The Incredible Hulk

Review by Loc

Marvel Comics are pushing on to the big screen with a furious vengeance. After studio flicks of Spider-man and X-Men paved the road, Marvel took it upon itself to produce its own movies. First came Iron Man, the big blockbuster to kick off the summer. Now comes The Incredible Hulk, spotlighting the green goliath in all his savage goodness. Now, I could reference Ang Lee’s Hulk film from 2003, but everyone has tried so hard to sweep that one away, I’ll do the same. Let us not remember the borefest of yore and focus on the newest incarnation of the green beat. Quick hit: damn good fun.

The Incredible Hulk is your classic case of “rebooting” a franchise. It keeps some of the mythos from the previous film, but for the most part, this is your introduction into the Hulk series. Starting with the two minute origin rolling over the opening credits, you’re treated to an almost TV opening homage that lays out the scenario: Bruce Banner had some experiments performed on him, he became the Hulk, he maimed lots of people included his love, Betty Ross, the military headed by General Thunderbolt Ross is after him, and Banner is hiding away somewhere. Recap done, on to the new story: quick and simple.

If you’ve seen the trailers then you get the gist of the whole plot. Banner on the run, new military-sponsored monster emerges as threat, Banner calls upon the Hulk to even the playing field, mass destruction, on to the next movie. Wait, really, that’s it? Well, surprisingly enough, yes and no. Yes, that’s the plot. No, because The Incredible Hulk does a great job at fleshing out the story and adding details the deliver a good ride.

After two hours, it’s hard to remember that this flick started in the poverty-ridden factories of Brazil to end up in a New York City throwdown. But that’s why it’s a good ride, the story moves organically from there to here to over there, and there’s enough action to keep you entertained, enough story to get you to the next smackdown, and enough good acting to keep you engaged. Good stuff all around.

The cast is led by Edward Norton, assuming the role of Bruce Banner/Hulk. You can tell he’s been pumping up again, as evidenced by the first scene where he’s shirtless, sweaty, and buff. However, he never looks quite physically imposing. His frame isn’t meant to be cut in 300 fashion and when he’s running for his life, he still looks a bit goofy, just like in American History X. But he does deliver a decent performance and his Bruce Banner is a good character to watch.

Others include Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, William Hurt as Thunderbolt Ross, and Tim Roth and Emil Blonsky/Abomination. Liv Tyler is a whispery actor, lots of screaming a low volumes for her. I guess it’s supposed to exhibit the vulnerability of the character, but it does little more than seem like she needs to expand that emotional range. William Hurt is pretty good as the General, but it’s a one note performance for the most part. Lastly, Tim Roth is pretty sweet as the mad-on soldier Blonsky, and he brings a good level of intensity to the role. Unfortunately, in much of the movie, you begin to think he’s a midget because everyone around him towers above him. There are scenes where you’re looking over the Thunderbolt’s shoulder and you think the General must be the size of the Hulk as he looks down upon Roth.

If there’s an undue focus on physical appearance, it’s probably because this flick is based on one of the most physical specimens found in pop-culture: the Hulk. Trailers and TV spots have shown what the CGI wizards were able to produce for the Hulk, and it hasn’t been too inspiring. However, on the big screen in the context of the movie, the CGI actually plays pretty well with the film. Granted, it looks CGI and you’re never going to mistake the Hulk for a real character. The texturing is off, the skin looks fake, and the movements are a little too gooey. However, in the course of the film, it works fine and looks OK. I bet it will look worse on DVD, where the small screen and HD reveal how out-of-place the Hulk really is, but in the theater, there weren’t a lot of problems with the character.

One of the coolest aspects of this film was the integration of the Marvel universe. As mentioned early on, Marvel is now producing its own movies, meaning they’re taking advantage of the rich history of their characters and building an entire Marvel world on-screen. Things seem interconnected, much like a comic series, and this whets the appetite for future encounters. There’s a nod to a long-time Hulk villain, possibly setting up a sequel. Then there’s a very strong reference to Tony Stark which many fans will enjoy. This is all setting up for the eventual Avengers movie, where characters like Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and Hulk should interact on-screen for the first time. Lots of fanboy excitement for that one.

Overall, The Incredible Hulk is a very good summer movie. It moves along at a good pace, delivers action and drama, and doesn’t try too hard to be something that it’s not. With the seeds of a sequel in place and the prospects of an Avengers tie-in for the future, it does a great job of rebuilding a franchise that seemed to be dead after its first failed attempt. Out of a 200-Hulk-inducing heart rate, The Incredible Hulk pulses furiously at 140 beats. Hulk does some good smashing!