The Incredible Hulk Review

“Those who do not learn their history are doomed to repeat it.”

The above quote rings true with this movie. In 2003 we saw Ang Lee’s art house vision of Hulk come alive to bore audiences with a drawn out artistic vision that simple didn’t embody anything worthy of a “Hulk Smash!” Skip ahead 5 years (has it been that long?) Marvel is its own studio and Edward Norton has pushed a reboot, remake, retelling of the Hulk embodying a different interpretation of the character.

In the Incredible Hulk, the film learned everything from its 2003 predecessor on what not to do. Essentially the film embarks itself as a sequel with Dr. Bruce Banner on the run and General “Thunderbolt” Ross hot on his tail. We learn the characters origin within the the 3 minute opening credit scene that re-tweaks some of the 2003 story into a small reminder of how and why.

The film begins slow but in a good way where we find Dr. Bruce Banner in Brazil working in an out of the way factory as a line worker. We see Norton battered and tired, he has obviously become a roamer. Norton isn’t playing Bruce Banner but rather Bill Bixby and he does it well. For those young ones out there Bill Bixby played Bruce Banner in the “Incredible Hulk” television show.

As we mentioned earlier, Banner is on the run trying to find a cure for his gamma radiation poisoning and by doing so has left himself open to the wrath of General Ross, played believably and convincingly, by William Hurt. Hurt gives Ross a certain and almost poignant sense that he is doing the right thing for this country and for the defense of the nation, which is what you would assume a general would say and believe. At one point Hurt says, “As far as I am concerned his whole body is property of the US government.”

As the story moves we meet again Dr. Elizabeth Ross and newcomer Emil Blonsky. Played respectably by Liv Tyler and Tim Roth. Blonsky, is the ultimate soldier believing that his mentality in a body 10 years younger could do some serious fighting. Roth conveys a character wanting to embody the Hulk and everything he is while Norton wants nothing to do with his essential alter ego. That is where the film really picks up because it does have a constant flow of action and entertainment but what we see is Banner’s struggle with the monster within him.

The story reveals itself as a reconnection to the “Incredible Hulk” television show even harnessing its theme music and characterization. The story moves from this re-defining of Banner into a serious action flick complete with explosions, intense fighting between Hulk and the Abomination and ultimately a multitude of Easter Eggs that will make fanboys smile. The film succeeds where the other didn’t simply because its story isn’t epic or artistic but rather realistic and simple.

When you see this movie you have a viable entertaining popcorn flick that adults and kids will enjoy. You have a story taken straight from the fandom along with acting that doesn’t disappoint. However, the movie stands at mediocre compared Marvel’s earlier summer success with IronMan but it does make you forget the 2003 failure. The biggest complaint that this movie could have is its CGI was very average and sometimes terrible thus making it distracting. I am sure there are limits on what they can do and I believe you couldn’t have the intense action scenes without CGI. It just seems that Banner’s transformation into the Hulk just isn’t shown very well as a visual effect, especially when it is pasted into the real world environment. Let’s just say Jar Jar Binks looked better in Phantom Menace.

So to close, Incredible Hulk really isn’t bad in fact the story is good, the action flows keeping all audiences entertained from beginning to end. Simply put the CGI and look of the Hulk really kills some of the film but if you can get past that it is a great entertaining summer blockbuster. Overall Fused Film Blog gives it 2 and 1/2 stars out of 4.