ROTTEN TOMATOES: RT Review Revue: The Incredible Happening Hulk Tomato Showdown!

RT Review Revue: The Incredible Happening Hulk Tomato Showdown!

Hulk like movies, but do critics like this week�s Happening?

by David Chung | June 13, 2008

RT Review Revue
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After the Panda-filled, silky-coiffed fun of last weekend's releases, the summer movie season rolls on with everyone's favorite anger management case study, The Incredible Hulk, and M. Night Shyamalan's suicide-filled first rated-R movie, The Happening. In the first ever indoor/outdoor RT Review Revue, check out early buzz on these movies and satisfy your tomato fetishes via an epic and mildly violent RT Editor showdown -- thirty feet above the ground.

And of course, after hours of debate and $30 worth of Werther's Originals, we'll announce the winners of our official T-shirts. Last week's friendly Review Revue competition yielded political mudslinging, freestyle raps, and flattering stories about your RT fandom by our beloved viewers. Congratulations to the winners and a big thank you to everyone who participated!

So how do a simple article and adjective (big ups to School House Rock), five years, and a different cast and crew separate this weekend's The Incredible Hulk from 2003's Ang Lee-directed Hulk? Does Shyamalan's spontaneous suicide thriller sit well with critics when stacked up against his previous films? And to kick off your weekend, find out what happens when our "Most Athletic" editor Jen Yamato takes on former nose tackle Matt Atchity in a limited mobility showdown after their transformations into Tomato Hulks.

Tune in next week as we explore Mike Myers' sensual side in The Love Guru and take in Steve Carell's secret agent man in Get Smart!

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(1-20 of 57 posts) | Reply

jokerboy1991 writes:
on Jun 13 2008 04:31 PM

I thought the Hulk was good, a bit dissapointing. It wasnt very character driven, there was a little too much action, not that there is anything wrong with that but really they just didnt have much character development. I didnt like The Happening and I really wanted to love it. It just wasnt fun, it wasnt exciting, it wasnt scary, there is some bad acting, and sometimes bad dailogue. Im sure the Edward Norton cut of The Hulk must have been better, I hope they put that cut on Blu Ray along with that extra 70 minute cut.

(Reply to this)

jokerboy1991 writes:
on Jun 13 2008 04:34 PM

Also I think how there advertising The Happening by saying his first rated R movie was stupid. The movie isnt like a hard R bloody movie, thats a problem with it because it shows those deaths real quick and that didnt make them very effective or scary. I think its problem Shamylons worst movie, and I even liked the village and lady in the water. I hope he starts making movies again like the sixth sens, signs, or especially Unbreakable some day soon.

(Reply to this)

Critic 101 writes:
on Jun 13 2008 04:51 PM

After reading critic reviews on The Happening, I feel like the only person in the country who actually enjoyed the movie. not his best creation, but not his worst either.

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Jen Yamato writes:
on Jun 13 2008 04:54 PM

I'm Jen Yamato, and I do not endorse the use of my stinkface screencap in this video.

SIGH.

Well, I hope you all enjoy the battle!

(Reply to this)

davechung writes:
on Jun 13 2008 04:58 PM

Bitter beer face :)

T-shirt winners, check your PMs for a message from me!

(Reply to this)

tomwaitsjr writes:
on Jun 13 2008 04:59 PM

YES! I'm so happy I won the T-Shirt Contest along with 2 other deserving people. It's great you awarded the three of us.

I'd like to thank vaodsi and any others that gave me their support in the campaign.

The three Rotten Tomato critics have exceptional taste.

And, I was awarded a trip down memory rain with Jen's "Marky Mark" allusion.

Ahh, I think he and The Funky Bunch sang that tune in 1992. . .

(Reply to this)

jokerboy1991 writes:
on Jun 13 2008 05:07 PM

Yeah way to go Matt and Jen Tomato fight. Have you guys possibly thought about chanlenging the hulk and abomination to a tag team wwe fight? Possibly Paye Per view you could air it? You duys wouldnt totally win.

(Reply to this)

CaptainSiberia writes:
on Jun 13 2008 06:15 PM

And yet not one reference to Attack of the Killer Tomatoes?

The problem with Ang Lee's Hulk, besides a complete reinvention of the storyline that is immediately a slap in the face to fans of the comic, was... actually, it had quite a few problems. One, the tone felt oppressive. Two, it was wrong-headed in its story direction, putting in all these story elements that really didn't work. Three, Nick Nolte chewed up the scenery. Four, the storyline got formulaic in places. (Example: Jennifer Connely immediately recognizes The Hulk as Bruce.) Five, that stupid bathroom scene where The Hulk reaches through the mirror and attacks Bruce, saying that the Bruce and The Hulk are at war with one another when, really, they aren't. (Consider when Hulk saves that airplane pilot.) Six, they forgot that Hulk is a superhero and turned him into a misunderstood movie monster.

As for the "unrealistic" aspects of Ang Lee's Hulk, remember when The Hulk was jumping from one stone to another in the desert? That just looked wrong.

Gee, don't we all wish M. Night Shyamalan would make another Sixth Sense? And yet he fails us again and again. I really wish someone would take him aside and straighten him out.

(Reply to this)

smi1ey writes:
on Jun 13 2008 07:46 PM

Congrats to the deserving winners! I should have known that mudslinging brings forth great results. It's how America does it. It's how are forefathers have done it. Aaand it's worked out pretty well so far.

...

So that tomato fight was pretty dang epic. Are you guys gonna pay people to stand on street corners with signs in those outfits? Or better yet, can someone pay YOU to do that? :P As far as the movies go, I'm a fan of most Shyamalan's films, and I won't be seeing this one.

And am I the only person who thinks the new Hulk looks like he's from a game cutscene!? My gosh! So fake! Sorry Dave.

(Reply to this)

jokerboy1991 writes:
on Jun 13 2008 07:47 PM

You know I didnt think Ang Lees hulk was bad just not good (C ). I didnt like how he did those screen things, I felt like I was watching 24. I felt it could have been cut down 20 minutes or so, and I did think the dogs were stupid. I just felt the hulk was never really threatend where in the incredible hulk he is which was one reason why I liked it. Still think it could have been better though.

(Reply to this)

jokerboy1991 writes:
on Jun 13 2008 07:49 PM

Also is the hulk Tv show worth checiking out at all?

(Reply to this)

707PG13 writes:
on Jun 13 2008 07:51 PM

Another awesome installment! Thanks a lot for the 3rd place nod guys!!

much props to "Tomwaitsjr" for beating everyone at thir own game instead of trying to stick out like a sore thumb like I did.

So who do I gotta serve to win that tomato costume! jus kidding.

Dave, did you want us to check our profiles? jus a lil confused by the PM thing.

(Reply to this)

longfellow writes:
on Jun 13 2008 08:14 PM

What? It's pronounced tomato-meter? How uncultured! I've always pronounced it TOE-mah-TOM-eter. I'm crushed.

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Sadistik writes:
on Jun 13 2008 09:16 PM

thanks for the shirt! I promise to stop sending you all hate mail now!

Well, maybe not.

(Reply to this)

cherrytomato5132 writes:
on Jun 13 2008 09:48 PM

this was a b-movie...a modern-day invasion of the body snatchers, and I thought it was fantastic. It is what it is. B-movies have intentional sub-par acting, cliff hangers, and zombie-like plots. How many times can we see an Incredible Hulk? He can't make the sixth sense over and over, and he's criticized for the twist, and then criticized when it's missing...give him a break. If you laugh and jump in the same movie, you had an experience. period.

It was fine. go see it...you'll chuckle.

(Reply to this)

-apocolyptic- writes:
on Jun 13 2008 09:59 PM

In reply to this comment (#1788433)
I honestly loved the sixth sense until the jacobs ladder rip off.
Whom I am sure ripped it off from someone else(but didn't see it, so no preconceptions).
Why is everyone wanting to see another sixth sense?
It definetly had moments, but "the twist" was a let down(for reasons, see above).
The only problem with Ang Lee's version(from my eyes) was the ending and the poodles.
It had depth and character. Not much action, but still a good psycho-analysis on what one would do given the circumstances.

(Reply to this)

jokerboy1991 writes:
on Jun 13 2008 10:02 PM

In reply to this comment (#1788818)
Yeah but the happening didnt have a cliff hanger, and it wasnt sub par acting it was bad acting, the invasion of the body snatchers which is a classic had great acting and was never boaring.

(Reply to this)

davechung writes:
on Jun 14 2008 12:24 AM

707PG13,

In the top right of the header, click on "Messages," between "Blog" and "Settings" and look for a message from RottenDC and reply!

(Reply to this)

ThadSexson writes:
on Jun 14 2008 12:36 AM

HOnestly can people not think for themselves now adays. If the critics saya movie is bad so do you, you don't want to sound stupid by saying a movie was good when the critics say it was bad. THis is about The Happening. The Happening was beautiful, Wahlberg was excellent in it, Shyamalan did great at directing and writing this film. Don't you dare for one second put him down and say he's dissapointment to the film industry becasue he isn't, not one bit at all. He writes all his films what other director can say they ahve written every film they ahve written, i'll bet you the numbers under 2. The Happening was great, stop whining about it having no twist ending, Shyamalan never promissed a twist ending. It's rated R becasue kids get shot and people are dying all over the Gosh Darn place. BUt seriously don't call shyamalan a bad directir at all, all of his films have entertained me and my friends and i'll bet even most of you, but you say you dont like it becasue the CRITICS say it was bad. I used to go by that but now i can make the decision for myself. For instance Ebert of the best crtic in the world, my favorite critic, gave THe BUcket List 1 1/2 stars, and i out of sour stars give it a 3. When I'm entertained i like ot tell people that os maybe they will go see the movie and even enjoy it also, I dont say it sucked becasue the critics said it but becasue i thoght it sucked.
-Unbreakable-3stars
-Sixth Sense-3 1/2 stars
-The village-1 1/2 stars stars
-Lady in the Water-2 1/2 stars
-Signs-3 stars
-THe Happening-3 1/2 stars

(Reply to this)

MarkMortimer writes:
on Jun 14 2008 01:45 AM

Why do the three reviewers not review the movies themselves? All I heard was other critics said this, other critics said that!!!

(Reply to this)

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