Rated PG-13 (Sequences of Intense Action
Violence, Some Frightening Sci-Fi Images, and Brief Suggestive Content)
Running Time: 1 Hour & 52 Minutes
Cast-
Edward Norton-Dr. Bruce Banner/The Hulk
Liv Tyler-Dr. Elizabeth 'Betty' Ross
Tim Roth-Major Emil Blonsky/The
Abomination
William Hurt-General Thaddeus
'Thunderbolt' Ross
Tim Blake Nelson-Samuel Sterns
Ty Burrell-Leonard Samson
Christina Cabot-Major Kathleen Sparr
Peter Mensah-General Joe Greller
Paul Soles-Stanley
Débora Nascimento-Martina
Robert Downey Jr.-Tony Stark
Directed by Louis Leterrier
 |
| Incredible, indeed. |
Second chances are very rare in Hollywood,
but Marvel’s famous antihero, the Hulk, has been given the reboot treatment à
la “Batman Begins” with “The Incredible Hulk.” The first film, simply titled
“Hulk,” was directed by Ang Lee, one of the most critically-acclaimed directors
working today. “Hulk” received massive amounts of hype when it was released
five years ago during the summer of 2003 but trouble brewed when fans reacted
negatively to the CGI that was used to bring the titular character to life.
Although Lee's film had an excellent opening weekend debut with $62.1 million, it
unfortunately dropped by 70% in its second week of release. Many felt that the
director's introspective interpretation of the character was banal and that
there just wasn’t enough smashing. After reacquiring the rights to the
character, Marvel decided to wipe the slate clean and “The Incredible Hulk” was
born. Director Louis Leterrier’s take on the not-so-jolly green giant is less-nuanced
than Lee’s but the action is definitely better and delivers on what we expect
out of a Hulk film.
After the opening credits—which recount
Bruce Banner’s (Edward Norton) origin of how he became the Hulk—we find Banner
hiding out in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in an effort to try to cure himself of his
affliction. After a small mishap at the factory he works at, General Thaddeus
'Thunderbolt' Ross (William Hurt) manages to track down Banner and sends
Russian-born British Special Forces Agent Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) after him.
The attempt is unsuccessful as Banner escapes by transforming into the Hulk.
Ross decides to authorize the use of a discontinued ‘super-soldier’ serum in
order to give Blonsky the edge he needs but the soldier quickly becomes
addicted to it. As Banner becomes close to finding a cure after reuniting with
his estranged lover, Betty Ross (Liv Tyler), he discovers that he must unleash
the monster within once more and battle Blonsky, who has become an
‘Abomination.’
The story in Leterrier’s "The
Incredible Hulk" is a lot more straight-forward this time around, shedding
most of the Greek tragedy aspects of Lee’s version and drawing its inspiration
from the 1970’s Bill Bixby/Lou Ferrigno-led television series of the same name.
Zak Penn's script treats Banner's transformations like a disease while the
previous film—which Marvel Studios likened to a parallel universe one-shot
comic book—tried to psychologically explore why the gamma radiation triggered
such a reaction. Much of the first hour resembles a Bourne film as Banner is
chased through the streets of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to a college campus in
Virginia. After that, “The Incredible Hulk” remains in action mode with a few
pauses along the way, leading up to an explosive battle of epic proportions.
There are some issues with the film, largely stemming from the pacing and the
way it was edited as it makes certain character beats feel truncated. Although the
story doesn’t spend too much time on it, we do get a sense of the toll it takes
on Banner every time he transforms. For one thing, he always wakes up with
nothing but a pair of ripped pants and has to go searching for clothes. This
also prevents him from having sex as seen in a funny scene where he tells Betty
that he can’t get too excited. Poor Betty for not getting any because her
boyfriend could spontaneously change to a green-skinned, muscle bound creature!
Fans will also get a kick out of several references that include Doc Samson and
the Leader, as well as several elements lifted from Bruce Jones’ five-year
stint on the comic.
The reason Leterrier’s film works better compared
to Lee's version is largely due to the smart casting of Edward Norton. He even
looks the part as Banner is often depicted as a thin, unassuming man. His
portrayal bears some similarities to Eric Bana’s since both see their character
as a tortured soul whom fate had dealt a bad hand. Norton also had a hand in
writing the script, although he’s uncredited. The rest of the cast deliver
performances of varying degrees of quality. Tim Roth chews the scenery as
amoral Special Forces soldier Emil Blonsky but his descent into madness isn’t
handled all too well and feels rushed. Liv Tyler is rather flat as Banner's
estranged girlfriend Betty Ross. I just didn’t quite feel the ‘spark’ between
her and Norton. While William Hurt comes closest to being on par with Norton as
the obsessive General Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross, I have to say, I preferred
Sam Elliot's performance.
The CGI is definitely much better, given
the amount of time that has passed since Lee's film. The Hulk himself has been
shrunk down to a more realistic size with a wider range of expressions. Hell,
every time he flexes his muscles you can see all the veins just popping out! However,
some fans might take issue with the Abomination as the villain bears little
resemblance to his comic book counterpart. Instead of being dark blue-green,
he's now pale yellow. There are several action scenes, one taking place mainly
in shadow as the Hulk makes short work of Blonsky and his troops while another is
set on a college campus with the U.S. military bringing out all the stops. Finally,
there's the climactic brawl between the Hulk and the Abomination. They trade
giant blows throughout the streets of Harlem but the CGI used here can get a
little excessive. Of course, the Hulk has always been one of the harder comic
book characters to bring to life on the big screen. It’s either CG or paint
some muscleman green like in the television show.
The Blu-Ray release doesn’t disappoint,
with stunning detail on the Hulk that reveals every individual pore. Blacks are
solid and CGI-heavy scenes fortunately don't look flat or obvious. As for the audio
quality, it features a brute force soundtrack with plenty of smashing. However,
the supplements included are rather disappointing. There’s an informative audio
commentary with Roth and Leterrier but Norton is noticeably absent. Also included
is a making-of featurette that doesn’t really offer anything substantial as it
runs only thirty minutes long. The real meat of the extras is the deleted
scenes—forty-two minutes worth!—that includes an alternate opening set in the
Arctic. It's notable for featuring a blink-or-you'll-miss cameo from a certain
Star-Spangled Avenger incased in ice. Perhaps they may be interwoven back into
the film as a potential director’s cut but most of the scenes don't add to the
story all that much.
Released on June 13, 2008, reception to “The
Incredible Hulk” wasn’t all that different from the 2003 version, with a 67% on
Rotten Tomatoes. Still, critics agreed that it 'provides the action and
excitement to please comic book fans and re-ignite this fledgling franchise.'
The film has grossed $134.8 million domestic and $263.4 million worldwide,
which is only slightly higher than the original. There’s been no
word on a possible sequel but “The Incredible Hulk,” while not as nuanced as
Lee’s version, provides ample entertainment and delivers on what the
fans want. Marvel Studios is certainly on a roll after "Iron Man" so I hope
they can keep this up.
Final Rating: 4 out of 5
Bruce Banner: I'm sorry, I can't get too
excited.
Betty Ross: Not even a little excited?
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