In the upcoming Incredible Hulk movie, Edward Norton utters a phrase that perhaps best epitomizes the big-screen superhero: �When I lose control, it�s very dangerous to be around me.�
No kidding! Anyone who unwittingly turns into a rampaging green monster when they�re ticked off is definitely somebody I�d rather not sit across from at the euchre table. But, as a superhero, shouldn�t we admire The Hulk�s feats and noble qualities instead of fear him?
Well, not necessarily. When a character is reluctant, flawed or devoid of the attributes we associate with altruistic heroism, that character is called an anti-hero and there are few better examples than The Hulk. Whereas traditional heroes brave danger for the sake of others, the character of Bruce Banner merely copes with the gamma-radiation accident that reluctantly turned him into a monstrous rage.
While anti-heroes have been prevalent in cinema since the days of pulp fiction (think Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon), they only continue to increase in popularity. Many critics argue that this advancing popularity is hinged on a cynical recognition that people find naturally-flawed characters more believable.
This summer surely vindicates that notion. In addition to the Incredible Hulk, such movies as Wanted, Hellboy 2, Death Race and even Indiana Jones are relying on the antiheroic traits of their lead characters to attract audiences.
It began with Iron Man, a superhero whose alter-ego is fraught with human frailties. A loner who drinks, smokes and womanizes; by comparison, he makes Superman look like a Quaker.
Vengeance is often an attribute of anti-heroism. This summer, it�s best represented with The Dark Knight. Not only does that film feature the vigilante justice of Batman but it introduces an even more dubious anti-hero in Harvey Two-Face (Aaron Eckhart), a district attorney who transforms into a savage killer. Two-Face is the consummate anti-hero in that, being on the side of justice, he only kills the bad dudes � a morally complex question to be sure.
Then there is Will Smith. In his new action-comedy Hancock, he simply plays a hard-drinking superhero that�s described as �edgy, conflicted, sarcastic, and misunderstood�; he even seems to get jiggy by threatening little kids.
While these characteristics aren�t admirable, we still empathize with anti-heroes because they represent our own flaws and thereby embody the promise that we too can overcome our frailties for the greater good. As for me, well, I�m just relieved my central frailty doesn�t happen to be a bad attitude and green skin.
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