Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Hulk vs. Thor / Hulk vs. Wolverine Blu-ray Movie Review

This entertaining animated feature shines on Blu-ray.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 1, 2009

Comic book fans have had a lot to like about the 21st century. The superheroes that have graced the inky and colorful pages of their favorite volumes have matured to the big screen in a big way. While nothing new to cinema, the Superhero genre has evolved into both an artistic triumph and commercial success like Hollywood has never seen before. Plenty of live action films have drawn record audiences and earned unheralded-for-the-genre accolades, and rightfully so. Marvel Studios, having produced two of the most successful comic adaptations yet in Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, are also responsible for a recent wave of animated superhero pictures, including Doctor Strange, The Invincible Iron Man, Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow, two Ultimate Avengers films, and now, perhaps Marvel Animation's finest work yet, a pair of short films -- Hulk vs. Thor and Hulk vs. Wolverine. Gritty, exciting, to-the-point, and exactly what fans crave, both films feature nonstop action in surprisingly well-developed stories that manage to stay on-point and engrossing, both the smart writing and short runtimes keep the pacing intense and the action robust. Featuring voiceover work and sound design worthy of the best feature-length animated films, Hulk vs. is nothing short of a winner both technically and from an entertainment perspective.

Hulk vs. Thor

I saw the beast's eyes, brother. It will not stop until Asgard is destroyed!

The Kingdom of Asgard is home to the gods, all of whom bow down before Odin. Once every year, the mighty Odin must rest and regain his strength, and during this week the kingdom becomes vulnerable to attack, though powerful Thor, son of Odin, thwarts each. Thor's stepbrother, the evil Loki, wishes to destroy Thor once and for all. He summons earthling Bruce Banner to Asgard, for inside Banner resides the powerful Hulk, a creature that comes forth only when Banner is angered. Hulk is the only beast powerful enough to destroy Thor, and a magical spell separates Hulk from Banner, removing the humanity from the beast and allowing Loki to control Hulk's actions. Hulk beats Thor to within an inch of his life, but Loki's attempts to seize the power of Thor's hammer are too strenuous, and he loses control of Hulk, allowing the beast to ravage all of Asgard. Now, the unlikely team of Thor and Loki must come together to do all they can to stop the green terror before the entire kingdom is destroyed.






Hulk vs. Wolverine

My name is Wolverine. I'm the best there is at what I do, but what I do isn't very nice.

Hulk has crossed into Canada and is believed to have destroyed the small town of Elkford. Wolverine is sent in to take care of the problem, one way or another. Soon after his arrival, he finds Bruce Banner, cold and confused, in the middle of a Canadian forest. Banner warns him to stay away, but Wolverine aggressively presses the frightened Banner, and soon enough, the Hulk is unleashed, leading to an epic confrontation between two of the most powerful beings on the planet. After an extended fight, both Hulk and Wolverine are tranquilized and captured by Deadpool and his colleagues and taken back to "Weapon X." Weapon X wants to turn Hulk into their deadliest weapon yet by erasing Banner's memory and placing the green monster in their direct control. Can Hulk and Wolverine put aside their differences long enough to escape and stop Weapon X once and for all?

Hulk vs. is a lot of fun. Both entries are short, simple, easy to follow, jam-packed with action, and perhaps most importantly, different. Both feature a clash of superheroes, coming together for the ultimate showdown that leaves little to the imagination. The stories are good, woven efficiently, and paced quickly. Newcomers to the characters and the worlds they inhabit won't feel overwhelmed or lost by the jargon, and the movies do well enough to set up the basics to allow anyone and everyone to jump right in. After a quick set-up, nothing interferes with the action. Hulk vs. is wall-to-wall superhero bedlam that never becomes watered down by minutiae or worthless subplots. The limited runtimes clearly play a factor in this, but give credit to Marvel Studios for producing something that is both interesting and engaging but also very easy to digest. Hulk vs. plays out like a Saturday morning cartoon juiced up with a better story, more action, plenty of animated gore (particularly the Wolverine entry), and fantastic sound (more on that later), and the fact that both hardcore comic fans and relative newcomers alike should enjoy these shorts immensely says quite a bit about how finely-tuned they are.

Hulk vs. Thor / Hulk vs. Wolverine Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Hulk vs. arrives on Blu-ray with a solid transfer across both films. While Hulk vs. Wolverine often appears colder and darker than the bright and warm Hulk vs. Thor, both movies share similar qualities and perform well visually. Colors are described as "otherworldly" and "godly" in the Hulk vs. Thor commentary, and the Blu-ray brings out the best of the movie's warm appearance. Likewise, the more foreboding appearance of Hulk vs. Wolverine shines in its own right. Wolverine's bright yellow and blue suit appears richly colored and defined, and the dark blue, steely interior of the Weapon X compound also holds up nicely. Lines are well defined and sharp across both movies. The opening of Hulk vs. Thor, taking place in outer space and showcasing the Rainbow Bridge, looks fabulous; colors are vivid and blacks are excellent and inky. A few scenes in both films appear somewhat blurry and undefined, but generally speaking, the quality here is very good. There is some banding in some shots, but it's not terribly intrusive, and perhaps unavoidable, as discussed in the director's/colorist's commentary track for Hulk vs. Thor. All said, the animation appears lively and sharp on Blu-ray; it is surpassed by the amazing soundtrack, but fans should be pleased with this quality video presentation.

Hulk vs. Thor / Hulk vs. Wolverine Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

No doubt about it, Hulk vs. sounds fantastic on Blu-ray. Lionsgate once again offers listeners a robust DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless soundtrack that rattles and rumbles with the best soundtracks available today. This presentation is ambitious, loud, and powerful. Bass rattles the floorboards, and generally sounds as good as, if not better, than most feature-length, wide-release, special-effects-heavy summer popcorn movies. The soundtrack is dynamic and aggressive, spacious and clear, and loud and exciting. The 7.1 track impresses in most every scene across both films; both the raucous action sequences and the more quite dialogue- and music-driven scenes shine. The tracks enjoy a nice bit of atmosphere; a blowing wind rides gently through the back channels and voices reverberate through cavernous chambers in Hulk vs. Thor, for example. The rear channels receive quite the workout in both movies. Hulk's first unleashing in each entry makes for an exciting and powerful moment; his roars rumble the soundstage, and some of the magic used to separate banner from Hulk in Hulk vs. Thor fill the soundstage with a series of aggressive pulses that add quite a bit of excitement to the scene, accompanied by plenty of loud, clear music. The action scenes in both films are packed with dynamic lows; the subwoofer enjoys plenty of action, almost as much as in the Incredible Hulk live-action movie. This soundtrack is almost as good and almost as exciting as that reference-quality mix, and for a pair of animated adventures, this fantastic mix is hard to beat.

Hulk vs. Thor / Hulk vs. Wolverine Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Hulk vs. Thor

Hulk vs. Thor features two commentary tracks. The first track features Writers Craig Kyle and Chris Yost. This track, like the film, is a quick and easy listen that helps fill in a few gaps, like a description of the purpose behind the film's opening shots of the Rainbow Bridge and how various shots set up both the film and the characters, particularly for people less familiar with the worlds of Thor and Hulk. At the same time, the writers describe how fans will be rewarded with little tidbits inserted into the film. They also discuss the look of the film, how it compares to others of its kind, the story, and plenty more. Supervising Director Frank Paur, Colorist James Peters, and Director Sam Liu populate the second track. After discussing the difference between a "Supervising Director" and "Director," the trio delve into the material, discussing the look of the movie and how it influences the feel of the experience, the nuances of the animation, the challenges of the creative animation and how it transfers to the digital realm, and more. Both tracks are entreating and informative, offering plenty of information packed into the abbreviated runtime that both animation and superhero fans will enjoy listening to. Of Gods and Monsters: The Making of 'Hulk vs. Thor' (480p, 18:26) spends a great deal of time looking at the voice acting as heard in the movie. Jack Kirby + Thor (480p, 4:47) take a closer look at the artist's visionary take on Asgard and the gods of mythology, particularly Thor, and bringing it all to animated life. First Look - Thor: Tales of Asgard (480p, 4:40) provides fans with a glimpse at this upcoming animated film. Also included is a series of 1080p trailers for Marvel video games, including Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, in addition to Disaster Movie, Ultimate Avengers 2, Doctor Strange, The Invincible Iron Man, and Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow.

Hulk vs. Wolverine

Hulk vs. Wolverine's set of supplements is also highlighted by two commentary tracks. The first features, again, Writers Chris Yost and Craig Kyle. Like the Hulk vs. Thor track, the pair provides plenty of insight into the movie and how it fits into the comic book universe and future projects. They share their thoughts on the score, the story, the character design, the violence, and more. The pair clearly allows their fandom to shine through, but that's perfectly fine; their appreciation for the characters comes through in their story, and makes for a better experience. The second commentary track features Supervising Director Frank Paur and Story Illustrators Kevin Altieri and Butch Lukic. As listeners may expect, the track features a heavy discussion about the look of the production and how it fits in with the story. This is Gonna Hurt: The Making of 'Hulk s. Wolverine' (480p, 20:11) features heavy doses of Chris Yost and Craig Kyle discussing the construction of the project and its homage to some of the classic comic issues. The piece also moves into the look of the film, the design of the characters, and the voice acting. Fan Frenzy: Hulk vs. Wolverine - 2008 Comic-Con (480p, 8:02) features the creative talent behind the film answering fan questions. First Look: Wolverine and The X-Men (480p, 5:46) takes viewers behind-the-scenes of the newest animated series. The same series of trailers from Hulk vs. Thor are available from the Hulk vs. Wolverine menu as well.

Hulk vs. Thor / Hulk vs. Wolverine Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hulk vs. Thor and Hulk vs. Wolverine represent easy, entertaining, and well-done animated superhero action. Neither movie is deep; they're both just superficial fun, leaving nothing to the imagination and requiring no thought. Both movies are excellent quick-fixes of action that hold good replay value thanks to plots that never become mired in contrivances or more than a minute or two of downtime, all the while maintaining strong yet straightforward story lines that move the action along nicely. Lionsgate's Blu-ray release of this movie two-pack is excellent. The picture quality is fine and the soundtrack is intense. Another highlight of this disc is the inclusion of some fine supplemental materials that are interesting, entertaining, and amazingly passionate on the part of the participants. Hulk vs. is another excellent release from one of Blu-ray's best and most unheralded studios, and comes with an easy recommendation for animation and superhero fans.