Amph "You're making me angry." - The Incredible Hulk

The Incredible Hulk kicked all kinds of ***. Finally, comic book flicks are back on the upswing. After the less desirable third sequels to both Spidey and the X-Men, I was getting a little worried that it was the end for good flicks in the genre, TDK aside. But between this one and Iron Man... Whoo! This is one helluva summer for Marvel. Of course, DC's answer is gonna destroy everything that came before it.

-T_S_R

 

Both "The Incredible Hulk" and "Iron Man" were great. Two of the most entertaining comic book movies I have seen a long time. Good thing Marvel's getting back on track after a few misfires(Spiderman 3, Fantastic Four:Rise of the Silver Surfer). Buuuuuuuut "The Dark Knight" is still gonna kick both of their butts though,IMO.

 

Latest "Hulk" may not spawn a sequel

 

^ ^ ^ I've been saying that for awhile now... but now that I see the hard figures, I'm not so sure we won't see a sequel. After all, Ang Lee's Hulk was deemed worthy of a continuation of the character, even if the franchise was perceived to be in need of a reboot. If this movie matches the performance of the first film, which no one expects it fail to do, it stands to reason we'll see a sequel. Note that the movie still hasn't opened in Japan, which is super-hero and Hulk-friendly.

 

I thought this film was incredible. There were a couple of times during movie where I found myself saying "woah, that was freaking awesome." The whole scene where he's fighting the army on the campus. That was one of the coolest action sequences I've ever seen. I'm sad to hear they might not make a sequel.

 

I think whether or not it gets a sequel will depend on how well The Avengers turns out. I mean if Avengers is really good and it's partly due to the Hulk, there'll be a Hulk sequel.

-T_S_R

 

Yeah, I think the soonest we'll see the Hulk or any characters from it again will be in Iron Man 2, Thor, Ant-Man, or Avengers before we see its own solo sequel.

 

The rest (cept maybe Avengers) is noise until I get my Captain America story.

 

Just out of curiosity, do you want a Cap story that ends with his 'death'? A lot of people seem to think that's the plan, so that it sets up his reappearance in Avengers.

Personally, I think the Cap movie should tell a self-contained story that comes off as one of many adventures during WWII. None of this sequel set-up nonsense.

I'd also prefer to avoid making Cap's origin story the focus of the film. Make it a film about Cap being Cap. The origin story can easily be sped through in a quick prologue (ala The Incredible Hulk, though perhaps with narration) or revealed over the course of the film (ala 1989's Batman).

 

IMO they should still do the origin and not rush through it. He doesn't have the benefit of a lot of heroes where they have mainstream appeal and most people know the origin story of the character. Not to mention I think if you reduce the dramatic change in Steve Rodgers you lose an aspect of what makes him great. He is Captain America not because of a the Super Soldier Serum but because of his ideals, the serum just gave him the ability and strength to fight for those ideals. I guess you can summarize that in just a few lines but quite frankly I doubt it will have the same impact.

As to whether or not they leave the story with him being frozen in is something I am somewhat conflicted about. For him to go from weakling Steve Rogers to Captain Popsicle in the same two hour period is trying to cram in roughly three years of history. My suggestion would be go the Batman Begins route and tell his origin in flash back, possibly a story he tells a worried compatriot to inspire him.

Maybe they can leave either his origin or his final battle for the prologue of the Avengers movie...i don't know.

IMO the final battle would be the perfect cliff hanger though...the best way to cap off the end of the movie.

 

Like it or not, Marvel is approaching the Cap film as a direct set-up to the Avengers movie. Cap is slated for release in May of 2011, and the Avengers film will follow in July of the same year.

 

To me, this is even more of a reason why the film should focus on Captain America as Captain America.

Hollywood has forgotten that superheroes are supposed to be cool just when they're running around being superheroes. They should be interesting enough without back story that the audience wants to hear it. Think of Indiana Jones; we don't know that much about him at first, but seeing him in action makes us want to.

I think a large part of the reason that second installments in superhero movies over the past decade have almost unanimously been considered superior to the originals is that the originals tend to dwell too much on setting things up. Spider-man and Batman Begins in particular end with a feeling of "That was great, but now I can't wait for the REAL movie!"

Most people care about Bruce Wayne because they want to know more about Batman. As you say, most people aren't even that familiar with Captain America, why not introduce them to the main personality first, and THEN explore the alter-ego?

 

I totally agree. I just think that the movie should avoid focusing on Steve Rogers, the poor 4f weakling and his experience with the super-soldier formula. That stuff I think could easily be covered in a quick opening sequence or a flashback or two at the right moment, so that the bulk of the movie can (like Cap) focus on clobbering Nazis.

Ideally, the Captain America movie would serve as a launching point for a potential series of WWII-era Cap movies. Marvel should save the frozen 'death' scene for either

A. the opening of the Avengers movie, or
B. the climax of a second or third Cap movie. Just refer to the explosive climax when they find him in Avengers, but leave the big scene itself for the finale of the closing chapter in the WWII Cap series.

I would just prefer if they wouldn't put the 'death' at the end of the first Cap movie, because that pretty much eliminates the possibility of more WWII adventures.

 

Yeah, Halcyon, I initially disagreed with you, but now I hear what you're saying, I totally agree. Start with Cap as an established persona during WWII, and only reveal his origin story (which is barebones anyway) during the course of the film, as needed.

 

See to me the alter-ego is what makes Cap interesting. Anyone can put on the suit and many have an be Captain America. In the broadest sense he is just a symbol really. But its Steve Rogers himself that defines why Cap is such a phenomenal character. To diminish that reduces the character entirely. Now I am not suggesting that we abandon Cap as a symbol and what he means on the field and what makes him interesting as a hero, but IMO without Steve Rogers and knowing where he came from and why he is there, you lose the whole foundation of the character. Again don't dwell on this aspect but don't diminish either. Reducing that to a two minute title sequence diminishes the character entirely IMO.

On the point of where to put the freezing sequence I have to agree that the epilogue of the first Cap movie (set several years later in the war) or at the beginning of the Avengers movie is a requirement, because if you wait for the third or fourth movie to show that I think it will lose a lot of its impact and connection with the Avengers movie when they unthaw them. Too many people will be confused what happened to Cap in between.

Personally I think it would have been awesome to have his body found in a different movie between now and then. IIRC they were going to do something like that in Incredible Hulk but at the last minute the director cut that scene.

EDIT: What's everyone think about the rumours surrounding John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness of Torchwood fame) as a possible choice for Captain America?

 

If Barrowman is Captain American then one word...








*thud*

 

Hmm.

I think I'd rather see it as the actual climax of the film than as an epilogue. It's a heavy scene (or should be, I think).

Honestly, I think I'd be fine with Cap's 'death' being the climax of the main film, as long as the movie only covers the end of the war and thereby leaves room for other WWII-era films. The thing I just really DON'T want to see is a film that compresses Cap's origin through his 'death' in such a way that the film basically says, "This is all the Cap-WWII stuff worth seeing."

Unless of course they decided to take the Christopher Nolan/Ang Lee "Use the comic characters as a jumping point to make a regular movie" thing to a whole new level and made a three-hour epic that used Cap as a prism for viewing the course of America's involvement in WWII (or something)*. But it's pretty obvious that Marvel's getting back to the "they're superheroes!" roots, if Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk are any indication.


*If done right, such a movie could be fantastic, though. Just not as a part of the Marvel Superhero Film Universe that's starting up.

 

He's British, it won't happen.

 

Yet he nails an American accent with great ease.

 

He was pretty much raised in America, having lived there since he was 8.

 

I don't think they'll cast anyone not native to America in the role. Not saying he's a poor choice, I just don't see it happening.