The Incredible Hulk

When you think about it, The Incredible Hulk is probably the riskiest movie Marvel Comic's film division has made yet. It's not just the fact that 2003's effort to bring the big green guy to life was met with severely divided reaction from fans, critics and audiences. It's also the fact that Marvel's Iron Man is not even two months old, and is still fresh in people's minds. Walking into the theater, I was somewhat fearful that they might be in danger of over saturating the market with their characters, and people might stay away. I sure hope they don't, because The Incredible Hulk is pretty much everything most fans wanted the first time around. This "reinvention" of the struggling franchise is a glorious and immensely enjoyable piece of popcorn entertainment.

Given the highly publicized behind the scenes turmoil between star and uncredited co-writer, Edward Norton, and the studio for final direction of the film, I have to say, I'm extremely happy with what has shown up as the final product. Director Louis Leterrier (The Transporter films) and screenwriter Zak Penn (X-Men: The Last Stand) have given us a film that manages to keep the action moving at a quick pace, while at the same time allowing us to care about lead hero, Bruce Banner (Norton), and his quest to become completely human again, and control the seemingly-uncontrollable destructive power that lies within him ever since he was exposed to Gamma radiation in an experiment gone wrong. Rather than re-explain the origins of the Hulk, the movie instead jumps right in, and shows us Bruce living in exile in Brazil. As he attempts to find a cure with the aid of an on line scientist friend (Tim Blake Nelson), Bruce is constantly on the run from General Ross (William Hurt), who is attempting to capture him and study his abilities, so that he can use the knowledge for an unstoppable weapon.

After his latest successful attempt at eluding the military, Bruce is forced to return to the U.S. with the hope that he can find the cure he needs. He is reunited with his former love, Betty Ross (Liv Tyler), who still holds feelings for him, and is willing to aid him in his search, even if it means defying her father, the General. As the two attempt to stay ahead of their pursuers, a new threat emerges in the form of a soldier by the name of Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth). After his first encounter with Bruce's Hulk form and seeing the power it holds, he volunteers for a risky experiment that will give him similar inhuman strength so that the military can be on an equal level with their prey. As the experiments continue, his form also begins to change into a giant monstrosity appropriately dubbed Abomination. With Blonsky rapidly losing control of his own sanity due to the power, it may be up to Bruce to call upon his own powers to save himself and everyone else around him.

The Incredible Hulk is certainly nothing complex, but it has been executed with a great amount of skill. Much like Iron Man, this is a film that both fans and those who are not quite familiar can enjoy on different levels. The fans will revel in some clever references, such as some brief flashes of newspaper clippings during the opening credit sequence, and how the movie throws in a quick nod early on to late actor Bill Bixby, who played Banner in the old TV series. Those who are not up on their Hulk history but find themselves in the audience will likely enjoy the film's quick pace and memorable action sequences. The film's early moments depicting Bruce on the run from the military do seem almost like a throwback to the Jason Bourne films, but once the Hulk itself steps in, the action sequences take on a life of their own. Though the CG used to bring the Hulk (and later Abomination) to life sometimes look like a glorified video game, the movement and fluidity cannot be beat. The Hulk no longer does great flying Crouching Tiger-like leaps like he did in the original film. He's somewhat more grounded, but still awesome nonetheless. The more lifelike movement most likely has to do with the fact that a lot of the scenes with the creatures were motion captured by Norton and Roth. The film's main centerpiece confrontation between the two monsters on the streets of New York is tightly edited and, unlike the climactic battle in last year's Transformers, lives up to the wait the movie puts us through. Filmmaker Michael Bay should take notes. This is how you do a monster battle right.

Even though there is a greater emphasis on action and special effects this time around, that doesn't mean that the characters completely suffer. Norton makes for a sympathetic tortured hero, and even gets to have a little fun in the process, such as when he gets to mangle the famous "Don't make me angry..." line in a different language. He makes a good everyman caught in an extraordinary situation he doesn't quite understand, and is trying hard to control. If the rest of the cast don't quite stand out as much, it's only because the screenplay doesn't give them as much to do. Liv Tyler is passable as Betty Ross, but not much more than that. She doesn't get to spend enough meaningful moments with Bruce in order for their relationship to truly hit home with us. William Hurt is cold and uptight, which is how the performance is supposed to be, but still a little too one-note. A bit more humanity would have gone a long way in making him stand out more. As the lead villain, Tim Roth doesn't have a lot to do, but he at least gives the character is all. Surprisingly, the one performance that stands out the most is the highly publicized appearance by Robert Downey Jr, reprising his role of Tony Stark from Iron Man. The cameo is 20 second long tops, but even this brief snippet is enough to remind you why he worked so well in that film.

Given the reaction and backlash to the previous film, I suppose the obvious question would be how will this take on the character go over? Quite well, I think. This is a much more livelier and action-oriented take on the Hulk. Though I admired the original film , I admit even I was somewhat let down by the dialogue-heavy dark opera it was, instead of the roller coaster movie I expected it to be. Supporters of Ang Lee's 2003 effort are already voicing their objections to this "reinvention", but I ask why can't someone enjoy both films on a different level? The two films are as different as night and day, but they worked on the same basic way for me. I found myself drawn into Banner and his story both times. The original was a bit more thoughtful and intelligent, but this one's a lot more fun. And when it comes to a summer blockbuster, I'll definitely take fun. The thrills are there, the effects are mostly there, and the pace never once seems to let up. Anyone looking for more would probably be wise to watch the first movie, or walk into a theater showing a different movie.

With Iron Man and now The Incredible Hulk, it would seem that Marvel becoming their own independent film studio was one of the smartest choices they ever made. They're free to make the kind of movies they want to make, and it seems that they definitely know what people want. It should be interesting to see what D.C. has in store when The Dark Knight hits screens next month. Until then, I applaud Marvel's efforts for making comic book movies something to look forward to again. It's surprising to me that just one year ago, I was mourning the death of the Spider-Man franchise with the dreary Spider-Man 3. In a short amount of time, Marvel has turned me from a mourner into a true believer.

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