Movie & Reviews
The Incredible Hulk: He’s big, green, angry, and not at all engaging.
By Elyse Reel
Jun 18, 2008 - 3:10:51 PM

** 1/2 out of five

Back in 2003, critics and fans alike were sorely disappointed by the release of Ang Lee’s Hulk, an ambitious failure that, for many, was one of the darker moments of comic book movie history. In 2008, Louis Leterrier took over the franchise, and fingers were crossed to see if the Hulk would finally get a decent screen treatment.

And honestly? He doesn’t. Though unlikely to receive the same amount of derision Lee’s film saw, The Incredible Hulk is still a curiously flat and stale enterprise.

Ed Norton takes over the Eric Bana role as Bruce Banner, a scientist whose experiments with radiation left him with the unfortunate ability to turn into a giant green monster when under emotional stress. On the run from the law, Banner seeks a cure for his condition, but the U.S. military, led by General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (William Hurt), is willing to take any measures to get him back in their clutches.

Norton is an odd casting choice and, to be honest, a not very good one; he seems lost and uncomfortable in the role. Nor do we ever get a sense of just who Bruce Banner is: we know he’s a scientist; that he must avoid excitement in order to keep from morphing into the Hulk; and that he’s still in love with a fellow scientist named Betty Ross (Liv Tyler). I couldn’t tell you a scrap more about Bruce Banner – he has no personality traits to speak of, no other character traits to grasp hold of. I spent two hours in a movie theatre with him and walked out knowing no more than I did when I went in. I knew I was supposed to root for him, but why? The movie never gave me a reason to care about him or a way to really get involved in his plight.

In the interests of gender equality, Betty Ross is even more bland and boring than Banner is – in fact, considering she has even fewer defining personality characteristics, she makes him look like Mr. Excitement. Was all the character development relegated to the first movie? And matters aren’t helped any by Liv Tyler’s acting; she has one mode, and that’s the weepy whisper. Even in happy moments, she sounds like she’s on the verge of sobbing.

Part of the problem, too, is that the Hulk himself isn’t all that engaging of a character. He’s nothing more than gritted teeth and flying fists, and all of the explosions and mutilated vehicles in his overlong fights can’t disguise the fact that the scenes are staged with little inspiration or creativity. Tip: A fight scene in a movie is just about the last moment you really want audience members to be checking their watches.

It’s more frustrating than anything else. Here’s Marvel’s chance to make up for the bomb that was Hulk, and here’s a slipshod film that’s another disservice to the series. Marvel can do better. They’ve done better, and they owe it to the fans. Two disappointing outings are more than enough.

The Incredible Hulk runs 114 minutes and is rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action violence, some frightening sci-fi images, and brief suggestive content. Viewed at Commonwealth 20.

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