Review: The Incredible Hulk

The Incredible Hulk

Opening Date: 06/13/2008

STUDIO: Universal

TRAILER: Trailer

ACCOMPLICES: Official Site

The Charge

Get ready to unleash the beast

Opening Statement

Without question, Marvel owns this summer’s box office. After an impressive opening salvo with the Robert Downey Jr. driven Iron Man — a film that’s already grossed more than $500 Million worldwide — the fledgling studio (in partnership with Universal) busts the high season wide open with a full-out, action-packed crowd pleaser that’s not only intelligent but heartfelt. Blending elements of the Bourne films and Cloverfield with the best of the green goliath’s 45 year history, screenwriter Zak Penn (X2: X-Men United) and director Louis Leterrier (The Transporter) deliver a nail-biting, must see summer film that may arguably be the definitive Hollywood adaptation of The Incredible Hulk.

Facts of the Case

Dr. Bruce Banner (Ed Norton) is on the run; both from himself and the US Military who wants to capture and dissect the Hulk for its inherent bio-weapon potential. Cutting ties with everyone he cares for, Bruce has holed up in Brazil, saving money as a day laborer to purchase the equipment and medical resources necessary to isolate and negate the effect of his gamma irradiated blood, while training with a Ju-Jitsu master to control his mind/body connection. But being five years off the grid has done nothing to slow the obsessive pursuit of General Thunderbolt Ross (William Hurt), who has paid dearly for his determination to capture Banner at all costs, most notably the love and respect of his daughter Betty (Liv Tyler), Bruce’s partner and true love. Yet, when a potential cure arrives in the form of an online relationship with a leading NYC-based biology professor, Bruce’s enthusiasm alerts the powers that be to his whereabouts and all hell is about to break loose.

The Evidence

For all the behind-the-scenes drama that surrounded the making of The Incredible Hulk, from the reboot of director Ang Lee’s less than favorably received Hulk (2003), to Ed Norton’s controversial involvement in the post-production process, none of it gets in the way of delivering this gut punch of an action flick. Yes, there is a heavy reliance of CGI, which can always be problematic, but in the hands of VFX houses Rhythm and Hues and Hydraulx, the visuals take a back seat to taught storytelling and a compelling human drama.

This is not the picture many fans feared it would be. Marvel has not negated Ang Lee’s film, but instead pulls a Spider-man 2, utilizing the opening credit sequence to provide the viewer with everything they need to know about The Hulk’s origin and the events of the past five years. From there we jump right into the action and what transpires is a rarity — a big budget blockbuster whose payoffs come from the characters themselves rather than the action set pieces. With brilliantly subtle nods to previous incarnations of the character (which I won’t spoil), the focus of the film is on Bruce’s isolation and the lengths he goes to in preventing the re-emergence of his uncontrollable inner beast. To wit, he wears a heart rate monitor to know how close he is to transforming, and there’s a running “Days without Incident” tag that appears on screen from time to time giving Bruce’s struggle an “addict at the end of his rope” feel. This humanization element is key to the film’s success.

I’ve been continually impressed with Norton from his big screen debut in Primal Fear to his mind-bending role in Fight Club, and there’s no letup here. He has this iconic character nailed and we are emotionally invested from the get go. This investment pays off in spades when Bruce makes his way back to the States finding Betty blissfully happy in a new relationship, retreating to the shadows, once again cutoff from everything he holds dear. Their eventual reunion is a real tearjerker, with Liv Tyler matching Norton chops for chops in the acting department, and establishing a solid dramatic foundation for the film’s third act battles.

Keep in mind, this is not the vengeful Battle Planet Hulk or the intelligent Joe Fixit Hulk, but rather the classic Savage Hulk whose limited vocabulary and cognitive abilities leave him as little more than a high functioning, temper tantrum throwing toddler. There are moments where Bruce’s personality does shine through, but it’s evident from his discussion with Betty that the experience is like a 30,000 gallon acid trip. Interestingly enough, that’s not the case for his cinematic nemesis.

Tim Roth plays Emil Blonsky, the film’s big bad, as a retooled version of Marvel Comic’s Abomination. Gone are the KGB backstory, lizard skin, and winged ears, replaced by a truly horrific visage of accelerated human evolution gone wrong. Blonsky is a lifelong soldier nearing his twilight years as an effective field fighter. When Thunderbolt offers him a chance at becoming the world’s first Super Soldier candidate since Captain America (a veiled reference), he jumps at the chance. But again, like any addict, the high wears off quickly leaving the user craving more. Taking on his monster form only in the film’s final battle, Penn and Leterrier hold the power of the Blonsky character in Roth’s inspired performance. And unlike most Hollywood superhero bad guys, The Abomination does not meet his demise at the end of the picture, leaving the door open for more Tim Roth in the future.

What impressed me most is how Penn laid the groundwork for the Hulk’s well-established universe, with some very well placed moments that may go unnoticed by all but the Marvel faithful. Betty’s boyfriend, played by Ty Burrell, is none other than noted psychiatrist Dr. Leonard Samson, pre-gamma infection. And Dr. Samuel Sterns, played with zeal by the great Tim Blake Nelson (Holes), gets a glimpse of his own Hulk-triggered future as a revamped version of The Leader. The only notable absence is Rick Jones, the Hulk’s longtime sidekick, but it was a necessary exclusion to achieve the Bruce/Betty/Ross conflict. Too many characters clamoring for center stage makes for bad filmmaking.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

The battle scenes were the one aspect of the film that didn’t do a whole lot for me. Leterrier makes the perfect choice in limiting us to one full-on Hulk transformation (occurring late in the game), with the rest appearing offscreen or shrouded in smoke, fire, and shadows. But the Hulk in action isn’t really anything we haven’t seen before. Causing big explosions, tossing cars or heavy machinery, and leaving a swath of incalcuable damage in his wake is all pretty much expected. What we do get is a Cloverfield perspective that, until now, has been missing from big and small screen adaptations. The panic and fear created by the Hulk’s presence is critical in driving Bruce’s need to keep himself far away from all humanity, should the monster ever re-emerge.

William Hurt plays a rolling boil version of General Thunderbolt Ross, but the character doesn’t take much of a journey. Aside from the occasional realization that he’s royally screwed up by putting his daughter and the locals in harm’s way, he’s pretty static the whole way through. We’ve seen much better performances by Hurt, and much more effective use of this character.

The one other disappointment was Craig Armstrong’s score, save for one inspired cue from Joseph Harnell’s ’70s television theme. Like Ramin Djawadi’s score for Iron Man, it serves its purpose, but there’s nothing memorable to take away.

Closing Statement

Not having seen Ang Lee’s Hulk, I can’t make a punch for punch comparison. However, my familiarity with the character from the comics, to Bill Bixby’s series, and the many Saturday morning cartoon incarnations, I can say Louis Leterrier, Zak Penn, and this solid ensemble cast have given us the second shining pillar in Marvel’s new Hollywood universe. And you don’t have to sit through the credits to witness the setup for the forthcoming Avengers film. Although, rumor has it we’ll bear witness to Captain America, Thor, and an Iron Man sequel, before Nick Fury calls for The Avengers to assemble.

The Verdict

Hulk smash box office. Marvel guilty of making great summer fun… again.

Score: 8/10

• “”>