She-Hulk: An honest review of Marvel's first sitcom

On August 18, She-Hulk launched on the Disney+ streaming service, the next series from Marvel, already the seventh in two years. Many viewers (including me) are tired of the abundance of projects from this studio: taking into account full-length films, something new appears literally every two months.

But some recent films and TV series make it feel like Marvel's management is looking for a new approach to the development of the franchise: the stories began to be shot in completely different genres. So, "Ms. Marvel”was a typical teenage project, the third and fourth parts of Thor are a comedy from Taika Waititi, Hawkeye is a Christmas story. Superheroics here fade into the background, and sometimes even get in the way.

And She-Hulk is perhaps the most striking reflection of such a strategy. The series delights with humor and acting. Moreover, the authors seem to be deliberately ironic about references to the cinematic universe.

'She-Hulk Lawyer' takes an unusual look at superheroes

Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) is driving with her cousin Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), known as the Hulk. They get into an accident, and the brother's blood flows into the girl's wound. From that moment on, she also begins to turn into a monster in moments of anger. That's just, unlike Bruce, Jennifer continues to control her body and mind. So she decides to continue working as a lawyer. Although the Hulk encourages her to become a superhero.

From Marvel projects to Disney + I have most often mixed feelings. Almost all TV shows start off cheerfully, and then get stuck in self-repetitions. But some allow you to look at superheroics from an unusual angle. So, "WandaVision" talks about post-traumatic disorder. From "Falcon and Winter Soldierviewers learned that some superheroes are literally beggars - they don't have normal jobs. In Hawkeye, they showed an important detail: from constant explosions, Clint Barton is almost deaf, and he has to wear a hearing aid. It is these nuances that make on-screen characters more alive.

But She-Hulk is different from them too. The main idea of ​​the series is that Jennifer refuses to become a hero and save the world. Yes, she now has superpowers, but she also has a profession, relatives and friends. And she decides to just continue her work. Of course, they will continue to interfere with her and have to fight the villains. But nevertheless, the legal procedural will remain at the heart of the series: the story will be revealed through the cases that the girl takes on.

She-Hulk looks like a sitcom

There are already quite a few comedy projects at Marvel. But real professionals of this genre were invited to She-Hulk.

Jessica Gao is the main screenwriter. Previously, she came up with some episodes of "Robot Chicken" and "Big Time Rush". And it was Gao who wrote the plot of the legendary episode "Pickle Rick" from "Rick and Morty». In addition, Cat Coiro directed much of the season, working as a director on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Modern Family, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Therefore, She-Hulk is more of a sitcom than a superhero. Here they even break fourth wall - the heroine directly addresses the viewer. The authors mentionedShe‑Hulk: Attorney At Law' was inspired by 'Fleabag' / New Musical Expressthat they took this technique from "Fleabag". But in fact, he still does not play a special role, just entertains.

It's hard to judge from the first episode, but it looks like the creators decided to play with many superhero clichés. So, the training of a new heroine with a mentor turns into a comical competition between men and women. By the way, there will be a lot of feminist humor here, if it scares someone - please note in advance.

The “battle” necessary for the plot is also a friendly brawl. And even references to the main characters of the MCU have been turned into gags: most of all, they discuss the obscene detail of the biography of Captain America.

So for a second there is no thought that the authors are trying to make another pretentious series about saving the world. Even if they continue to fight evil, they will do it with humor.

'She-Hulk' special effects look dated

Problems with the graphics started talking even after the release of the first trailer of the series. And subsequent scandalsI am quite frankly sick and tired of working on Marvel shows! /reddit, when employees accused the Marvel bosses of shortening the deadlines for creating special effects, only added fuel to the fire.

The development of the main character really raises many questions: when Jennifer in the form of a monster is next to the Hulk, it is noticeable how much more natural his character is. But when it comes to action, everything levels out - both already look mediocre.

It is difficult to say what caused such failures. But in terms of perception, it all depends on the attitude of the viewer. On the one hand, it is sad to see such shortcomings in a high-budget project. On the other hand, for comedy, graphic simplicity is not fatal, but somewhere it even adds humor.

Judging by the first episode, which lasts only half an hour, She-Hulk Lawyer will be one of the most fun projects Marvel. And this is good: jokes allow you to beat boring moves and show a traditional story from an unexpected angle. So the series is great to entertain, for example, at dinner.