On the run and desperately trying to find a cure for his alter ego 'The Hulk', scientist Dr Bruce Banner (Ed Norton) finds himself confronted by the full might of the US Army led by General Ross (William Hurt) and former soldier cum gamma manufactured military abomination, Blonksy (Tim Roth).
While his beloved Betty (Liv Tyler) watches on helplessly, Banner has no choice but to get hulkified and fight the grotesque Blonksy in a city levelling battle royale.
After Ang Lee's earnest Hulk in 2003, this is Marvel�s own attempt to recharge their angry green man franchise. Time then for less soul searching and more wanton destruction as The Transporter 2 director Louis Leterrier takes the reins. Hulk Smash!
They say:
Total Film: "Better than Hulk? That�s a given."
Empire: "A broody, moody action movie that never quite gets the blood boiling."
Entertainment Weekly: "It's quite a showdown."
We say:
Little breath is wasted in establishing this Hulk movie as the only one you should pay lip service to. Dispensing Banner's backstory as the titles roll, this is desperate to be the real deal scenery smasher offering less chat and more slap.
As a blockbuster bone cruncher, Hulk is likeable enough - clearly born out of respect and adoration, this version refuses to undersell the ludicrousness of Marvel's original atomic concept.
What's interesting is that the key set pieces are not actually as thrilling as Ang Lee's bemoaned efforts five years earlier. Louis Leterrier seems unable to unfurl a geographical canvas big enough to embrace the destruction. Lee's Hulk leaps continents, Leterrier's scurries up a building.
The unfeasibly bonny Liv Tyler, along with Norton and Tim Roth take up their threadlike roles capably enough. Norton is exceptional physically, his desperation during the Brazil pursuit sequence palpable - the repeated blip blip of his pulse monitor threatening to max out and release the beast at any second.
Like Eric Bana, Norton fails to make the part his own. Indisputably it's a tricky ask, to snap back and forth from a computer generated Hyde that looks, sounds and feels absolutely nothing like him. Maybe the technology isn't there at present?
Even backed by Craig Armstrong's blaring, Bourne inspired score, watching the widescreen lens caress Hulk in titanic close up invites restless titters rather than gasps.
Roth's post radiation Blonsky unfortunately resembles the wretched custard covered Ripley xenomorph in Alien Resurrection - as it is, frightening only to those with lactose intolerance. But the trumpeted mano-a-mano monster mash does provide a surprisingly efficient climax, just shrill and obliterating enough to overshadow the sadly inadequate software powering it.
What you won't be able to complain about here is pep. Humour is used bountifully and effectively, with a hefty fist of in jokes for those in the know and some breezy throwaway lines. 'You won't like it when I'm hungry!' affords Norton his most quotable comedic moment and he totally nails it.
It's not as hyper as expected or as good as hoped. Yet The Incredible Hulk is the most fun you could possibly have watching two hideous guys beating the crap out of each other.
CAST
Edward Norton
Liv Tyler
Tim Roth
William Hurt
DIRECTOR
Louis Leterrier
TIME
114 mins
POSTED...
Sat 14 Jun at 6:34pm
