Hulk

Ang Lee, noted for his such subtle human dramas as Eat Drink Man Woman and The Ice Storm, seemed an odd choice to direct this superhero fantasy. The result, made before the more polished Marvel Cinematic Universe was kickstarted by 2008's Iron Man, remains a curate's egg of a movie, and is unlikely to fully satisfy anyone. The childhood trauma that feeds Bruce Banner's rage is an oddly grim subplot for what began life as a summer blockbuster, while the later action scenes feel tacked on despite their technical virtuosity. Matters aren't helped by Eric Bana's detached performance as Bruce Banner, but Nick Nolte injects a soupçon of fun as the older incarnation of his deranged dad and Lee's use of editing - including split screens to suggest comic-strip frames - is quite innovative. Overall this is worth a look, if only to experience a rare but laudable example of big-budget Hollywood taking a risk.