Movie Review: "The Incredible Hulk"

[pole_dancer]

“The Incredible Hulk” (2008) 

 

Cast: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt, Tim Blake Nelson

 

Director: Louis Leterrier

 

The superhero movie “The Incredible Hulk” is the second movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Note: In 2003, “Hulk,” based on the Marvel comic characters, was released. However, “The Incredible Hulk,” released in 2008, is the reboot and appears under MCU.

 

My 30 Second No Spoilers Intro

 

Bruce Banner, played by Edward Norton, is the Hulk. But before any of that happened, he was just a noble scientist working for the common good and dating cellular biologist Betty Ross, played by Liv Tyler. One of Banner’s projects was gamma radiation resistance. So confident that he had successfully developed the resistance that he tests it on himself, but the test goes horribly wrong, and he turns into the Hulk destroying the lab and physically hurting and killing people in the process. In life, as well as in Marvel movies, the American government is seen by some as the enemy, and General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, played by William Hurt, is an example of why. He deliberately fails to tell Banner that the military aims to weaponize Banner’s findings to create “Super Soldiers.” Banner wants nothing to do with it and goes on the run. At the start of the movie, we find him in Brazil. Banner will always turn into the Hulk whenever his heart rate reaches 200 beats per minute. So he practices meditation and yoga to keep his heart rate under control while simultaneously searching for a cure, hopefully with the help of a fellow scientist, Mr. Blue, a person he has only communicated with online. (Mr. Blue calls Banner Mr. Green.) The action continues from there, including the appearance of Emil Blonsky, a self-serving, power-hungry soldier played by Tim Roth, and the arrival of the Hulk’s most powerful contender.

 

Who Was Good and Who Wasn’t?

 

Similar to Iron Man; the acting in “The Incredible Hulk” is outstanding. Edward Norton, Tim Roth, and William Hurt, for examples, have all been either nominated or are winners of major awards such as the Golden Globes or the Academy Awards. Liv Tyler, although not an A-List type, is a natural in this film. Nobody stuck out as a mediocre actor or actress in the film.

 

What I Liked and What I Didn’t Like

 

Dislike: In the opening credits we get “The Incredible Hulk” backstory, which is what happens to Banner in the lab before he goes on the run. I’d rather see this kind of information after the opening credits. Let’s just say I hope there weren’t people getting their popcorn while the opening credits were happening back in 2008. Not so much for the people who already knew the backstory, but for those who didn’t. The backstory is further explained later on in the movie, but this visual backstory isn’t something you want to miss.

 

Like: Blonsky says to General Ross, "This is a whole new level of weird.” That’s an excellent way to describe what has happened to Banner.

 

Dislike: They use a lot of weaponry in this movie, and that’s fine, but some of what they do is blast the Hulk with tranq ammo and live ammo in the form of bullets. These two forms of ammunition don’t seem to work on the Hulk. Duh! Why would they?  

 

Dislike: Unlike Tony Stark slipping into a fantastical but at the same time believable Iron Man suit, when Banner transforms into the Hulk, it’s not as plausible. For one, he always busts out of the shirt he’s wearing, which makes sense, but he doesn’t break out of his pants. They just become tight-fitting but flooding and jagged-edged. Realistically, they should fall off him too when he turns into the Hulk, but then you wouldn’t have a PG-13 movie. Banner buys pants with an expandable waistband to compensate for what his pants will become, but it’s not believable.

 

Like: The love story between Bruce and Betty is sweet but also powerful. It helps that both of the characters are ethical and likable.

 

Who Will Like This Movie?

 

"The Incredible Hulk" is good for people who love action movies and powerful battles. It's also an excellent movie for people who enjoy love stories.

 

Rating?

 

I give "The Incredible Hulk" Four 1/2 out of Five Stars.

Final Words:

Look for a special cameo and be sure to watch the movie to the end.