Before there was the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there was Ang Lee’s ahead-of-its-time Hulk, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this summer. Yes, it’s about the rather enormous green guy who smashes stuff when he’s angry… but that’s like saying that Hamlet is about a college kid who goes crazy. Lee finds comic-book vibes with split-screens and simultaneous multiple views that replicate the kinetic energy of the panels of a graphic novel, but he makes it feel like a cerebral and satisfyingly disconcerting stew of Jekyll and Hyde and King Kong and Greek tragedy. This is an art film disguised as a popcorny summer action flick, and it’s high time it got due reconsideration as a modern classic. (Read my 2003 review.)
US: stream on Hulu; rent/buy on Prime and Apple TV
UK: rent/buy on Prime and Apple TV
See Hulk at Letterboxd for more viewing options.
