Gamertell

Title: The Incredible Hulk
Release Date: June, 13, 2008
Publisher (Developer): Marvel Films, Universal Studios
Rating: PG-13
Pros: Good acting, plenty of action, lots of Marvel fanboy Easter eggs, great music, solid story, Hulk effects good
Cons: General effects are okay, has some missing plot points, lacks dialogue.
Overall Score: One thumb up, one sideways; 80/100; B-; * * * our of five

It has already been a great year for Marvel Films. Iron Man (May, 2, 2008) has gone on to gross more than five hundred million dollars worldwide and, still to come, The Punisher: War Zone (December, 5, 2008). This week we saw another big-hittin’ Marvel character The Incredible Hulk smashes his way onto the big screen for the second time in five years.

This Hulk film isn’t a sequel to the 2003 Ang Lee adaption but is instead a completely new start for the franchise, although it doesn’t completely ignore the 2003 film. In this latest version, it is stated that Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) has been the Hulk for five years and that he is on the run in South America, which is where the 2003 film left off.

If anything, this new film really has more in common with the comic book and the classic ‘70s television series then anything else.

Hulk Smash Good

Incredible Hulk doesn’t bother with a back story as it is clear that the film makers are hoping that you know the Hulk’s origin by now. There is a brief opening montage showing Banner being transformed into the Hulk, going on a rampage, hurting numerous people including his love, Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) and that General “Thunderbolt” Ross (William Hurt) has spent the past five years hunting down Banner.

The film picks up with Banner living in Brazil working in a soda bottling plant where he has spent the past five years trying to find a cure for his Hulk transformations, which he has had under control for over a hundred days at the opening of the film. We do get a unique insight to Banner as he tries to find any way to tame the beast inside him including studying meditation, breathing techniques and even martial arts. He still has to fight each day to control his natural urges.

It doesn’t take too long before the action starts as we are introduced to Emil “Abomination” Blonsky (Tim Roth), an aging Special Forces soldier whose best days are behind him. He and his team are sent to Brazil by General Ross after they learn, through a cameo by Stan Lee, of the Hulk’s whereabouts. From then on, the film is almost non-stop action, all of which is far more satisfying then what we saw in the 2003 film, from a battle with the U.S. Army at Culver University, to a New York City street brawl with Abomination at the film’s climax.

Much like Iron Man, the Hulk‘s real strengths come from its actors. Both Norton and Tyler have more chemistry then Eric Bana and Jennifer Connelly had in the previous film.  And Williams Hurt’s portrayal of General Ross is another outstanding performance from the Oscar wining actor.

Everything is Perfectly Green

There are a few rough spots in this movie. While the actors do a great job with their roles, I was a bit surprised how little dialogue this Hulk movie actually had. On a couple complete sentences are spoken during the first thirty minutes or more of this movie and half of it is in Portuguese. In fact, there are long gaps in this film were there is nothing said at all.

There were also some missing elements in plot, as suddenly the US Army shows up out of nowhere and attacks Banner. We’re only told after the fact how they managed to find out where Banner was. Plus, I wish there had been more back story on why Tim Roth’s character became so obsessed with wanting to battle - and become - the Hulk. His reasons just felt shallow.

The effects were quite good but, like 2007’s Transformers, I felt it was just a one-trick pony It is really just the Hulk and Abomination getting the most effects attention while the of the other effects were, at time, down right awful.

Start of Something Bigger

By the end of the movie, where we get to see a cameo appearance by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr), you know Marvel has laid the frameworks for something much bigger that will no doubt get every Marvel fanboy excited. Throughout both the Hulk and Iron Man, hints are sprinkled throughout both films about Captain America (which I am most excited about seeing).

Despite a few minor hiccups, which aren’t that big of deal when you view The Incredible Hulk as a whole, this film is far superior film to the 2003 Hulk movie offers plenty of room to grow.

Site [The Incredible Hulk]

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