"Planet Hulk" Feature Talkback (Spoilers)

[James Harvey]

Will he save their planet, or destory it?

​

Planet Hulk
Release Date: February 2nd, 2010
Directed by: Sam Liu
Producer and Supervising Director by: Frank Paur
Screenplay: Greg Johnson
Screen Story: Greg Johnson, Craig Kyle, Joshua Fine

Synopsis: He was a monster, impossible to control, too dangerous to ignore. So Earth’s mightiest heroes exiled him into outer space. But now the Incredible Hulk crash lands on the distant planet Sakaar, ruled by the tyrannical Red King. Welcome to Planet Hulk! Sold into slavery, Hulk becomes the planet’s mightiest gladiator—but his new masters get more than they bargained for when he forges a bond of brotherhood with his fellow fighters: crafty insectoid Miek, ruthless rock-man Korg, ex-shadow priest Hiroim, and the noble-born rebel Elloe. Unlike Earth, the desperate people of Sakaar believe a monster is just what they need. But will the Hulk be the one to save their world… or destroy it?

Please post all discussion concerning the feature movie here! Discussion for the DVD and Blu-ray releases can be found in the links provided below

Related Threads:
-Planet Hulk Feature Review (Spoilers)
-Planet Hulk DVD/Blu-ray Talkback (Spoilers)
-Planet Hulk Soundtrack Talkback (Spoilers)
-Planet Hulk Comic Book Talkback (Spoilers)
-Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow Feature Talkback (Spoilers)
-Doctor Strange Feature Talkback (Spoilers)
-The Invincible Iron Man Feature Talkback (Spoilers)
-Ultimate Avengers 2: Rise of the Panther Feature Talkback (Spoilers)
-Ultimate Avengers: The Movie Feature Talkback (Spoilers)
-The Incredible Hulk Feature Talkback (Spoilers)
-Hulk Feature Talkback (Spoilers)
-Marvel Animation Age

Comments?

Note: Please keep the discussions on-topic and respectful. And forum infractions will result in the necessary disciplinary measures. Please note this thread will contain spoilers.

 

[Ed Liu]

Just in case you didn't spot them on the home page:

TZ News review of Planet Hulk:



Interview with Rick D. Wasserman, voice of the Hulk in the movie. Interview contains spoilers, so go read it after you've watched the movie:

 

[Spider-Man]

I will have more detailed thoughts later but I really enjoyed this movie. I think it might be the best Marvel DTV yet. I was surprised at how they were able to bring this huge 12-part story whittled down into a 80 minute movie. Greg Johnson deserves a huge pat on the back for doing that. And I like how this Hulk was different than what we've seen before and it was a nice change. I just got done watching it about an hour ago and I actually can't wait to watch it again. It's just a good movie and I hope Marvel follows up with World War Hulk sometime in the future.

 

[Rick Jones]

I thought that it was pretty darn good. Man, it really got brutal in some parts (Almost makes that animated Marvel Zombies rumor seem like less of an impossibility). I'd only read probably the last third or quarter of the original story, so a lot of this was still new to me and I thought it worked great. I really came to like the Warbound during this movie and it felt good to see them triumph over the Red King, who made for one really despicable villain. I always love a good underdog story. I like Beta Ray Bill and he was pretty cool here; though it would have been nice to see the Surfer, especially after making it through a few Hulk/Thor fights in past dtvs. Korg's flashback was pretty fun and was a nice cameo moment for our favorite Asgardian.

It was really cool that they slipped in a few easter eggs. I only managed to spot Adam Warlock (I think it was him?), Gamora and a skrull, I believe, who reminded me of TSSM's Green Goblin when I saw him from the back.

 

[FireWarrior]

Hmmm I'm surprised that there haven't been more people posting about this. I still need to see this myself though lack of funds prevents me from purchasing the movie. Maybe that's the reason why no one is replying.

 

[ABrown]

I rented this OnDemand. It wasn't too bad. I kinda enjoyed it.

 

[Bat-Fan Beyond]

I thought it was just okay. The animation was great, and the story wasn't too bad, but it really didn't feel like a Hulk story to me. I know it was obviously not intended to be a typical "Hulk" story, which I'm sure is what made it so popular in comic book form (I mean, who wants the same ol' typical story?), but it really felt like just about any character could have worked well in that lead role -- especially since the character they used (The Hulk) was not really that faithful to how he's commonly depicted.

In my opinion, and besides the obvious absence of his alter-ego Bruce Banner, a lot of the more popular and iconic characteristic traits that makes the Hulk recognizable were lacking without any real explanation. Sure, he still has green skin (and apparently green blood, too), and he still has huge muscles and incredible strength (although both seem less than what he usually has), but he's also a lot less of the savage, mindless brute-monster everybody knows and is instead more of a self-serving barbarian with a higher capacity to think and speek than he normally does. I know the Hulk in comics has gone through several interpretations and stages of metamorphosis, but there should have been some explanation given in this film as to why he seems a bit more passive and intelligent than he's usually portrayed. If you had no previous knowledge of The Hulk and his famous destructive rampages, you'd almost think that Iron Man and Company were d!cks for shooting him into space, because the Hulk you see afterwards isn't quite the monster they made him out to be.

I never read the Planet Hulk comic run, but I can see how the the hybrid concept of The Incredible Hulk meets Edgar Rice Burrough's John Carter of Mars meets Spartacus would appeal to some fans; Unfortunately, this doesn't have enough of the archetypal Hulk character or any of Banner's battle with duality that fans like me may want. I actually felt more reminded of Richard Corben's Den from Heavy Metal than I was The Hulk.

 

[maczero]

I feel the same way about this film as I did about Green Lantern: First Flight. The storyline and its execution are nearly flawless, but I don't feel like I've seen anything special. In Green Lantern's case, I attribute that feeling to not being a fan of the character. This time around, I think it's a combination of the often seen gladiator storyline and most of the characters being unknowns.

Now for the positive stuff! This film does a great job of condensing the original comic's storyline without eliminating anything essential. Also, felt that the pg-13 rating was truly earned here. I'm not a "blood and guts equal entertainment" kinda guy but I felt that the gory violence works in this film. Speaking of violence, really glad that they stuck Beta Ray Bill in this. I think his cameo was a better choice than Silver Surfer's.

was really cool that they slipped in a few easter eggs. I only managed to spot Adam Warlock (I think it was him?), Gamora and a skrull

I also spotted Grandmaster and Starlord.

Anyone know what's the deal with Caiera? They refer to her as an "Oldstrong". Is that the planet's equivalent of a mutant? She certainly appears to be far stronger and more durable than anyone other than the Hulk.

 

[Bat-Fan Beyond]

Speaking of violence, really glad that they stuck Beta Ray Bill in this. I think his cameo was a better choice than Silver Surfer's.

Yeah, I dig Beta Ray Bill, but I'm actually ignorant of his origin, and I thought it would have been cool if they had explained a little about who he actually is in relation to Thor. So, is he an alien who, like Thor, is Asgard's representing God of Thunder on another planet?

Anyone know what's the deal with Caiera? They refer to her as an "Oldstrong". Is that the planet's equivalent of a mutant? She certainly appears to be far stronger and more durable than anyone other than the Hulk.

Yes, again, some explanation was needed. And why was she immune to the Spikes?

 

[maczero]

Yeah, I dig Beta Ray Bill, but I'm actually ignorant of his origin, and I thought it would have been cool if they had explained a little about who he actually is in relation to Thor. So, is he an alien who, like Thor, is Asgard's representing God of Thunder on another planet?

I'm no Thor expert but I believe Odin granted Thor's power to BRB to teach Thor humility.

 

[Palin Dromos]

As a huge fan of the original story in the comics I both excited and worried about this adaptation.
In short, I really enjoyed this DTV. Is it the shocking revelation of story and character that I felt the original comics run was- No.
But it's a darn fine adaptation. Most of the key elements from the books are there (all the races of Sakaar, Caiera, the spikes, the Deathshead guards, the Wildebots), including some pieces I didn't expect them to include (Korg's flashback). Considering the task of condensing they also made some well thought out changes, the cameo swap, the final fate of the Red King. Those changes aren't necessarily better that what was in the comic, but weren't disappointing in the slightest.

The only thing I really missed was the opening and closing narration from the comics along the lines of "This is the story of the Hulk, the Worldbreaker, the Sakaarson, and how he finally came home." I guess it works best in the books because of it's double meaning, but I really enjoyed the narrative circle of that sentiment. Maybe they'll use it if they can ever do World War Hulk.

If you haven't listened to the first commentary track I recommend it (the one with Greg Johnson). They talk a lot about the changes made from the original comics and why, they also explain why we don't see Banner, and have a ton of respect for the original story by Greg Pak.

Again I'm a huge fan of the book, so I'm incredibly biased in my opinion, but it was so much fun to see these characters and scenes actually animated and performed.

Anyone know what's the deal with Caiera? They refer to her as an "Oldstrong". Is that the planet's equivalent of a mutant? She certainly appears to be far stronger and more durable than anyone other than the Hulk.

This was something explored more extensively in the comics. She inherited a quasi-mystical strength and skill set from the ancients of her species. While earth based mutants also have a genetic basis for their powers, mutation is more random than the Oldstrong. The Oldstrong seems to be a more consistent powerset, high durability, strength, fighting skills. Think along the lines of Luke Cage + Iron Fist with a sprinkling of Captain America.

 

[Ed Liu]

Yeah, I dig Beta Ray Bill, but I'm actually ignorant of his origin, and I thought it would have been cool if they had explained a little about who he actually is in relation to Thor. So, is he an alien who, like Thor, is Asgard's representing God of Thunder on another planet?

Pretty much. As I understand it, Beta Ray Bill was Walt Simonson's answer when he asked himself, "So if Mjolnir says that anybody noble of heart enough to lift it will get the powers of Thor, what happens if someone else can lift it?" The fact that this someone else was an outer-space horse thing is just 'cuz Walt Simonson is freaking awesome and you will do yourself a favor by running out right now and grabbing Thor Visionaries: Walt Simonson Vol. 1 and reading up on Beta Ray Bill yourself. Just be aware that you might end up getting all 5 volumes afterwards and then be sad that all comics aren't that awesome all the time .

Er, sorry, I kind of lost my train of thought there. After a battle to see who was more worthy of Mjolnir, Odin split the difference and created Stormbreaker, a new hammer that is the equal to Mjolnir and gave it to Beta Ray Bill, and the two became friends and comrades in arms.

And yeah, after reading through about half of Planet Hulk the comic book, I actually think that Beta Ray Bill is a far better pick than the Silver Surfer. He seems to fit the whole gladiator combat thing better, and the tie-in to Korg's origin story makes him an absolutely perfect fit, especially when Bill gets to say bad-ass things like, "You, I will have no regrets in killing."

In general, I find that a lot of the events play out a bit better in the movie than in the book for some reason. For instance, the fight with Korg's brethren seems to have much more weight and resonance in the movie to me; for some reason, the comic version feels kind of rushed. Might just be Kevin Michael Richardson's performance, though.

Yes, again, some explanation was needed. And why was she immune to the Spikes?

I don't know, the name kind of tells you most of what you need to know about the Oldstrong, and the events she narrates (and the fact that she can slug the Hulk a good one) fills in the rest.

 

[Bat-Fan Beyond]

Pretty much. As I understand it, Beta Ray Bill was Walt Simonson's answer when he asked himself, "So if Mjolnir says that anybody noble of heart enough to lift it will get the powers of Thor, what happens if someone else can lift it?" The fact that this someone else was an outer-space horse thing is just 'cuz Walt Simonson is freaking awesome and you will do yourself a favor by running out right now and grabbing Thor Visionaries: Walt Simonson Vol. 1 and reading up on Beta Ray Bill yourself. Just be aware that you might end up getting all 5 volumes afterwards and then be sad that all comics aren't that awesome all the time .

Er, sorry, I kind of lost my train of thought there. After a battle to see who was more worthy of Mjolnir, Odin split the difference and created Stormbreaker, a new hammer that is the equal to Mjolnir and gave it to Beta Ray Bill, and the two became friends and comrades in arms.

And yeah, after reading through about half of Planet Hulk the comic book, I actually think that Beta Ray Bill is a far better pick than the Silver Surfer. He seems to fit the whole gladiator combat thing better, and the tie-in to Korg's origin story makes him an absolutely perfect fit, especially when Bill gets to say bad-ass things like, "You, I will have no regrets in killing."

In general, I find that a lot of the events play out a bit better in the movie than in the book for some reason. For instance, the fight with Korg's brethren seems to have much more weight and resonance in the movie to me; for some reason, the comic version feels kind of rushed. Might just be Kevin Michael Richardson's performance, though.

Thanks for that. Much appreciated. I've never really been that big on Thor aside from him being a valuable member of The Avengers, but there's just something really cool about Beta Ray Bill that I like.

I don't know, the name kind of tells you most of what you need to know about the Oldstrong, and the events she narrates (and the fact that she can slug the Hulk a good one) fills in the rest.

Yeah, but other than using the name and showing what she's capable of, the movie doesn't really give you any origin or background on what an Oldstrong is or where they come from. I mean, how unique was this power? Was she the only one? Was she given the power through magic, the gods, scientific experiments, a blood transfusion, radiation? Was she born with it? Anything more than just saying, "I was an Oldstrong, so I survived the Spikes."

Anway, based on what I've read in this thread, an Oldstrong is a special individual native to Sakaar that's born with a random kind of mutation or supernatural ability. I get it now, but I still think the film could have explained what an Oldstrong is with just one sentence for those of us who didn't read the books.

 

[JeffBreakdown]

this movie was purely fan service. there will be no unanswered questions had you read the story first, or if you read it now. i thought it was amazing, and beta ray bill fit in flawlessly, even though i do miss the silver savage (and the brood [stinking licensing laws!]).

i have a review of the movie up on my web comic/blog

http://www.novistry.com/comics/blog.html
(Rated M, for Mature)

 

[Schuyler]

It was a huge let down for me, and I love the Planet Hulk storyline, it was to short and I wish they followed the storyline from the comic, they could of made it into two movies. I don't know guess I'm just let down after reading the comic, if you haven't its a fun watch. I just don't know why Marvel can't raise the bar like DC did with there animated movies.

 

[redlion]

Absolutely loved it! I thought it was the best DTV Marvel has done so far. Actually I've enjoyed it moreso than any of the previous ani-films from either Marvel or DC. I've read the Planet Hulk series and I realize the film had to be condensed greatly but even so, it still felt epic. This film is one of the few, that after viewing it I felt truly satisfied and the story never felt too rushed or that it dragged along. The action was incredible and the subplots were done very well. Understand why SS couldn't appear in the film but the inclusion of Beta Ray Bill fit the film nicely. Korg's backstory was the most enjoyable featuring Thor, always love me some Thor action. I hope sales do well enough to see the sequel WWH, it would be a shame if they don't get a chance to do it. Thanks Marvel, great effort guys.

Speaking of Thor, loved the brief preview of Thor: Tales Of Asgard. It definately had a hint of a LOTR vibe to it. Looking forward to this film as well.

 

[W.C.Reaf]

I watched it last night and it was awesome. While I do think they needed to explain some stuff from the comic a little better I think it worked fine for the most part.

I for one do not think they need to do World War Hulk as a sequel. Hulk got a happy ending for once and is where Tony, Reed, and the rest wanted him to be, a planet where he can find peace. There's no real point in doing WWH unless you want to see Hulk punch Iron Man a lot, which we've seen in animation a lot since those two have appeared a lot in each others shows.

Just let him have this happy life that he will never get in the comics I say.

 

[Bat-Fan Beyond]

Can someone answer why it is that Marvel can use The Silver Surfer, Wolverine, and The Fantastic Four in animated form on Superhero Squad, yet they couldn't use The Silver Surfer in Planet Hulk? Don't get me wrong, Beta Ray Bill was probably the best thing in the movie, but I just don't understand why Marvel couldn't use Silver Surfer. Does 20th Century Fox who, has the movie license for the character, just not like Lionsgate? and if so, why was Wolverine (also licensed to Fox) able to be used in Hulk vs. Wolverine?

 

[JeffBreakdown]

I watched it last night and it was awesome. While I do think they needed to explain some stuff from the comic a little better I think it worked fine for the most part.

I for one do not think they need to do World War Hulk as a sequel. Hulk got a happy ending for once and is where Tony, Reed, and the rest wanted him to be, a planet where he can find peace. There's no real point in doing WWH unless you want to see Hulk punch Iron Man a lot, which we've seen in animation a lot since those two have appeared a lot in each others shows.

Just let him have this happy life that he will never get in the comics I say.

in the special features they said they ended it that way just in case they don't get to make world war hulk. if they do, they can add sakaar being detroyed to the beginning. and if they don't, then planet hulk can stand on its own (without fans going ape over speculating on a sequel that won't happen).

 

[Ed Liu]

Can someone answer why it is that Marvel can use The Silver Surfer, Wolverine, and The Fantastic Four in animated form on Superhero Squad, yet they couldn't use The Silver Surfer in Planet Hulk?

The status of the rights for these characters can change on an almost weekly basis. Justice League couldn't use Plastic Man, but Batman: The Brave and the Bold could. I'm pretty sure the Spectre was off-limits for rights reasons for the duration of JL/JLU, but now he can show up in the short film attached to JL: Crisis on Two Earths. It's possible that Super Hero Squad got the rights for the Surfer, and by the time Planet Hulk started production, those rights were gone (or vice-versa and contrariwise...oh, heck, you can figure it out ). Or that the rights specify that the Surfer has to be a headliner or in an ensemble cast and not a supporting player, maybe.

Rights and Hollywood move in mysterious ways, which is a rotten answer, but also the only one we have.