The Incredible Hulk Review
by tom elce (dr-pepperite AT hotmail DOT com)June 15th, 2008
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
2.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Tom Elce
Directed by Louis Leterrier
Cast: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, Robert Downey Jr., William Hurt, Ty Burrell, Tim Blake Nelson, Peter Mensah
Rated: R (MPAA), 12A (BBFC)
Many people objected to the artistically driven approach that dirctor Ang Lee took to 2003's "Hulk" and, as a result, that film has gone on to become one of the most underrated entries into the comic-book adaptation canon. For Louis Leterrier's ill-advised redux, the supposed talkiness of Lee's effort is forgotten about, replaced instead with more of the Hulk-SMASH moments finds might prefer, though this only winds up making the film feel shallow and, in a way, obnoxious. Any film of this type can throw mindless explosions at the audience, which is what made Ang Lee's aesthetically and mentally pleasing effort such a delight for some. "The Incredible Hulk," though, is very much all bark no bite.
The way Ang Lee shot the film (the framing so reminiscent of a comic- book style that watching the film was like seeing a graphic novel unfold onscreen) is gone, but the general setup isn't. Following an experiment-gone-wrong on himself, Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) - who we know as the titular green giant - is in hiding while searching for an antidote to his genetic condition, at the same time as nemesis Gen. Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross (William Hurt) looks to hunt him down and use him for the benefit of the U.S military. Aiding Thunderbolt in this is British soldier Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), a man who himself has become injected with the same serum as Bruce. Newly reunited wish estranged girlfriend Betty (Liv Tyler), Bruce heads with her to New York City intending to visit a scientist who might be able to help him, only to have Emil and General Ross right on his trail.
There's enough emphasis on Bruce's emotional story to suggest that there might have been something more meaningful in this new "Incredible Hulk" story were Edward Norton's supposedly preferred 135- minute cut to have made it to cinema screens ahead of this edited 113- minute one, but not enough to work without that possible extra meat. As is, the film's plot relies too heavily on smashes and bangs and Edward Norton's world-weary eyes, the frustration and anguish felt within his character pretty much a given afforded the story material but not built upon nearly enough to really have an effect on the viewer. His relationship with Betty Ross, too, isn't as well developed as it was in Lee's "Hulk," their connection with eachother given its only weight in Tyler's teary eyes and the way in which she coldly dumps her current boyfriend (Ty Burell) without a second thought.
Edward Norton is excellent as Bruce Banner, surprisingly likable and easy to warm to for a guy whose transformation is into a big lummucks with a habit of destroying everything in sight. Norton is just the right kind of actor to play this sort of role, perhaps moreso than the in-form Eric Bana of "Hulk," though he isn't done favours by the remainder of the cast, not so much because they themselves are poor but inferior to their 2003 counterparts. William Hurt, for example, isn't as good in the part of General Ross as Sam Elliott was, nor is Liv Tyler as good in her portrayal as Betty Ross as a still-memorable Jennifer Connelly was. Tim Roth, meanwhile, is great as Emil Blonsky, whose transformation into Abomination paves the way for a climactic fight scene that could make the right type of Marvel fanboy wet his pants.
Directed by Louis Leterrier with little of the filmmaking prowess the more capable Lee exhibited behind the camera, "The Incredible Hulk" isn't a bad film, per se, but a mediocre and disappointing one that feels dishearteningly like "Hulk" for dummies (or "Hulk" by way of "Transformers"). The over-emphasis on dollar-a-dozen chase sequences and hollow bangs unsatisfying for anyone whose primary concern when visiting the theater isn't a complete shut down of the brain and a loathing for artistic expression in your summer blockbusters. "The Incredible Hulk" is in the tradition of a summer popcorn flick, but that isn't necessarily a good thing. It's shallow and stands at a distinct distance from the viewer, rich in archaic set-pieces, lacking so much of what made Lee's underappreciated film - at least in this viewer's eyes - so special.
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