PLANET HULK (TV)
Summary
This direct-to-video Marvel Animations film is based on the comic series of the same name, which is one of many storylines about Dr. Bruce Banner, a physicist who, when angry, transforms into a massive, powerful green creature known as The Hulk. The program opens as Hulk awakens to find himself on a spaceship hurtling away from Earth, having been exiled for his and others’ safety by several of his superhero associates, including Iron Man. The ship crashes on the planet of Sakaar, and Hulk emerges to be immediately attacked by several of the native creatures. He fends them off, but is soon subdued by a disc attached to his chest, which forces him into submission. He soon finds himself in a dungeon with several other prisoners, all wearing the same disc, including a man named Laven who explains that they have all been sold as slaves and are scheduled to be killed in an arena fight for the amusement of the Red King and his subjects. If they managed to survive three battles, however, they will earn their freedom. Hulk is uninterested in joining the group, however, as is one of the natives, a timid insect-like creature named Miek. The group is then transported to the Colosseum and set against a group of creatures called Kronans, which greatly upsets one of the slaves, Korg, as they are his brothers. Hulk walks off to the edge of the arena, not wanting to participate, and the fight ensues. Several of the natives are quickly dispatched, and soon Laven is killed too, to the distress of the rest of the team, including Elloe and Hiroim. Korg regretfully fights his brothers, and Hulk eventually joins in and tries to attack the Red King, observing from above. The king unleashes the Great Devil Corker, an enormous squid-like creature, but Hulk quickly defeats it. The Red King himself finally enters the fray in a giant robot suit, and his lieutenant, Caiera, fights the other slaves. Hulk is nearly defeated by the king, but he allows him to live because of the audience’s response to his impressive skills. Back in their dungeon, the survivors hold a makeshift funeral for Laven and share their life stories: Korg explains that he and his race are “plunderers” who landed on planet Earth and captured a native (revealed to be Thor) for study, but he quickly overpowered them and, with the help of another warrior (revealed to be Beta Ray Bill) beat them soundly and caused them to flee straight into a wormhole, which landed them on Sakaar. Elsewhere, the Sakaarians discuss Hulk and debate about whether he is the “Sakaarson,” a foretold savior from another world that will rescue the planet from tyranny, a title which the Red King currently claims. The next day, in their second fight, the group is pitted against creatures called Wildebots, and this time, Hulk joins in and defeats all of their opponents. The Red King releases a monster called the Egg-Breaker, which Hulk also manages to bring down from the inside out. Later, Caiera comes to see Hulk and they discuss the king; she grows angry when he dismisses the man as a coward and explains that when she was a child, beings known as Spikes attacked her village, infecting people and transforming them into beasts. She was forced to kill her family after they were stung by the creatures, and was rescued herself by the Red King, at that point still the Red Prince. She tells Hulk that she is loyal to the king for this reason, but offers him and his friends a chance to escape. He declines, however, preferring to stay and fight. When the others hear of the plan, Korg wants to stay and win the fight the next day, earning his freedom, but Elloe immediately departs. At the third and final fight, the spectators cheer for Miek, who proves himself to be an able fighter. Soon, Beta Ray Bill joins and battles Hulk. Hiroim notices to his shock that small plant are sprouting from the spots where Hulk’s green blood falls, suggesting that Hulk is in fact the Sakaarson, fated to bring “life” back to the planet. Hulk manages to destroy Bill’s controller disc, but continues to beat him until he is stopped by Hiroim. The king applauds their talents, and says they are free—as soon as they kill Elloe, who has been captured as a rebel. Hulk and the others refuse, and the king declares that they must die, but Bill rises again and destroys all the others slaves’ discs, freeing them, and offers to take Hulk back to Earth with him. Hulk refuses, saying it is no longer his home, and Bill departs alone. Hulk threatens the Red King to leave him alone and sets off by himself, despite the others’ protests. Elloe and the others escape and, enraged, the king sends Caiera after them. The rest of the group takes refuge in a nearby village, sheltered by Governor Churik, but it is soon revealed that he is working for the king and Miek fights and kills him. It is too late, however, and the king has discovered where they are. Elsewhere on Sakaar, Caiera tracks down Hulk and challenges him to a fight, but they are quickly distracted when a rocket-like object crashes nearby, in the town where the others are hiding, and releases the Spikes, the creatures that destroyed Caiera’s hometown and family. They attempt to fight them off, but Hulk is stung and he transforms into a spiked beast. As Cairea attempts to save the townspeople, she learns, to her horror, that the Red King controls the Spikes and was the one who released them on her village years ago. A bomb is then dropped on the town, destroying the Spikes, and Caiera informs the king that Hulk is dead. Elated, the king parades Hulk’s body through the town and plans to execute the other survivors, but Hulk reveals himself to be alive and healed and fights the king again with Caiera’s help. Finally, defeated, the king begs Hulk to spare his life, but Hulk simply allows Caiera to release a Spike onto him, destroying him with his own creation. Later, Hulk and Caiera talk, and he talks about feeling shunned and hated on his own planet, but she tells him he is not a monster and saved them all. The moment is about to turn romantic when they are summoned outside by the rest of their friends, where they are met with a crowd of admiring Sakaarians, cheering their heroes.
Details
- NETWORK: Disney XD
- DATE: October 1, 2010 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 01:21:04
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 100702
- GENRE: Animation
- SUBJECT HEADING: Animation; Comic books
- SERIES RUN: Disney XD - TV, 2010
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Eric S. Rollman … Executive Producer
- Stan Lee … Co-Executive Producer
- Craig Kyle … Supervising Producer, Writer
- Joshua Fine … Supervising Producer, Writer
- Frank Paur … Producer
- Carrie Wassenaar … Line Producer
- Takeo Minami … Associate Producer
- Yoshihiro Watanabe … Associate Producer
- Masao Maruyama … Animation Producer
- Alex Yeh … Animation Co-Producer
- Sam Liu … Director
- Greg Johnson … Writer
- Greg Pak … Based on the "Planet Hulk" comics by
- Carlo Pagulayan … Based on the "Planet Hulk" comics by
- Guy Michelmore … Music by
- Rick D. Wasserman … Cast, Voice, Hulk
- Lisa Ann Beley … Cast, Voice, Caiera
- Mark Hildreth … Cast, Voice, Red King
- Liam O'Brien … Cast, Voice, Hiroim
- Kevin Michael Richardson … Cast, Voice, Korg
- Sam Vincent … Cast, Voice, Miek
- Advah Soudack … Cast, Voice, Elloe
- Michael Kopsa … Cast, Voice, Laven
- Paul Dobson … Cast, Voice, Beta Ray Bill
- Marc Worden … Cast, Voice, Iron Man
- Lee Tockar … Cast, Voice, Android
- Russell Roberts … Cast, Voice, Primus Vand
- Donald Adams … Cast, Voice, Governor Churik
- Doug Abrahams … Cast, Voice
- Paul Dobson … Cast, Voice
- David Kaye … Cast, Voice
- Ellen Kennedy … Cast, Voice
- Cam Lane … Cast, Voice
- Chantal Strand … Cast, Voice