Film Review: The Incredible Hulk (2008)

SYNOPSIS:

Norton stars as Bruce Banner in this version of the classic comic book tale about a doctor who searches for a cure for his exotic condition, which causes him to transform into a huge green monster when under duress. Drawing closer to finding a remedy, Dr. Banner becomes sidetracked as he’s pursued first by the military and then by a rival monster known as the Abomination. Liv Tyler, Tim Roth and William Hurt co-star.

REVIEW:

If you were like me a few months back, you were as confused as I was. With a new film coming out called the Hulk it felt like deja vu. So I checked my shelf and sure enough I already owned “The Hulk” and it was dated 2003.

So I scratched my head and said, ok I need to get to the bottom of this, as I just don’t get it. What this is, was not a sequel but more of a re-imagined upgraded version of “the Hulk” This round we had familiar actors, pumped up CGI, a meaner looking and less plump Hulk With a new Story that was closer to the original lineage of hulkness. What we had here was a re-imagined version. OK, I’ll give it a whirl. I really like Norton’s work so lets throw it against the wall and see what sticks…..

As the movie begins, we are spared the origin of Hulk by way of a cooler intro credits that spells out his origin in 3 minutes. Then we are taken to where he is now. David Banner is still trying to figure out a antidote while he spends his time far away in a foreign country. It doesn’t take long for the military to discover his where abouts and stir thingS up again. This time one of there best fighters Maj.

Emil Blonsky played by Tim Roth is a little too eager to cap in on his adrenalin rush as he faces this Hulking figure of a man. Now of course this moves forward throughout the film in which Emil volunteers for injections until he becomes a hulking abomination of a monster. Meanwhile, Edward Norton and Liv Tyler deal with there Hulk issues, a potential solution and an ongoing love affair. Liv Tyler playing Dr. Elizabeth Ross also at the same time trying to cope with her military father Gen Ross( William Hurt) who wants to use the Hulk as a weapon.

All in all, the re-energized Hulk is a fantastic story on screen that will appeal to comic lovers, movie goers and the super hero community. Upon seeing this new version it all came together why another was created. Not for just eye candy, star power and clarity but to also rocket the future goal of forming an on screen “Avengers” team. The Hulk 2008 is a great ride for film fans. We get to see a pretty spectacular transformation and a range of powers that feel alot closer to the comic book Hulk. We also get a few reveals along the way such as how he deals with the pants issue and stays out of the military radar. Those who shy away from CGI work should really appreciate the effort that went into the Hulks look this round. As we all know it, The Hulk simply isn’t a character you can stick in a body suit or spray paint you skin screen too (oh wait we did try that back in the 70’s)

Edward norton does an incredible job at playing the hulk-haunted Dr Banner and the cast fits like a glove. I will also add that seeing Tim Roth as a villain was a high point for me. Not for character reasons only but because he screams diabolical on screen. His intensity is unmatched and always a pleasure. If you haven’t seen this at the theaters, Hulk scores a 10 for superhero films this year. This also suggests the marvel force is unstoppable as they head full gear into the next round of hero films.

As of review, the Hulk role has been replaced by actor Mark Ruffalo who made appearance in the “Avengers” release. I would lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed that Norton was not brought in for a reprisal, however Mark Ruffalo seemed to have captured hearts with his version. To this day, the Hulk seems to have taken the route of Superman with way too many actors being introduced and then replaced. However, the fans still pay out to see superheroes on screen and ultimately at the end of the day, that is what we show up for.

The Incredible Hulk (2008)