Tuesday, June 17, 2008

If No One Else Is Going To Say It...

I guess I should. The Incredible Hulk is getting warm news coverage for its successful opening weekend ($55 million / $150 budget) but nobody is mentioning that its opening weekend was less successful than Ang Lee's Hulk ($62 / $137 budget) which everyone continues to pretend was a disaster.


I realize that opening weekend is only part of the financial picture. But it's still a kick to see such a sharp resolution reminder that even numbers, a topic that people think of as so measurable and hard facty, is so easily molded by opinions and consensus perceptions.

p.s. it seems there are other's who noticed. The glory of the internets: vast, mysterious, labyrinthine and endless places one can go...
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13 comments:

Robert said...

Well opening weekend numbers are never a good measure of quality as much as they are a measure of marketing.

The most telling number is usually the % dropoff from week 1 to week 2. I haven't seen this new hulk, and I sort of tread the middle of the road with Ang Lee's, but I don't think it's impossible that the bad taste left by Lee's had an effect on this one.

In 10 years we'll probably remember the Ang Lee one more. Bad get's remembered. Yawningly above average doesnt.

Anonymous said...

Well, I did say it yesterday. I even wrote it.

And I don't think it matters whether The Incredible Hulk ultimately does better than Hulk; the coverage so far (such as the AP story I cite) uses the opening weekend as proof that The Incredible Hulk is superior.

Facts be damned!

Anonymous said...

I think people are just surprised that "The Incredible Hulk" overcame the "Hulk" stigma, thus making its box office more impressive.

Glenn Dunks said...

Quite a few places I've read (Box Office Prophets, Hot Blog) have mentioned the discrepency.

NATHANIEL R said...

my bad. the places i went didn't.

Kurtis O said...

I'm one of the few people who actually kind of like Ang's film, with its ludicrous colors and comic book cell transitions. But honestly, I just dont care enough about that character or story to follow the big green oaf anywhere. Can we revisit Catwoman please? She has depth...mystique...and seven more chances for a life onscreen.

Jason Adams said...

I liked Ang's film too. It tried something different. I haven't seen Norton's iteration yet - and am probably gonna wait for DVD to be honest - but it sounds like just more big dumb superhero usual. And yes, I include Iron Man in "big dumb superhero usual", by the way. Lord knows I'm not a snob and can appreciate a good superhero yarn - Spidey 2, for instance - but the vitriol thrown at the first Hulk for going in another direction makes me sad. All these movies apparently have to try the exact same thing, over and over. Blah.

lylee said...

Me three (or whatever) on liking Ang Lee's "Hulk." Massively misunderstood and underappreciated movie, probably sunk by misleading marketing.

I have little, if any, desire to see the new one. Even though I heart Ed Norton.

Anonymous said...

Is it just me or did the trailer for the new Hulk remind you of The Bourne Ultimatum?

He's running from agents in Brazil, trying to stay under the radar and keep his cool... Even the cinematography took me back to Jason Bourne's m.o.

Turned me off completely, gonna wait for the dvd especially with this new info.

Anonymous said...

What matters to me is the fact that "The Incredible Hulk" had the second largest box office on a Father's Day weekend!

Anonymous said...

I didn't like Ang's version or this one. I think it is hard to adapt a big green man into a sucessful franchise.


~M~

Glenn Dunks said...

I still can't fathom how they can't make a good looking Hulk using today's visual effects. Both incarnations have looked silly, irrespective of the movies that surround them (I'm not a fan of the first, and haven't seen the second).

Marshall said...

I must say I enjoy the Anime influence on the new Hulk's face. I guess the figured if they couldn't make him look realistic he must as well look interesting.