The Incredible Hulk (2008)

 

Genre: Action/Sc-fi             Time: 1h 52mins            Director: Louis Leterrier

Quick Summary: Dr Bruce Banner subjects himself to high levels of gamma radiation which triggers his transformation into a huge green creature, the Hulk, whenever he experiences negative emotions such as anger.

Structurally, The Incredible Hulk is a fairly straightforward superhero movie. While it is not an "origin story" in the strictest sense, it functions as one in the way it must introduce characters, establish situations and relationships, and open a series. As a result of so much backstory, there's not a lot of room for a complex plot. So the principal villain remains half-formed and the storyline as a whole revolves around three confrontations between the Hulk and this nemesis.

Acting is generally strong. Norton plays a likeable, down-to-earth Bruce Banner, with Liv Tyler portraying cellular biologist Betty Ross in an enjoyable, understated way. I did feel like everyone else was a bit weaker and felt very half-assed.

The effects are top-notch with masterful use of CGI even looking at it many years later. The score also complements the on-screen visuals with appropriate musical cues that enhance the action.  Though it relies too much on the action and, though successfully engaging, it lacks the emotional depth, wit, or charm to transform the movie from good to great. So, yes it remains fun but doesn’t go much beyond that.

There was one thing I really liked straight away. The movie kicked off with Bruce in hiding, and they let us dive right into this story, rather than waste the first third of the movie showing us what we already knew would happen. They threw in a wonderfully produced montage at the start which filled in all the missing pieces without saying a single line of dialogue. I really praise it for that. 

One thing I didn't like was the romance plot. It was very thrown in there. There was barely any chemistry between the two, and there was nothing special about it.

 I also liked how the film explored just how difficult it would be to keep from going into hulk mode, as we got to see Bruce trying everything he could think of to control his emotions, and he sometimes failed anyway. I enjoyed seeing Bruce trying so desperately to keep the monster in its cage. It made the character compelling, and it made the scenes in which the Hulk was actually unleashed so much more satisfying than they would have been if Bruce was just running around, unleashing the Hulk upon anyone who looked at him the wrong way.

The Villan was cool, but his story was very one-dimensional. He wanted to be the most dangerous, most powerful guy out there, and he felt inadequate and insecure because of the hulk, which let's be honest. Who wouldn't? 

The film could have gone deeper into what made him so insecure, and they could have made him an interesting character who found himself playing with fire, and forces he did not understand. Instead, they kept his story very shallow, and it made him a bland antagonist.

The movie had some weak points, but I liked Bruce’s story here, and I thought the Hulk action provided a lot of exciting, and awesome moments. It is the forgotten child of the MCU, and while it definitely could have been better, it also could have been a lot worse.

7/10

""I Don't Want To Control It. I Want To Get Rid Of It.""