Like any commercial aficionado, I was firmly planted on my couch watching the Super Bowl — or as I called it, “The Bowl of the Seven Seas.” Although I am already tired of all the best of/worst of commentary, I haven’t seen any mention of my personal picks for the alpha and the sucka. Perhaps movie trailers don’t count. I begrudgingly toss my hat in.
The loser: Universal Pictures.
They have a cave troll — and they call it the Hulk. I was excited at the promise of a first real glimpse at the computer animated behemoth. The sad story of Bruce Banner is one of the comic book classics. But judging by the new trailer, the film could be a less memorable tragedy.
What I saw of “big green” fell drastically short of my expectations for computer characters. I mean, look at, say, Gollum in “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.” I had to consciously remind myself during the film that he was an animated character. His movement was natural, his expressions were full of life and he conveyed a sense of presence absent from most animated characters when seen with real people.
The Hulk, on the other hand, looked like Shrek on steroids. He was a cartoon. Though the still shots on the official site (www.thehulk.com) are pretty, the trailer exposed a beast that didn’t seem believable. Like I said, he looks like a cave troll — devoid of humanity. If we can’t see the Hulk’s human side through the monster, the movie will fail.
But maybe I’m wrong. “The Hulk” doesn’t come out until June, so maybe they’re just keeping us guessing. It has a lot going for it, such as director Ang Lee, whose film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” was everything I wanted and more. Then there’s Jennifer Connelly, whom I would jump into a black hole after, even if she didn’t deserve that Oscar. And I’m really excited about the cameo appearance of Lou Ferrigno, who played the Hulk in the television series of the late 1970s.
Yeah.
The winner: Warner Brothers.
I knew “The Matrix Reloaded” was coming this year. I knew it would turn my bones to jelly by the raw force of its awesomeness. But it wasn’t until I saw the new trailer on Sunday that I truly walked the path.
There was Neo, in all his “whoa”-inducing glory, fighting 100 agent Smiths. Talk about upping the ante. The trailer hit me with so many awe-inspiring visuals, my head was spinning.
Which is good, because it prevents idle thoughts about what conflicts Neo could possibly have. At the end of “The Matrix,” Neo is Superman. He can fly. Within the computer world, he is God. So, not even 100 Smiths should pose a problem — and maybe they won’t. Maybe it’ll just be some serious ass-kicking.
I’d like to say that’s enough, but what made the first film so great was the combination of ass-kicking while tapping into timeless ideological myths. It was Jesus putting the smack down. Where do they go from there?
It has such potential to get silly, and I’m worried. But I’m also anxious. And while “The Hulk” trailer had me willing to wait for them to make a believable character, the “Reloaded” trailer left me hoping May was tomorrow.
Well, I have contributed to the slew of unnecessary commentary on Super Bowl byproducts. And, you know, I feel a surprising sense of release.
Contact the Pulse columnist at [email protected]. His views do not necessarily represent those of the Emerald.
