Don’t make me watch a bad comic book movie; you wouldn’t like me after watching a bad comic book movie. Thanks to Marvel Studios I didn’t have to. Marvel’s second feature film as an independent movie studio didn’t quite reach the Sirius status of Iron Man, but it held it’s own just fine.
The Incredible Hulk is a drastic improvement over the 2003 Hulk directed by Ang Lee. I’m not sure if it’s because these movies are now being produced by Marvel directly, but it seems as if there is a much higher importance on comic book accuracy and much less on artistic vision. Which is a good thing for most comic book fans. The reason the fans flock to these movies is to see the characters they read about, not to get some Picasso version by a fancy director with his own agenda.
The Incredible Hulk is a drastic improvement over the 2003 Hulk directed by Ang Lee. I’m not sure if it’s because these movies are now being produced by Marvel directly, but it seems as if there is a much higher importance on comic book accuracy and much less on artistic vision. Which is a good thing for most comic book fans. The reason the fans flock to these movies is to see the characters they read about, not to get some Picasso version by a fancy director with his own agenda.
Much like the famed Hulk roller coaster in Universal Studios, the newest film incarnation of the Hulk propels the audience right into the story. The opening credits are pretty much a montage of the Hulk’s origin. Everyone knows Bruce Banner is exposed to gamma radiation and turns into the unstoppable Hulk whenever he loses his temper. The audience did not need to go through that again and the film did a great job of getting everyone up to speed in the first five minutes.
Fans of “The Incredible Hulk” comic book will be very happy with this film. Edward Norton plays a very believable Bruce Banner, although Eric Bana did not do a bad job in the 2003 version, Norton just looks and sounds more believable in the part. Liv Tyler is not as polished as Jennifer Connelly was in the role of Betty Ross, but she filled the role as Banner’s love interest just the same. The inclusion of a real Hulk enemy in the movie, The Abomination played by the always-captivating Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction), was also a welcome addition that the 2003 version was missing.
Not to be forgotten, this film also catered to fans of “The Incredible Hulk” television series that ran from 1978-1982. Not only could the original theme song be heard, but a couple of nostalgia-laced cameos and references placed nicely in the film makes sure the audience does not forget the days of Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno.
A major criticism of the 2003 film was the not so realistic CGI generated Hulk. The Incredible Hulk version still looks like CGI, but it’s leaps and bounds over the previous attempt. This Hulk’s skin has much better textures and shading. One scene that is visually stunning involves Liv Tyler and the Hulk in the rain on the side of a mountain. You actually have a tough time seeing the Hulk as a special effect in this scene. The main problem is that audiences have been force-fed CGI effects for so long, moviegoers have become desensitized to them. The “wow” reaction people had to 1993’s Jurassic Park is long gone and it's become very difficult for computer artists to put something on the screen that will get a fresh reaction. However the action scenes did stun me, and not in a bad way. They were fittingly violent and really make you feel the sheer power of the Hulk and his adversary.
The only real criticism I have for this film is that the story writing started off very strong and then took a small break in the middle in order to advance to the creation of the Hulk's super-powered enemy, The Abomination. That and they should have used the 1978 television series theme song more liberally, but that’s nitpicking. This is easily the best the Hulk has ever looked on any screen and it’s the most entertaining of any live-action story involving the character.
Story: 6.0
Acting: 7.5
Writing: 6.5
Captivation: 7.5
Replay Value: 7.5
Total: 7.0
DVD SPOILER: There was a scene that director Louis Leterrier cut from the film, supposedly infuriating Edward Norton. The scene involved a cameo by Captain America who will also be featured in an upcoming Marvel Studios film. This scene will be included on the DVD.
Fans of “The Incredible Hulk” comic book will be very happy with this film. Edward Norton plays a very believable Bruce Banner, although Eric Bana did not do a bad job in the 2003 version, Norton just looks and sounds more believable in the part. Liv Tyler is not as polished as Jennifer Connelly was in the role of Betty Ross, but she filled the role as Banner’s love interest just the same. The inclusion of a real Hulk enemy in the movie, The Abomination played by the always-captivating Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction), was also a welcome addition that the 2003 version was missing.
Not to be forgotten, this film also catered to fans of “The Incredible Hulk” television series that ran from 1978-1982. Not only could the original theme song be heard, but a couple of nostalgia-laced cameos and references placed nicely in the film makes sure the audience does not forget the days of Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno.
A major criticism of the 2003 film was the not so realistic CGI generated Hulk. The Incredible Hulk version still looks like CGI, but it’s leaps and bounds over the previous attempt. This Hulk’s skin has much better textures and shading. One scene that is visually stunning involves Liv Tyler and the Hulk in the rain on the side of a mountain. You actually have a tough time seeing the Hulk as a special effect in this scene. The main problem is that audiences have been force-fed CGI effects for so long, moviegoers have become desensitized to them. The “wow” reaction people had to 1993’s Jurassic Park is long gone and it's become very difficult for computer artists to put something on the screen that will get a fresh reaction. However the action scenes did stun me, and not in a bad way. They were fittingly violent and really make you feel the sheer power of the Hulk and his adversary.
The only real criticism I have for this film is that the story writing started off very strong and then took a small break in the middle in order to advance to the creation of the Hulk's super-powered enemy, The Abomination. That and they should have used the 1978 television series theme song more liberally, but that’s nitpicking. This is easily the best the Hulk has ever looked on any screen and it’s the most entertaining of any live-action story involving the character.
Story: 6.0
Acting: 7.5
Writing: 6.5
Captivation: 7.5
Replay Value: 7.5
Total: 7.0
DVD SPOILER: There was a scene that director Louis Leterrier cut from the film, supposedly infuriating Edward Norton. The scene involved a cameo by Captain America who will also be featured in an upcoming Marvel Studios film. This scene will be included on the DVD.
