The Amazing Bulk
Movie review: The Amazing Bulk: A Laughable Low-Budget Superhero Parody You Won’t Forget
Brave, bizarre, and badly produced, “The Amazing Bulk” is an extremely low-budget 2012 superhero parody film, starring and directed by Lewis Schoenbrun. Essentially it is a superhero film from one of the most bizarre franchises that has become quite a cult today among the fans of bad movies. Here is a look at why *The Amazing Bulk* has received such a terrible reputation.
Harry is a scientist who has been working on copying and developing formulas or medications to make people strong. Hank desires to marry his girlfriend, Hannah but her father General Darwin doesn’t allow her to marry Hank unless he develops something new and unique in his research. cannot take this anymore, decides to try the serum on himself so now he becomes a giant purple monster called The Bulk whenever he gets angry. The Bulk is a parody of the well-known comic book character, the Hulk. However, during his transformation, much funnier and odder things occur.
What is rather memorable about *The Amazing Bulk* is the movie’s computer-generated graphics. The whole scenes were filmed on a green screen, and subsequently, the backdrop and the scenes were post-produced. The make-up effects are rather minimal, enhancing the odd aesthetic of a cartoon. the CGI is cheap. For example, you will notice Hank and other characters jogging past animated premises such as blowing up buildings, cartoonish explosions, and even animals. The picture is res, and certain sequences look like something you’d see in a vintage ’90s video game. Such visuals let us know that the team that worked on the film did not overthink the movie and it seems that they were trying to go for a comedic tone, though some audiences can find such elements disturbing.
The performers’ work in *The Amazing Bulk* is very non-natural and comically overemotional because of that too. Jordan Lawson developed the character Hank who seems like he is in a joke, albeit humorous intervention of the superhero characters, and Terence Lording gives General Darwin, a strict and funny character. During the movie, the characters use many cliches and stupid jokes which are appropriate to parody the movie.
Even though it is by no means an excellent large-screen production it does have some juvenile appeal. Some viewers claimed it might be its dedication to being as weirder and as random as possible. Watching it is like the filmmakers had a ball creating the movie and that’s a state I’m in for the weekend so that spirit gets me.
On the negative side though for those who hope to see a perfect movie or a great storyline “The Amazing Bulk” may not cut. As with all other elements of the film, the acting and special effects are on purpose low-quality – this movie is to be watched while laughing. It’s not a traditional superhero movie—it is a parody of the superhero genre and the movie itself.
Overall, The Amazing Bulk is a bizarre and intriguing event in its own right. Recommended to those who love bizarre cinema and cheap special effects at that. For that audience that enjoys the B-class films with some quirk and kitsch, *The Amazing Bulk* will not disappoint. To be honest this is a ‘marmite movie’ – you’ll either love it or hate it because it doesn’t try to be anything but a cheesy action flick with a breaking-the-fourth-wall feel of ‘Silent Night, Deadly Night 5’.
