TV movie in North America. The film's 3 biggest markets were Japan with 5.7 mil. $ (20.7 % of the total gross), China with 4 mil. $ (14.5 %) and Italy with 2.5 mil. $ (9.1 %). The film was nominated for 2 Primetime Emmy awards. Dahan returns with Simone - Le Voyage du Siècle (2021). Kidman returned in Before I Go to Sleep (2014). Grace of Monaco is rotten at 9 % with a 3.40/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Grace of Monaco?

Funny Games (2007) - Haneke recreates his strong critique of movie violence consumption for the American audience

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+ Best Home Invasion Thriller of the Year

Naomi Watts has been in better shape (but also worse, in a few cases) than on this confrontational, unsettling poster for Michael Haneke's Funny Games

A harmonic married couple are sought out in their idyllic summerhouse by two young men, who torment them and their young son as a part of their 'funny games'.

Funny Games is written and directed by great German filmmaker Michael Haneke (Hidden/Caché (2005)) and is a shot-by-shot remake of his impactful original Funny Games (1997), which was made in Austria.
This US replication of the unforgettable work has only altered very little from the scenario. The original film for some reason has a stronger impact, I find, because the couple are German-speaking, and the language comes out a bit quicker and more naturally. That aside the new Funny Games is a successful remake, and it is a testament to Haneke's almost insane artistic consequence that he recreates his most creep-out unpleasant film this meticulously.
Funny Games gives us violence-desensitized audiences a sobering slap across the face. The new ensemble of actors all perform well; Naomi Watts (Chuck (2016)) again shows her talent for portraying awfully afflicted females (as seen also in great film such as Mulholland Dr. (1999), 21 Grams (2003) and The Impossible/Lo Imposible (2012).)

Related posts:

Michael Haneke: 2012 in films - according to Film Excess
Amour (2012) - Tender love, unseizing death in Haneke's pictures
2007 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
Hidden/Caché (2005) - Haneke's slick, cold surveillance drama-thriller 

Watch a trailer for the film with Spanish subtitles here

Cost: 15 mil. $
Box office: 7.9 mil. $ 
= Huge flop (returned 0.52 times its cost)
[Funny Games premiered 20 October (London Film Festival, UK) and runs 111 minutes. Haneke has said that he wanted to make the original film in the US, but was not practically able to at the time. Instead the set from the 1997 film was meticulously recreated for the new film. Shooting took place in New York in and around September 2006. The film opened #21 to a 544k $ first weekend in 286 theaters in North America, where it added two more cinemas in its 2nd week but only lessened in rank, grossing 1.2 mil. $ (15.2 % of the total gross). The film's biggest market was Italy with 2.1 mil. $ (26.6 %); North America was the 2nd biggest, and France was the 3rd biggest with 1 mil. $ (12.7 %). Haneke returned with The White Ribbon/Das Weiße Band - Eine Deutsche Kindergeschichte (2009). Watts returned in The International (2009), Tim Roth (The Con Is On (2018)) in Virgin Territory (2007), and Michael Pitt (Criminal Activities (2015)) in 4 video, TV and a bit part credits before he reclaimed the major screen again in Seven Psychopaths (2012). Funny Games is rotten at 51 % with a 5.64/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Funny Games?

Four Rooms (1995) - Rodriguez, Tarantino & Co. fail with LA hotel anthology comedy

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Tim Roth appears as the strained bellhop at the center of it all on this poster for Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino's Four Rooms

At the Hotel Mon Signor in Los Angeles, Ted is the newly installed bellhop, who is quickly briefed about his job and begins on New Year's Eve for a night in which four rooms cause different kinds of problems for him.

Four Rooms is an anthology comedy from writer-directors Allison Anders (Strutter (2012)), Alexandre Rockwell (In the Soup (1992), Robert Rodriquez (El Mariachi (1992) and Quentin Tarantino (My Best Friend's Birthday (1987)), inspired by the adult short fiction of Roald Dahl (Beware of the Dog (1944)), especially his Man from the South (1948).
Most prominent of the 4 filmmakers at the time was, and still is, Tarantino, who may have indulged an overly developed self-confidence (after the huge success of Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Pulp Fiction (1994)) here, as he writes himself into his segment, the film's last, playing a famous director no-less. He becomes an obstacle in himself, between audiences and the story. But the concept of one troublesome hotel room for each filmmaker becomes too divided and dubious, - mostly because none of the segments are very good.
An added grievance in Four Rooms is Tim Roth's (United Passions (2014)) performance as Ted the bellhop, which is so exaggerated, caricatured and unfunny that it inevitably mars the entire picture.
What redeems parts of Four Rooms anyway, is some of its supporting actors: David Proval (Newsbreak (2000)) as a mean bastard with an inferiority complex, Antonio Banderas (Black Butterfly (2017)) as a tough father and Bruce Willis (Rugrats Go Wild (2003)) (before another character's pinky finger is cut off).

Related posts:

Robert Rodriguez:  The Faculty (1998) or, Teacher Encounters of the Third Kind
From Dusk till Dawn (1996) - Tarantino, Rodriguez and chums' enjoyable Mexico vampire extravaganza
Desperado (1995) - Rodriguez' second Mexico actioner is a sexy, latino fireball
Quentin Tarantino: 2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
Django Unchained (2012) - Tarantino's gutsy, colorful 'Southern' 
Inglourious Basterds (2009) - The Movies take revenge on Nazi scum
Top 10: Best car chases in movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 
Death Proof (2007) - Tarantino's awesome, rubber-burning Grindhouse homage 
From Dusk till Dawn (1996) - Tarantino, Rodriguez and chums' enjoyable Mexico vampire extravaganza (writer-star)
Desperado (1995) - Rodriguez' second Mexico actioner is a sexy, latino fireball (actor) 

Watch a clip from the film here - this one is from Rodriguez'a segment

Cost: 4 mil. $
Box office: 4.2 mil. $ (North America only)
= Uncertain
[Four Rooms premiered 16 September (Toronto International Film Festival, Canada). Shooting took place in Los Angeles, California, including at Hollywood's Chateau Marmont hotel from November - December 1994. The film peaked at #18 in 319 theaters in North America. Its international grosses are not reported, but it was released in more than 20 foreign markets. Its theatrical status cannot be made up without these numbers. Madonna won a Razzie for Worst Supporting Actress for her performance in the film. Roger Ebert gave the film a 2/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. Anders returned with Grace of My Heart (1996), Rockwell with Louis & Frank (1998), Rodriguez with From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) and Tarantino with masterpiece Jackie Brown (1997). Four Rooms is rotten at 14 % with a 3.5/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Four Rooms?

Dark Water (2005) - Salles' great, intensely creepy chiller

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+ Best Remake of the Year

The chilling poster for Walter Salles' Dark Water

QUICK REVIEW:

A divorce-torn mother moves into a shabby building with her daughter, whom the father does everything in his power to regain custody over. The flat is plagued by water damages, and both mother and daughter experience disturbing occurrences.

Dark Water is a remake of Hideo Nakata's (Ringu (1998)) great Japanese horror movie of the same name from 2002, written by Rafael Yglesias (From Hell (2001)) and directed by Brazilian master filmmaker Walter Salles (The Motorcycle Diaries/Diarios de Motocicleta (2004)). It is an atmospherically dense horror, which lives up to the high quality of the original with intriguing characters, which has more to them than revealed at first glance.
Jennifer Connelly (Requiem for a Dream (2000)) knows her stuff in the lead, and she is supported by Tim Roth (Youth without Youth (2007)), John C. Reilly (The Lobster (2015)) and Pete Postlethwaite (The Constant Gardener (2005)), who all give fine performances. Ariel Gade (Call of the Wild (2009)), who portrays the girl, is also convincing.
Dark Water has skilled production design by Thérèse DePrez (The Drop (2014)) and ditto photography by Affonso Beato (The Queen (2006)) as well as an eminent score by Angelo Badalamenti (A Late Quartet (2012)), which results in a thoroughly unpleasant creeper in the vein of Repulsion (1965)). Dark Water is an impressively strong goosebumps and nightmare machine...

Related review:

Walter Salles: On the Road (2012) - A great ensemble and cinematography make Salles' good Kerouaca adaptation overcome its flaws

2005 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

In lieu of a trailer for the film, which isn't to be found on Youtube currently, here's a 2012 interview with director Walter Salles

Cost: 30 mil. $
Box office: 49.4 mil. $
= Big flop
[Dark Water was released July 8 and runs 105 minutes. It opened #4 to a 9.9 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it grossed 25.4 mil. $ (51.4 % of the total gross). Its 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Mexico with 2.9 mil. $ (5.9 %) and the UK with 2.5 mil. $ (5.1 %). The film flopped mainly due to its illogically high budget. Dark Water fared poorly with critics generally, who didn't seem able to appreciate its many qualities. It is rotten at 46 % with a 5.5 critical average on Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Dark Water?