06-27-2003, 08:27 AM
Although being the Hulk has its upside ("a dream of rage, and power, ... and freedom") Bruce Banner is a martyr in this movie, carrying a heavy burden of emotional baggage but also a 'mutant power' and form that separates him from the rest of humanity.
So, Absorbing Man (the Dad trying to realize his lifelong dream through his son) absorbs the electricity to become a lightning bolt, then rocks, then water. The point of Absorbing Man wrestling with the Hulk is to steal some of the Hulk power for himself. This battle ends with the Hulk shouting at Absorbing Man to "Take it! Take it all! See if you can handle it!" or something like that, referring the green mist that was Hulk power or blood or something streaming into Absorbing Man. Of course Dad can't handle it but the Hulk can, because Dad is petty and craves power while the Hulk/Bruce ultimately has his inexhaustible, justifiable rage as his source of power and would nobly renounce his power if he could. Dad at last turns into the last element, air, in the form of a giant bloated cloud which is "unstable" by Absorbing Man's own dialogue, and he urges the Hulk to "Take it back, take it back!". The gamma bomb goes off when Absorbing Man is most vulnerable, killing him (and as far as the authorities were concerned, the Hulk also).
The whole epilogue about 'one year later' is just reassurance to the audience that the Hulk survived the "Gamma Bomb", and that sequels are on the way.
So, Absorbing Man (the Dad trying to realize his lifelong dream through his son) absorbs the electricity to become a lightning bolt, then rocks, then water. The point of Absorbing Man wrestling with the Hulk is to steal some of the Hulk power for himself. This battle ends with the Hulk shouting at Absorbing Man to "Take it! Take it all! See if you can handle it!" or something like that, referring the green mist that was Hulk power or blood or something streaming into Absorbing Man. Of course Dad can't handle it but the Hulk can, because Dad is petty and craves power while the Hulk/Bruce ultimately has his inexhaustible, justifiable rage as his source of power and would nobly renounce his power if he could. Dad at last turns into the last element, air, in the form of a giant bloated cloud which is "unstable" by Absorbing Man's own dialogue, and he urges the Hulk to "Take it back, take it back!". The gamma bomb goes off when Absorbing Man is most vulnerable, killing him (and as far as the authorities were concerned, the Hulk also).
The whole epilogue about 'one year later' is just reassurance to the audience that the Hulk survived the "Gamma Bomb", and that sequels are on the way.
Growler
"To excuse such an atrocity by blaming U.S. government policies is to deny the basic idea of all morality: that individuals are responsible for their actions." -- Salman Rushdie writing of September 11th
"To excuse such an atrocity by blaming U.S. government policies is to deny the basic idea of all morality: that individuals are responsible for their actions." -- Salman Rushdie writing of September 11th