The Incredible Hulk Blu-Ray Review

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?