Besides having a cameo in last year’s Deadpool & Wolverine, the last time comic book fans got to see the jolly green giant of the MCU was in the She-Hulk Disney+ series from 2022. In that show, Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk was shown to be nowhere near the monstrous hero that appeared in any of the Avengers movies. This version was deemed “Smart Hulk” by MCU devotees since it’s clear that Bruce Banner balanced the monster within with his own scientific self by this point.
Disappointingly, this lax combination might just be the character’s permanent form going forward in the MCU. While we might not get to see any more of the reckless, chaotic version of the Hulk (putting aside the rumors of a cinematic adaptation of World War Hulk for a moment), there might just be a particular film out there where fans of the Marvel character get to see Bruce Banner actually become angry once more. The 2008 parody film Disaster Movie, with its lackluster character spoofs and parodies, boasts a Hulk of its own.
Hulk Cannot Stop a Tornado in This Movie
The year was 2008. The parody genre seemed to be all the rage in Hollywood. In January, there was Meet The Spartans, a satirical take on Zack Snyder’s 300. A couple of months later, Superhero Movie used the framework of Scary Movie and made fun of a number of big-screen comic book characters. An American Carol winded the year down in October, which mocked social and political director Micheal Moore.
While there were other parody titles that year that actually performed well, the aforementioned were among the worst. They not only suffered gigantic losses at the box office but got squashed even lower by critical reviews. Directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, Disaster Movie sits at the top — or bottom — of this pile. Running for just under an hour and a half, this spoof on the disaster genre shows off over fifty pop culture references. The Hulk is one of them… too bad he’s easily defeated.
The art of the parody is taken to the extreme in Disaster Movie. As you may have already inferred from the title of the film, the story involves the world being destroyed by numerous natural disasters. Meteor showers, tornadoes, and snow storms are just a few of the crises. The audience follows Will (Matt Lanter) and his friend Calvin (Gary Johnson) as they traverse the city, looking for Amy (Vanessa Minnillo) as well as the famed “Crystal Skull” that will somehow stop the end from coming. The premise might sound interesting, but let me stop you right there. The many spoofs, which include depictions of characters from Juno, Enchanted, Kung Fu Panda, Sex and the City and Hannah Montana are not only a dime a dozen but are also soulless caricatures.
Before the movie ends, we are all treated to seeing them one more time as a music video incorporates all these uninspired parodies once more. Not only was Disaster Movie nominated for six Golden Raspberry Awards, but numerous publications like Empire, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic labeled it as one of the worst films of all time. Interestingly enough, this was Kim Kardashian’s feature film debut. Let’s get back to the Hulk though. As this movie premiered four years before the first rendition of The Avengers, this was specifically a satirical look at actor Edward Norton’s portrayal in The Incredible Hulk, which was released two months prior.
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Disaster Movie Is a Sad Fate for The Hulk
In Disaster Movie, three heroes inevitably stood between our main characters and the dangerous coming disasters. First, Iron Man made a stand, but he was easily crushed into a can-sized version of himself. More interested in his right hand of doom, Hellboy is exasperated by the entire situation and walks off. Finally, Bruce Banner (Jacob Tolano) feels the need to actually talk to the danger ahead and says that it wouldn’t like to see him angry.
Banner’s shirt and pants then rip, revealing a much more budgeted and green felt-like skin than what we’re used to. Austrian bodybuilder Roland Kickinger then replaces Tolano when the transformation is complete. Surprisingly, this heroic triumph doesn’t last for long. After ripping his trunks off with a strong gust of wind, the tornado then hurls a cow that it picked up somewhere along the way right at the Hulk. This knocks him down and out of the running. Just like that, we never see this Marvel character again. The Hulk is presumably dead.
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How Did They Get Away with This?
You might be wondering how this movie got away with showcasing so many well-known IP’s and pop culture names without the film’s directors and writers getting sued. This was because Disaster Movie took advantage of the legal concept known as “fair use.” Under that guideline, copyrighted material can be used freely if it’s for criticism, commentary or parody. As long as it stayed comedic and mocked the source material, this blanket of satire, which was thus created, coated Friedberg and Seltzer from being legally attacked.
The filmmakers took a big risk even then — interpretation is up to the individual after all. It doesn’t matter though, as Disaster Movie, along with all the other films made by the duo, belong to a genre whose tropes and antics are now spread all across internet videos and even summer blockbusters. Putting aside the rest of this eighty-seven-minute calamity, if you do want to see the Hulk like you’ve never seen him before, check this parody out.
Disaster Movie is currently streaming for free on Prime Video.
