There’s been plenty of discussions about She-Hulk: Attorney At Law long before the show’s premiere on Disney+, from the fourth-wall breaking, to plenty of action between the Hulk cousins, to the surprise reveal that Daredevil will be on the show, to even the quality of the CGI on Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) when she’s in Hulk form. Having seen the first four episodes of She-Hulk, however, it can confidently be said that this is a good show. There is some very bumpy road along the way, though.
To put it plainly, the first episode of She-Hulk isn’t very good. It’s a jarring flashback to her origin story that goes on way too long, hitting the same beats–a woman can be just as strong or even stronger than a man–over and over again. While this is a great and welcome message and shows just how mighty She-Hulk is, even early in her Hulking career, the series went back to the well a few too many times to hit that one on the head.
From there, though, the first four episodes of She-Hulk that were provided for review became a very engaging and entertaining legal comedy with an MCU twist. It centers around Jennifer Walters, who got some of her cousin Bruce Banner’s blood mixed in with hers, meaning she also turns into a green rage monster. However, the rage isn’t exactly there because, like Avengers: Endgame’s Smart Hulk she can control her powers right out of the gate. Oh yeah, and she’s a lawyer–something she’s far more interested than being a superhero or an Avenger.
That is where the show’s charm comes from. This isn’t a run-of-the-mill superhero origin story. It’s sort of the opposite of that as Jen wants nothing more than to be a successful lawyer, even if that means using her powers to land a position as the counsel for other superpowered beings. If her new green skin can help her thrive in the rather normal life she’s been trying to build for herself, that’s far more enticing than suiting up in spandex and saving the universe over and over from some sort of heinous monster.
So instead of a fight between a villain and a hero being the focus of the first four episodes, once we get past all of the expository flashback scenes in the first episode, we primarily follow Jen at work as the lawyer for none other than Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), who you might remember as the villain Abomination from the 2008 Incredible Hulk film and a cameo in last year’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
And it works really well. It’s here that we get to see who Jen really is, a sarcastic and awkward lawyer. She’s surrounded by her paralegal and best friend Nikki Ramos (Ginger Gonzaga) and fellow lawyer Pug (Josh Segarra), who vacillates between one of the gang and someone who desperately wants Jen’s career. The dynamic between the three is fun to watch and feels right at home in the world of workplace comedy. And when Jen breaks the fourth wall, which happens at least a couple of times per episode, it gives even more insight into the character.
It remains to be seen if there will actually be an explanation as to why the character speaks to the camera and refers to her life as a TV show, but doing so from Jen’s point of view keeps the series on its toes. Even in a world where we have two Deadpool movies packed with Ryan Reynolds breaking the fourth wall, Jen’s talking to the camera feels unique. It’s not about telling dirty jokes or yelling curse words, but instead, it’s all part of her internal monologue as she goes through these changes in becoming the She-Hulk.
That’s what the show is ultimately about, someone with amazing powers who doesn’t want to quit their day job. Someone whose biggest worry is the case she’s presenting the next day. It’s such a refreshing change from the norm where the world is in danger and the stakes seem insurmountable.
That’s not to say there aren’t stakes or even a villain. The Good Place alum Jameela Jamil plays Titania, a superpowered social media influencer who doesn’t like the idea that She-Hulk is stronger than her–thus She-Hulk must be dealt with. However, Titania doesn’t heavily feature in the first four episodes. She appears a few times, leading to Jen hulking out, but doesn’t totally come into focus by that point.
Speaking of that hulking out, though, it brings to the forefront one of the biggest criticisms from the trailers. The CGI on She-Hulk is as uncanny on the show as in the previews and, at times, it can be distracting. Especially when contrasted against the visual effects on Hulk and Abomination, She-Hulk looks as though she’s being filmed through the Facetune app, making her appear oddly smooth and artificial.
It’s not enough to ruin the show, though, as it’s easy enough to ignore when she starts smashing her way through things. It’s not the only visual quirk in the episodes sent for review, though. There’s a moment in Titania’s introduction that sees the villainous influencer deliver a flying kick across a room. It looks silly and not up to MCU snuff for sure, but to me, it was very reminiscent of something viewers would have seen in the Charlie’s Angels TV series from the late ’70s. It speaks to the wide range of inspirations She-Hulk is borrowing from, including a number of classic TV shows. It also falls in line with how the majority of the show thus far is playing out; it’s mostly here to have fun, share some laughs, and act as an escape.
In that way, the first four episodes of She-Hulk are a success. Yes, the first episode sticks out like a sore thumb, but once you’re past that, what you have is an enjoyable TV show that’s funny with likable characters, and is even giving closure to stories left hanging for over a decade–who knew we’d get a genuine plot about Abomination after he attempted to kill Hulk so long ago that another actor (Edward Norton) was playing our big, green friend?
It’s those elements that make She-Hulk: Attorney At Law a can’t-miss entry into Disney+’s MCU lineup. Of course, it also provides a nice vacation from the typical Marvel fare. While it seems very likely Jen will ultimately be wrapped into massive MCU productions of the future (much like practically all of the heroes from the Disney+ shows), I sincerely hope Marvel Studios sees the importance of breaks from that level of stakes and gives us more shows like She-Hulk: Attorney At Law–or at least a few more seasons.
Source: GameSpot
