Tim Roth

REVIEW: The Incredible Hulk (2008)

As scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) tries to stay one step ahead of the U.S. Government, he searches for a cure for the monster he turns into, whenever he gets angry.

The Incredible Hulk starts off as more of an action thriller than a typical superhero film. Banner is on the run from the US Government led by General Ross (William Hurt), a man who is single-minded in his determination to capture Banner and cares very little about who may get caught in the crossfire. The scenes where Banner is hiding out in Brazil are a highlight, especially the foot chase through the favela and when you catch your first glimpse of the Hulk.

It’s a pity the film doesn’t keep up that same momentum throughout its runtime. There are some good action set pieces, the confrontation between the Hulk and the Army on a University campus is especially good, but the final battle is not. It’s dull and typical and offers little in terms of character.

The Incredible Hulk’s main problem is that it has a simple yet weak story. Bruce wants to find a cure for the monster inside him, but as anyone who knows this character knows it’s futile. While it’s nice to have a more small-scale journey for the reluctant hero, Banner feels like a cardboard cut out of a character as the Bruce Banner/Hulk story is one that is so well-known it is as if whoever wrote the script didn’t feel they had to try that hard. Actors like Liv Tyler as Dr. Betty Ross are underutilised, and Tim Roth is a weird choice to portray Emil Blonsky and he never really feels as if he settles into the role.

The Incredible Hulk is not a memorable film. This is in part because besides the first act, it never gets that exciting. The Incredible Hulk is a more broody action film, and as Norton isn’t a particularly dynamic lead, it can feel more dull than entertaining. 2/5.

REVIEW: The Hateful Eight (2015)

the hateful eight posterIn post-Civil War Wyoming in the dead of winter, bounty hunter John Ruth (Kurt Russell) and his prisoner Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) take shelter in a cabin already occupied by a collection of nefarious characters. No one is who they seem and John Ruth must protect his bounty till the blizzard passes.

The Hateful Eight is Quentin Tarantino’s eighth film and if you know anything about Tarantino and his type of films, you’ll kind of know what to expect from The Hateful Eight. There’s a lot of swearing, a lot of fast-talking, and a lot of violence and blood. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but what it does, it does well.

Joining John Ruth and Domergue in the cabin are Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson) another bounty hunter, Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins) a man who claims to be the sheriff but no one really believes him, Bob the Mexican (Demián Bichir), Oswaldo Mobray (Tim Roth) the hangman, General Sandy Smithers (Bruce Dern) a quiet old man with a grudge and Joe Gage (Michael Madsen) a shifty-looking cowboy. All these characters together in a small space lead to an explosive showdown. However, the problem is that it takes a long time for them all to come together in the cabin. The first third or so of The Hateful Eight dragged as it was incredibly dialogue heavy and you only followed a couple of characters. Once everyone was together in the cabin, you got to see how all these different characters interacted and bounced off each other and that was the true delight in The Hateful Eight. (more…)