The Incredible Hulk
Directed by Louis Leterrier
Starring Edward Norton, Liv Tyler,
Tim Roth, William Hurt
Rated PG-13
Release date: June 13, 2008

When I went to see The Incredible Hulk, I was not sure what to expect. I was not too thrilled about the first film, The Hulk, back in 2003. The movie dragged on, was filled with gamma-radiated Hulk dogs, and managed to make a movie about a giant green monster destroying stuff boring. So, when Marvel decided to reboot the franchise from scratch, complete with a new cast and director, I decided to give the movie the benefit of the doubt.

While the cast is different, the story of the Hulk remains the same. When a science experiment involving gamma radiation goes horribly wrong. Dr. Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) becomes a walking jaded behemoth known as The Hulk. Now, every time his heart rate elevates, destruction is not far behind. Realizing he is a danger to himself and others around him, he leaves his girlfriend and fellow scientist Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) behind in search for a cure.

Five years have since passed and Bruce has stopped running for now. Settling down in a small village in Brazil, he works part-time at a soda company while at the same time searching for ways to control or get rid of the beast within him. Time is running out though, as the government is slowly closing in on his location. General “Thunderbolt” Ross (William Hurt) wants his hands on the Hulk and sends British soldier Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) and a team of soldiers after him.

Clocking in at almost two hours, the film is entertaining from start to finish. Louis Leterrier, who you may know from the Transporter series, does a great job helming this big action movie. I really enjoyed his choice of camera shots, particularly with the Banner chase scenes, which incorporated handheld camera shots. It really makes you feel like you are a part of the action. It takes a special kind of director to direct a comic book movie and Leterrier does it with flying colors. Whether it was Bruce running from the U.S. government on the rooftops of a small village in Brazil or The Hulk and The Abomination duking it out in Harlem, I can safely say the movie was never boring. I think the highlight of the film though would have to be the first twenty minutes.

Moviegoers very early on get a glimpse of Banner’s daily activities in Brazil. From working 9 to 5, practicing martial arts to control his anger, and eventually being chased by the soldiers, it is in those twenty minutes that the film encapsulates the true essence of what The Incredible Hulk is all about: a man that is destined to be alone, running from people out to get him and the monster that lurks from within. It is here that I felt most connected to Banner, thanks in large part to the performance from Edward Norton.

I think Edward Norton does a fabulous job as Bruce Banner. I am never a fan of recasting, but after seeing Norton in the role, I could not think of a more perfect candidate to play Banner. He definitely has the “look” of scientist in terms of build and overall demeanor and has the acting chops to back it up. His acting chops also come through on his CGI counterpart, The Hulk, for which Norton provided the motion-capture performance.

As a comic fan, I thought this film’s portrayal of The Hulk was the most faithful to the comic. It always bugged me that the previous version was so tall. I know it is a small detail, but The Hulk should not be over 12 feet tall. Thankfully, in this version, he has shrunken in size, down to about the 8-9 feet range. He also utters a couple of lines in the movie, something the previous Hulk did not do.

The Hulk also looks pretty realistic, particularly when around the other actors. What is most impressive about this Hulk though is the wide range of emotions he can emote. In my opinion, it is pretty easy to create a CGI monster that is scary or downright pissed off, but for animators to make the beast exhibit sadness or even tenderness is truly a feat that deserves applause. Pay close attention to the scene involving The Hulk and Betty Ross in a cave, where The Hulk gets a chance to showcase his wide range of emotions. I defy you not to be moved by the scene.

Whether it is out of love for the character or a clever marketing tool, the film bends over backwards to pay homage to both the TV show and the comic. The gamma experiment conducted by Banner looks like a 20th century version of the one shown on the TV show. Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno, stars of the Incredible Hulk TV show, also make a cameo appearances. A portion of the show’s theme song even shows up in a scene in the movie, a personal touch that pleased me immensely. Appearances from Doc Samson, the mysterious “Mr. Blue,” (whose secret identity is also someone Hulk fans would be familiar with), and Stan Lee (who has his meatiest cameo to date), should definitely please comic fans.

The Incredible Hulk definitely smashes its predecessor but it is far from a perfect film. The movie comes to a screeching halt when it comes to the romantic scenes. I felt absolutely no romantic chemistry between Tyler and Norton. Their scenes together were not terrible, but just too middle of the road for me. I must admit though, when Betty sees Bruce again for the first time, I did get a bit teary eyed.

The script, written by Zak Penn of X3 fame and revised by Norton, is at best uneven. The concepts and action sequences really sell the movie, but the dialogue leaves a lot to be desired. Some of dialogue, particularly between Blonsky and General Ross, is hard to listen to without cringing. I also was not pleased with how underdeveloped the supporting characters were for the film.

I know the film’s focus is Banner/Hulk, but to reduce these rich characters into one-note personalities (General Ross is uncaring general, Blonsky is the dedicated army man) does the actors a disservice. Liv Tyler gets the worst of it out of all of them.

Throughout the entire film, Tyler is relegated to exhibiting, at most, two emotions (scared or concerned) and looking longingly at Banner. I know this is an action movie and she is, in essence, the damsel in distress but to give her such a thankless role is an insult to her talents as an actor. I mean, she is a scientist/teacher, yet she is never shown doing anything scientific or even teaching in a class. I would hope that in the possible sequel, the writers would wise up and put Tyler’s acting chops to better use.

The action sequences, while exciting the first time in the trailers, seem to lose their luster the second time around. The final battle between The Hulk and The Abomination was also on the slightly underwhelming side. You would assume that two powerhouses like The Hulk and Abomination would have a more exciting battle, but it was reduced to lots of punches and a kick to the groin. Though, props to the fight between Blonsky and the Hulk. It is absolutely breathtaking and with the announcement of an Avengers movie, a Captain America vs. Hulk battle may be closer to reality than one thinks.

If Marvel’s goal was to create a bigger and better Hulk film, I think it was accomplished. It was a great reboot film with a solid cast and great direction. For the sequel, I would focus more on the fugitive aspect angle, give a bit more material for the supporting characters to work with, and touch up the dialogue. Overall, fans will definitely like this Hulk when he’s angry.