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(About Our Ads) "THE HULK" (2003) (Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Minor Moderate Extreme *Moderate Extreme Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild Minor Heavy None Mild Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Moderate None Heavy Moderate Extreme QUICK TAKE: Sci-fi: A scientist and his hulky alter ego must contend with various forces that want the latter's genetic makeup for military purposes. PLOT: Many years after his scientist father, David Banner (NICK NOLTE), conducted unapproved genetic experiments on himself and then passed on their aftereffects to his offspring, Bruce Banner (ERIC BANA) has followed in his footsteps by becoming a genetic researcher. Working side by side with his ex-girlfriend, Betty Ross (JENNIFER CONNELLY), Bruce hopes to find a way to make damaged cells regenerate. Yet, when he's accidentally exposed to what should have been a lethal dose of gamma radiation, Bruce's genetic makeup is forever changed. Unbeknownst to him, pent up anger and external agitation cause his body to mutate into a monstrous, hulky being. That development entices both Betty's four-star general father (SAM ELLIOTT) and the greedy corporate figure, Glenn Talbot (JOSH LUCAS), who wants the Hulk's genetic makeup for military purposes. From that point on and as Betty tries to help and protect the brooding Bruce, and David tries to connect with and then manipulate his son, the Hulk must contend with General Ross and the rest of the military that want to capture and then later kill him. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of this particular comic book character, comic book adaptations in general, and/or someone in the cast, it's a good bet they probably will. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For sci-fi action violence, some disturbing images and brief partial nudity. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: ERIC BANA plays a young scientist whose genetic heritage and an exposure to gamma rays turns him into a sort of Jekyll and Hyde being where anger results in him turning into a monstrous being. JENNIFER CONNELLY plays his former girlfriend and current coworker who wants to help and protect him from her father and others. SAM ELLIOTT plays her stern father, a four-star general who initially wants the Hulk for research purposes and then wants to stop and kill him. JOSH LUCAS plays the corporate/military figure who similarly wants the Hulk, or at least a piece of him, for his company. NICK NOLTE plays Bruce's deranged father who's obsessed with his past research and its aftermath on both himself and Bruce. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a brief summary of the content found in this sci-fi drama that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of a handful of expletives, while some colorful phrases are also present. Brief partial nudity (a male bare butt) is seen in the shadows at night, and it's possible some other fleeting nudity (in the same visual conditions) is present, but none of it's graphic. Violence consists of military personnel repeatedly attacking and trying to kill the Hulk with all sorts of weaponry (gunfire, missiles, other explosives), while he causes all sorts of property damage. At least two people are killed (one by accident in a flashback), others are presumably killed or injured, some fighting is present, and a person initially appears to be electrocuted after biting into a large electrical cable. Those scenes and others, including the transformations into the Hulk and one sequence where monstrous mutant dogs attack and battle the Hulk (he kills them) might be unsettling, intense or even scary to younger viewers (all depending on their age, level of maturity and tolerance for such material). Bad attitudes and tense family material (including a boy seeing his mother accidentally killed) are present, as are some potentially disturbing and/or bloody/gory scenes. A few characters briefly drink. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, some of that occurs late in the film. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE David has a drink. Bruce and Betty drink beer following a failed experiment. BLOOD/GORE We see a milky substance come from a starfish when it's cut open in a lab. Later, we see a wound on a frog heal, but gross-looking bubbles then form and get bigger on the frog until they (and presumably the frog) explode (only briefly seen). We see blood filling a vial as Betty takes a sample from Bruce for testing. We see a cut on David's hand that bleeds blood that then coagulates and turns into a bubble of sort that then hangs below his hand. The hand then goes through various physical transformations (some of which are slightly gross looking). We briefly see a wound on the Hulk's skin that quickly heals. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE For those who don't like animal research, there are various scenes of that early in the film. Glenn wants sample tissue from the Hulk and is willing to kill him (and thus Bruce) to get it. General Ross wants to contain the Hulk and thus does whatever he deems necessary, including trying to kill him (and thus Bruce as well). David sends his pack of mutated dogs to kill Betty. He also kills another person and maybe more. Some guerillas in some jungle try to steal medicine from people who need it. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" might also be unsettling, suspenseful or even scary to some viewers, particularly younger ones. In addition, it's possible young kids could find the Hulk, his intense transformation, appearance and actions as scary, while some visual bits of imagery (showing distress and nightmarish types things) could be intense or unsettling for some younger viewers. For those who don't like animal research, there are various scenes of that early in the film, including a starfish being cut into, a monkey reacting to some sort of gas being pumped into its cage and a frog exploding. In a scene where Bruce is just 4-years-old, alarms go off and his mother collects him. His father then comes home and takes his mother into another room behind closed doors where Bruce hears them arguing (but we don't immediately know the outcome of this scene). For those scared of dogs, there's one scene where a dog suddenly barks (menacingly) at a person, while another features three monstrous dogs (mutations) that attack the Hulk and try to get at Betty in her vehicle. The Hulk crashes into a body of water after falling a long distance from the sky (where he was so high up that he started to lose consciousness and have ice form on him while riding on the back of a jet). David bites into a large electrical cable and is shocked (but then draws power from that cable). GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Machine guns/Attack helicopters/Tanks/Missiles/Various Bombs: Used in attacks on the Hulk in various scenes. See "Violence" for details. We see the mushroom cloud of a nuclear blast in Betty's dream. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "You look like a massive nerd," "Screwed up (mess)," "Let's cut the crap," "You pathetic freak," "You weak little speck of human trash" and "Loonies." Younger kids might be enticed to try to act like the Hulk. David bites into a large electrical cable and is shocked (but then draws power from that cable). JUMP SCENES A huge, monstrous dog suddenly shows up at Betty's car window. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A heavy amount of suspenseful and action-oriented music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 3 damns, 2 asses (1 used with hole), 1 hell, 1 crap, 2 uses of "Jesus" and 1 use each of "G-damn" and "Oh God" as exclamations. SEX/NUDITY There may be nudie type pictures on the wall in David's place (such as a woman bending over, seen from the side), but they're so small and seen from such a distance that no details can be noted. We briefly see Bruce's bare butt (and a fleeting frontal view, if that, since it's very dark) in the shadows at night as he walks up to Betty's car after turning back into himself from being the Hulk. During some of the Hulk moments before that, it's possible that some nudity is also present, but it's very dark and in the shadows as well. SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Young Bruce (4-years-old) hears his parents arguing in another room, but we don't immediately know what happens. Bruce tells Betty that his parents are dead and doesn't want to say anything more about that. Betty reports having dreams where she was abandoned as a child (and we see her father rushing off with other military people and leaving her in a diner). We hear that Betty and her father are not speaking. Later, Betty meets with her father for the first time in a long time but then leaves quite upset. We see a flashback of Bruce's mother stopping his father when he comes at the 4-year-old with a kitchen knife. They fall to the floor and the knife apparently goes into the mother (we don't see the wounding or wound, but do see the mother -- as does the boy -- as she stumbles off outside and then collapses). TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Scientific experiments, including that of gene manipulation. Bottling up one's anger or emotions inside, as well as how to vent or release them. Military operations. VIOLENCE When David says that the former janitor he's replaced is dead, it's somewhat implied that he killed him. A coworker is accidentally shocked in an experiment. Bruce then steps in to shield him from unleashed gamma rays and takes the full brunt of them himself (but turns out not to have been harmed). The Hulk ends up doing all sorts of damage to the inside of a lab (smashing equipment, walls, etc.). He then picks up some large "ball" like device and throws it through a wall (it blasts outside and then lands on a car, crushing it). He then blasts through the roof of the building. Glenn pushes and then struggles with Bruce, eventually punching him. He then has him pinned to the floor with his hand on his throat. Bruce then turns into the Hulk and throws Glenn off him (he lands on a sofa). We then see Glenn and that sofa come blasting out through a house's wall and the Hulk then kicks another man aside. Soldiers/agents open fire on the Hulk with machine gun fire, but it doesn't hurt him as he then throws various men aside, including throwing Glenn into another man, injuring him. We later see Glenn with a neck brace and his arm and leg are bandaged (and the arm is in a sling). Gargantuan, monstrous dogs approach and then attack the Hulk. He fights them off by punching, biting and throwing them off (one crashes into a tree). This continues for a bit as they keep attacking him (and two smash into each other when they jump at him but hit each other). One seriously bites into his shoulder, but he ends up apparently killing all three (we see his action of hitting and smashing them, but don't always see the impact of that). In the end, Betty's car is smashed by both a dog and the Hulk attacking that dog. A dart is fired into Bruce's leg, resulting in him losing consciousness from whatever's in it. David flips a large floor panel with his foot, knocking a guard to the floor. He then smashes that guard (we see the impact, but no details) with a large piece of equipment (presumably killing him). Glenn repeatedly uses a stun stick to shock Bruce in hopes of getting him to turn into the Hulk. He then punches him. We see a flashback of Bruce's mother stopping his father when he comes at the 4-year-old with a kitchen knife. They fall to the floor and the knife apparently goes into the mother (we don't see the wounding or wound, but do see the mother -- as does the boy -- as she stumbles off outside and then collapses). The Hulk causes more property damage. Men open fire on the Hulk and then spray him with foam that encases him in a hardened shell. Glenn then approaches with a drill he plans to use to retrieve a tissue sample, but the Hulk knocks him backwards. Glenn then fires a grenade at the Hulk that bounces off him and lands in a wall. It then explodes and presumably kills a person (stylistically shot with no gore or the result). Men then riddle the Hulk with machine gun fire, but he escapes after causing more property damage. A missile strikes a house, destroying it with a large explosion that also partially hits the Hulk. The Hulk then knocks a chopper from the sky. Cluster bombs explode all around the Hulk. Various military vehicles open fire on the Hulk with machine guns, missiles and grenades (that hit or explode around him, but don't harm him). The Hulk flips over a tank, spins it around and then lets it fly (it goes a long distance before hitting the ground -- we don't know the fate of the crew). The Hulk rips the turret off a tank and then uses that to smash another tank. A tank shoots and hits the Hulk as he uses that turret as a shield of sorts. He then bends another's cannon backwards. Attack helicopters open fire on the Hulk with machine gun fire. He grabs one and smashes it to the ground. He then grabs a missile and throws it back at a chopper, barely missing it (and that chopper nearly crashes into another). More choppers open fire on the Hulk, but one is hit and crashes. Others then open fire on huge rock formations to cause them to collapse and land on the Hulk (we don't see the impact, but he's later okay as he emerges from beneath the boulders). The Hulk crashes into a body of water after falling a long distance from the sky. We see a representation of the Hulk grabbing Bruce through a mirror in anger. Jets fire missiles into the water at the Hulk (resulting in some underwater explosions). The Hulk causes a street to buckle, a streetcar to derail (with some people falling out) and some cars to crash into each other. He then slams his fists down onto the street, causing various cars to bounce and flip down over each other. David bites into a large electrical cable and is shocked (but then draws power from that cable). The Hulk and another character get into a fight/battle where each struggles with the other (with hitting, etc.) and the other character begins to sap power from the Hulk (after being thrown, along with a large rock formation, into a body of water). A huge bomb hits two characters (we don't know the outcome of that). A person pushes another person. Reviewed June 17, 2003 / Posted June 20, 2003