‘Yeah! Norton’s pissed that they’ve cut all the touchy-feely stuff to make room for more violence! That means the movie’s gonna be GREAT!!’

Thus in not promoting the film for these reasons, he’s promoting it big-time.

Yeah, but I bet that what you were working on a) had some soul; b) wasn’t earning you millions of those American dollars they have there and c) wasn’t an intended corporate money-spinner with franchise rights.

See - it’s not just that it’s cinematic landfill. It’s that this crap is costing someone ridiculous amounts of money with the intention of earning an even more ridiculous amount. It’s a capitalist construct which people are dignifying with words like “vision” and stuff. I find that just a tiny bit obscene.

You’re right that making a fuss about The Incredible Hulk is probably a bit silly and OTT. It’s a cartoon, it’s fun, it has something to say about all of us and our emotional reactions to things, but it isn’t the last outpost of some battle of intellect and culture against the forces of dumbness.

But I think you’re wrong to criticise Norton. I once bowed out of a student project because a design I had been asked to work on was thrown out at the last minute in preference for something I felt was getting the sympathy vote. It was not an important, world-changing project. The design changes didn’t matter a bit in the grand scheme of things. But I a) felt that my hard work had been treated unfairly and b) didn’t feel I could support the project in the direction it was headed.

I’ll bet we’ve all had moments like this, where we’ve just dropped out of something because our feelings were hurt, we felt badly treated, or we just didn’t want to be associated with something that had changed from what we originally thought it would be. Why should Edward Norton go around saying nice things and looking all excited about a project that’s pissed him off and made him feel bad? Your argument works both ways - if Hulk is so unimportant and ephemeral, why make a big thing out of Norton’s refusal to publicise it? It’s not like he’s walked out on a charity or some major political event that would make a real difference to anyone.

The green monster symbolizes the coming THREAT of global warming and an enraged Mother Nature. Or maybe it’s symbolic of the RAPACIOUS capitalism engulfing us all. See? It can MEAN lots of things, but you have to LOOK for them.

But I don’t expect a Star Wars hater could EVER understand this.