Review of “The Incredible Hulk”
I’m not that familiar with the history of the Hulk. Sure I know the basic story: Bruce Banner, doctor and scientist, was a caught in an accident involving gamma radiation that turns him into the monstrous and powerful, green-skinned Hulk. And that’s my only history with the character. Of course I know small parts like Betty Ross, Bruce’s love; General “Thunderbolt” Ross, Betty’s father and the Hulk’s capturer; and Rick Jones, the teenager that caused the accident that turns Bruce into the Hulk when he gets angry. But as with other Marvel Comics stories that have 30 years worth of history, there’s been revisions to the origins, re-tellings, and re-imaginings – just like the movie.
Now I don’t recall Ang Lee’s movie but I do remember watching it in theatres and enjoying myself. I was probably biased since I thought it was awesome seeing the Hulk realized on the big screen and didn’t really notice the plot of the movie, which focused more on the drama than the action. But with Louis Leterrier’s movie we get an action packed film that’s adding to a “cinematic Marvel Universe” that started with Iron Man.
Drama’s good but the Hulk is a character that works better when he’s smashing or growling or fighting, which he does in spades throughout the movie. And boy what a movie! It’s similar to Iron Man but the Incredible Hulk moves to a different beat. From the opening scene to the very last, the film moved rhythmically as a person’s heart would beat if they were on a roller coaster. There was urgency in everything that Ed Norton’s Bruce Banner did. He was racing to find a cure to his “disease” and racing to be sure that nothing like him can be unleashed. But of course, that’s what happens with Tim Roth’s Emil Blonsky.
Enough of the story. The trailers and TV spots already paint it out: Hulk vs the Abomination. Now with the action. Early in the movie when we see the Hulk, we’re re-introduced by him by not seeing him at all. For a short while there it was if we were watching a horror flick where instead of cringing at the sight of the monster, we’re cheering him on. We see the Hulk dispatch of his enemies from within the shadows, but when the dusts settles and we finally see him, the Hulk is a friggin’, bad-ass monster of nature. Within the movie there’s three big Hulk fight scenes and with each one the stakes escalate considerably. And that last one, whew boy is it ever a dozy. This is what we’ve been waiting for. The Hulk goes on an all-out rampage against the Abomination. It’s total chaos and destruction. And just when the Hulk goes savage, Betty arrives.
Ang Lee’s film focused more on Bruce’s relationship with father while in Incredible Hulk we see Bruce’s relationship with everyone around him, especially with Betty. My God, there’s a beat at the end of the second Hulk battle that’s reminiscent of King Kong and Universal Studios’ old horror movies where there’s a young woman with a monstrous creature where you don’t know if she’s going to die or if she holds some sway with the monster. Betty realizes there’s a part of Bruce locked away inside the Hulk and when she sits down next to the emerald giant amidst a rainy night on the cliffs, you have one of the most poignant moments of the entire film. It’s maybe the whole idea of the Hulk that deep down within “our” monsters there’s a bit of ourselves and our humanity in there.
I enjoyed the movie very much and there so much there to watch that plays to the fans of the stories and Marvel Comics. There’s a beat that potentially sets up the next villain for the Hulk, a connection to Iron Man and the story building up to an Avengers movie, a connection between the Hulk and a certain super-soldier serum, and great appearances by Martin Star, Bill Bixby, Lou Ferrigno, and Stan Lee.
Go watch this movie now!
