A Hulk smashing success.
Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) turns up in Brazil living a life of seclusion, and trying to learn anger management techniques to suppress the curse inside of him called the Hulk. He's also working diligently on finding a cure. Later, his location is discovered and he's ambushed by a military team sent by General "Thunderbolt" Ross (William Hurt). After a number of losses to The Green Goliath, Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), one of Ross' soldiers, becomes so obsessed with defeating Hulk he allows himself to be tested on with intentions on gaining greater strength. -summary
When the day finally came around when I was actually aware of the things I was reading, The Incredible Hulk was one of the main characters in the comic book universe to fascinate me greatly. It didn't have everything to do with his strength that had unlimited potential, but also to do with the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde concept. Here you had puny Bruce Banner, whom could suddenly transform into this brutish creature that would start destroying everything and punching everybody when his anger reached a critical level. He would've been a joy for the school yard bullies. Another aspect of the Hulk that fascinated me was his rogue's gallery, especially one character whom was actually his darker image, The Abomination. It's something when you think about it though; the Hulk is referred to as this destructive monster no one wants around, but in the presence of this particular arch-nemesis he becomes the lesser of two evils. Director Louis Leterrier did a great job in my view, by exploring the most interesting aspects of the character. After watching this movie again recently, I have to believe he's a fan of the character because he got almost everything right from my point of view.
Released in 2008, The Incredible Hulk is a reboot of the 2003 film, that follows Bruce Banner as he avoids capture by General Ross whom seeks to use the Hulk for a weapon. The result is an entertaining action romp with some romance, perhaps a little too much romance though. In any case, as a fan of the comic, this is one of those comic book to films I can watch again.
I enjoyed the direction of the film from the beginning. I thought the opening was done very well by delivering small glimpses of the Hulk, while he does what he does best; kick people's asses and throw things around. The action more than likely won't disappoint as the film treats the viewer to some over the top action scenes, that features lots of military equipment being destroyed by the Hulk with some awesome special effects. I enjoyed the CG effects as well, and the final battle was a great way to cap things off, but I was mainly satisfied to see that it followed the comic in terms of the character's physical abilities by using the show and don't tell rule.
I think the main characters were very well developed, and no one should have been left on the cutting room floor. The viewer will get an idea on how everyone thinks; from the power hungry Emil Blonsky whom gave off the feel of being a drug addict dying for a fix, to Samuel Stern's (Time Blake Nelson) fascination of the Hulk's power to the point where it was obvious he also wanted it. The acting was pretty much good all around the board, but I felt Tim Roth was the standout when giving in to his obsession for power. There was a good amount of chemistry between Norton and Liv Tyler playing Betty Ross, and you can tell there was attention paid to their relationship, which also managed to play a crucial part here as it has done many times in the comic; but at the same time, the movie did feel a little too romantic and angst ridden.
In closing, with the romantic elements, over the top and highly destructive action segments, along with some well placed comedy, and the revealing of the next Hulk villain, The Incredible Hulk is among the better films to carry the Marvel name. Highly recommended if you're a fan of the character or action flicks.
Pros: Action and special effects, character development
Cons: A little too much romance and angst
