Planet Hulk
When the Hulk's presence on Earth becomes too great a risk, the Illuminati trick him to board a shuttle destined for a planet where he will be able to live in peace, and launch it into space. The Hulk's struggle to escape causes the shuttle to malfunction and crash land on the planet Sakaar, however, where he is sold into slavery and trained as a gladiator.
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- Cast:
- Rick D. Wasserman , Marc Worden , Mark Hildreth , Kevin Michael Richardson , Sam Vincent , Lisa Ann Beley , Advah Soudack
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Reviews
I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.
The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.
I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.
An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.
Instead of opting for a 6-hour mini-series that fully explores the dense Planet Hulk story we get an 80-minute no-frills interpretation. It's good, but it could have been amazing.Bruce Banner is gone, and this is not his story. All that remains is the Hulk. The Illuminati banish him from Earth as his rage causes too much destruction. The ship is sucked into a wormhole and transports Hulk to the other side of the Universe to the planet Sakaar. As he emerges from the wreckage he is enslaved (temporarily weakened by the wormhole) and thrown into a Gladiator contest with other slaves. Not taking too kindly to such treatment Hulk strikes back and kickstarts a revolution which will change the whole planet.A lot of good stuff has been cut out. But on the upside the ending is much better and more upbeat. I just can't help but mourn what could have been though. The Planet Hulk story is truly epic, and to strip it down to the bone doesn't make much sense to me.
How I long for a world where this could be live action. A world where Hulk films could get Avatar style budgets and returns. It would be so beautiful. Until that day, I can enjoy the wonderful Marvel Animated films. This is certainly one of their best. It sees the Hulk sent into space and finding his place in the world (another world). We are treated to classic gladiator battles, some excellent supporting characters, and a final battle that doesn't disappoint. It's running time keeps it engaging and fast, mixing the Hulk SMASH! with a little bit of character development. We also get to see Beta Ray Bill being ass kickingly awesome. Overall, a great comic cartoon film with loads of action and wickedness.
Honestly, before seeing this movie I was a bit cynical. The characters looked like those in X Men Evolution and Ben Ten so I thought it would be just another boring and mediocre direct to video release. But soon afterward I was proved wrong, not only is "Planet Hulk" one of the best animated films released in decades, the movie could start a trend in more mature animated features geared primarily towards grown up audiences. The storytelling here is just stupendous, there is no dull moment whatsoever and you really care and root for the protagonist super(anti)hero and other supporting cast. The story though would not be that effective if the animation and art were lousy and I'm glad to inform all Hulk fans that the high standards employed by the movie's art department is beyond excellent and will totally blow you away. This film is nothing short of an achievement above the sea of mediocre animation releases saturating the market. Highly recommended
I really, really like the Hulk. I grew up on the Bixby/Ferrigno series. I collected the comics. I watched the cartoons. Hell, I even think I had the underoos. Despite all of this, "Planet Hulk" left me feeling extremely disappointed and highly doubtful about Marvel's overall strategy for their DTV line. But first, here's what I liked.The story had respect for its audience and didn't hold any punches when it came to the violence. When beings made of solid rock got their hands on creatures that weren't, bodies were pulverized. People who were felled with bladed weaponry actually bled out and died. The Hulk even got a hole punched in his chest, which is always cool to see. All of this culminated in us seeing a child burning to ash in a woman's arms—really heavy stuff that pushed the boundaries of a PG-13 rating.Thankfully, all of this bloodshed was beautifully rendered by Studio Madhouse. As a fan of animation, I can't ask for anything more than a production to be detailed and move fluidly. And, in this, "Planet Hulk" delivered in abundance. I especially noticed this during the two scenes involving the Spikes. The way those creatures were drawn and the way those things were animated rivaled anything H.R. Geiger has ever put out.Lastly, I liked the running time. Be it D.C., Marvel, or Dark Horse, animated DTV's tend to run from 60 to 75 minutes. This one was 80. Now a five minute difference may not seem like much. But, to me, it's a major step towards approaching proper feature film length. If the majority of the viewing public is ever to take these projects seriously, they need to measure up to live action films in length. Yet, there was one thing one major thing about "Planet Hulk" that left a bad taste in my mouth.I didn't much care for the Hulk. I realize this is based off a 2006 comic storyline, but this isn't a comic book. This is a movie that has to appeal to a larger base than the fans who follow a title from month to month and year to year. And this wasn't the version of this character to do it—at least not for a Hulk fan like me.The iconic version of the Hulk is nothing more than Bruce Banner's reaction to danger. He comes out, smashes the threat into grease, and then, once the coast is clear, turns back to Banner. Yet, in "Planet Hulk", comicdom's other famous Bruce is nowhere to be seen. And, to find out why, you have to watch the film with the commentary track. Now, while I thought the explanation was solid, it should've been covered in the film. No, this wasn't the only omission.The iconic version of the Hulk has the mindset of a child. When he talks, he utters simple phrases like "Hulk smash" or "leave Hulk alone". Yet, here he throws out a few complex sentences like "walk out that door and you're all going to die" and "good, now I know who to smash". Worse, this film gives him the capacity for abstract thought. One instance is when, instead of attacking the immediate threats, he waits until the guy calling the shots is revealed. Much, much worse, it's never covered directly in the story or indirectly in the supporting materials why or what has increased his intelligence. And no, I'm not done detailing what was left out.What the hell is an Old Strong? In this film there's a woman who, while no larger than a normal human, is just as strong as the Jade Jaws. The only explanation given for this is that she's an Old Strong—for whatever the hell good that does.Then there's the lack of dramatic tension. The Red King, the major baddie, doesn't want the Hulk subdued, captured, or bent to his will—he wants him to be executed. Well, simply put, you can't kill the Hulk. I've seen his head chopped open by helicopter blades, his middle run through with a two foot thick shard of rock, and his body reduced to little more than a skeleton. He usually makes a full recovery before the page is up. The recent movies have also put this unequaled healing factor on display as well. So when the Red King wants the Hulk to be killed, it doesn't up the ante. It doesn't add to the suspense. It just makes the major antagonist seem inordinately delusional."Planet Hulk" feels more like a cut and paste job than a true film. In this case, Marvel Films cut out the Hulk and pasted him onto a scenario which could best be described as Spartacus in Space. However, they took a version of their character most will not be familiar with that doesn't really have any longevity. Then the creative team failed to explain the numerous changes to the Hulk's status quo from his more iconic depiction. I wanted to like this movie, and planned on buying it. However, now that I've seen it in all of its lackluster glory, my money will go towards something else.Oh, and on an aside, regarding the upcoming "Tales of Asgard"—WTF. The fans of the Mighty Thor comics aren't going to want to see the Odinson as a teenager trying to find his way. The more casual fans, who may not be as familiar with the character, definitely won't. In both cases, they'll want to see the helmet, the cape, and, without doubt, the hammer that serves as his trademark. If Marvel Films can't figure that out, then maybe they should leave the DTV market to D.C. and Dark Horse.