10 "Awful" Comic Book Movies Worth A Second Chance

2. Hulk

After Daredevil, Hulk was the second misstep in the comic movie renaissance of the early 2000s. After complaining for years that comic books aren't taken as seriously as they should be, fans finally got their wish when Ang Lee was brought on. And it was apparently a case of "be careful what you wish for," because Hulk was slammed by fans for a lack of Hulk Smash moments. This may be the first time I've ever seen a superhero film criticized because it wasn't just a brainless summer blockbuster. The CGI Hulk in this film may pale in comparison to The Incredible Hulk or The Avengers, but we have to remember that this was 2003, and it was pretty impressive at that time. Eric Bana's not as impressive a Banner as Edward Norton or Mark Ruffalo would go on to be, but he's no slouch. Jennifer Connolly's Betty Ross is leagues and leagues above Liv Tyler's hollow shell and the great Sam Elliot was born to play Thunderbolt Ross. Lee also had some wonderful directing choices, with the split-screen to resemble comic book panels. It's not the kind of thing you'd want to see in every comic movie, but it worked very effectively in Hulk. All that being said, there are still problems. Bana, though he does a good job, is completely over-shadowed by his co-stars. Nick Nolte is still too over-the-top, and the decision to combine Banner's father with the Absorbing Man wasn't a very good one. The changes to the Hulk's origin story with Bruce growing up adopted was completely pointless. And the climatic battle between Hulk and David Banner is such a visual mess that even after seeing the movie about a dozen times, I still cannot really tell you what the hell actually went down.