After finding success with The Fantastic Four, comic creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby worked on a new unconventional hero. Inspired by the 1931 versions of Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, they created a sympathetic yet monstrous character. Dubbed “The Incredible Hulk”, he first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 in May 1962 and was a massive hit. Interestingly enough, the Hulk was originally supposed to be grey, but due to a printing error was turned green. When Marvel adapted their characters to television in the 70s, they struck gold with the Hulk TV series. Starring Bill Bixby as David Banner and Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk, the show ran for five seasons. Then in 2003, famed director Ang Lee brought the character to the big screen with mixed results. Five years later, after Iron Man, it was decided to add The Incredible Hulk to the MCU.
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After a science experiment gone wrong, Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) is on the run from the US government. His experiments doused with toxic gamma radiation, and he’s been searching for a cure, but without much luck. Unfortunately, he doesn’t stay hidden for long as General Ross (William Hurt) tracks him down to Brazil. In addition to the general, a highly-trained soldier named Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) is after him, but for different reasons. Turns out Bruce’s experiments caused him to transform into a hulking beast whenever he gets angry. While trying to find a cure, Bruce meets back up with an old flame, Elizabeth Ross (Liv Tyler). Wanting to take on this Hulk, Blonsky wants to undergo the same experiments as Bruce, to become even stronger. Unfortunately, things go wrong and Blonsky turns into a giant abomination that only the Hulk can stop.
While I have seen the 2003 version of the Hulk, it’s been so long that I honestly don’t remember much. That being said, this version is definitely an improvement over the Ang Lee version, though still not quite there. The first thing to mention is the cast, who all do a fairly good job in their roles. Edward Norton makes for a very likable lead, and he has great chemistry with Liv Tyler. Tim Roth also does a great job as the obsessed Blonsky, determined to get his shot at the Hulk. William Hurt, while not giving an amazing Oscar-worthy performance, still does fine as the stern general. Also, for the most part, much of the CGI holds up here, and it is visually stunning. Director Louis Leterrier really takes advantage of the shooting locations and has tons of sweeping camera shots.
While we don’t see much of the Hulk until 50 minutes in, it’s still cool when he shows up. Though the action sequences aren’t as memorable as those in Iron Man, there are still some stand-out moments. The biggest action sequences are probably the fight against the military at the college, and the final battle with Abomination. But this movie is more focused on character development than straight-up action, which is welcome but also somewhat disappointing. While the more character-driven scenes aren’t bad and the acting is strong, those scenes tend to drag the movie down. Also, this movies sets up some loose ends that’re never touched upon in any of the subsequent films. Regardless, this is still fairly entertaining early entry and well worth revisiting, even if it is slightly rocky. Overall, while it has its problems, The Incredible Hulk packs enough punch to keep superhero fans entertained.
