DVD Shop: Hulk Vs.
Last month saw the release of the newest addition to the Marvel animated DVD library, "Hulk Vs."
Originally slated to be two seperate films (Hulk Vs. Wolverine and Hulk Vs. Thor), Marvel and Lionsgate decided to package the two releases together. They are still two distinct storylines, but they come together in a single disc edition, double disc edition and even a fancy-schmancy Blu-Ray.
Which one will you get? Given that the two disc edition is three dollars more than the single on Amazon, I'd say it's a simple solution. The Blu-Ray is only two more than that, if Blu is your bag. And if you have a hankering for the discs, why not stop by the PK storefront at Amazon and help us out some?
But I get ahead of myself. Before you going buying the DVD, is it any good? Does it stack up against some of the good entries in the Marvel DVD library ... or is it another Next Avengers?
Hit the jump to find out!
Hulk Vs. Wolverine
The Wolverine portion of the disc is the shorter of the two, clocking in at just over 30 minutes. It's also less Hulk-centered as it is Wolverine-centered. The story takes place before Wolverine had joined the X-Men and was still working with Canada's Department H. He's sent out to track down and eliminate the Hulk who's been rampaging through the Canadian borders. It may be somewhat confusing to those unaware of Wolverine's history as the film never gives any exposition about the timeframe. It's just assumed the viewer is aware of where this all fits into history.
The story is broken into two pieces, Wolverine brawling the Jade Giant in the wilderness and then Weapon X capturing both fighters and attempting to put them under their thrall (again, in Wolverine's case). history gets a massage here as Weapon X is made up of Lady Deathstrike, Omega Red, Sabretooth and Deadpool. Nothing egregious here, and Omega Red actually works well on the team. His stoicism plays off of Deadpool's zaniness.
Speaking of the Merc With a Mouth, he is easily my favorite character in the flick. He's got the best one-liners and, while is forced to be the butt of the plot somewhat, does still kick some ass. Deathstrike however, gets the top notch in fighting as her duel with Hulk is visceral and bloody and as painful as anything I could imagine. Hulk gets some nice quips, calling Deadpool "talking man" and spouting my new favorite line, "Hulk smash claw people!"
It's a fun episode, but it really wouldn't have been worth it as a single DVD release. If this were one episode of a series it could very well be the best of the season, but as a stand alone film it's lacking in depth and meaning.
Don't forget to stick around after the credits for a great scene-stealing Deadpool moment.
Hulk Vs. Thor
The Thor portion of the DVD set is a lot more straight forward for newcomers and most likely a lot easier for them to grasp. The story takes place entirely in Asgard (well, and a side trip to Hel) and places Thor in the Prince fo Asgard role as opposed to an Avenger. Odin is still alive, but he's taken out of the equation so as to let his son take center stage.
While I like the characters in the first disc, I thought this story was much better. Loki and the Enchantress separate Banner from the Hulk in order to send the Green Goliath into Asgard on a rampage. This is classic Marvel material from the days of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Speaking of Kirby, the style of both the Realm Eternal itself and its inhabitants are very definitely done in the Kirby style but modernized to a degree. They are more rounded and smoothed out than Kirby's more blocky style and of course it's less detailed given it's animation.
At some minutes longer than the Wolverine story, this disc feels more like a complete story. Loki's narrative comes full circle and we get true motivations for all involved. Even with a small part, Hela gets some excellent screen time and the interaction with her father is golden. SO while the new spin on Weapon X may be neat and Deadpool steals the show, the Thor disc is where your money is well spent.
