BOF's ON-FILM.NET - FILM REVIEW: "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" by Christopher Echols (6/13/08)::.

RELEASE DATE: June 16, 2008
STUDIO: Universal/Marvel
DIRECTOR: Louis
SCREENWRITERS: Zak Penn
CAST: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt, et al.
OFFICIAL SITE: INCREDIBLEHULK.MARVEL.COM

As an avid fan of comic books, I’ve never really been drawn to the character of the Hulk. He just always came off as kind of one dimensional to me. Almost any issue I’d ever picked up consisted of the Hulk causing some kind of destruction or damage to anyone that got in his way, and while that’s entertaining for a while, it never pulled me in as a die-hard Hulk fan. His alter ego always seemed to be a pretty generic stock character of another brilliant scientist, which many Marvel heroes tend to be when you think of it.(Peter Parker and Reed Richards immediately spring to mind)

One thing that made the character stick out in my mind however was the now-classic television show featuring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno. I had seen quite a few episodes growing up and that was really the most interesting version of the character I could remember having experienced. Bixby somehow managed to make the persona of Banner interesting as a man on the run, and in search of a cure. Ferrigno of course had the towering presence of the Hulk and he was like a living comic character for a small boy to watch.

In 2003 Ang Lee brought his version of the Hulk -- HULK -- to the big screen, with mediocre success at best. I saw the film in the theatres opening weekend, and I have had no desire to revisit it yet. If I could sum up my opinion of that movie in one word it would be this: BORING.

I know there are people out there that will defend that movie all day long as an artistic achievement on some level, but to a comic book fan it didn’t have that “fun factor” that a comic book movie should first and foremost have. When you see a great comic film, or any film for that matter, it should put a slight grin on your face as you leave the theatre remembering how exciting a time you’ve just had. I never once got that feeling from Ang Lee’s take on the Green Goliath.

I can however say that at about 2:30 AM this morning I walked out of the theatre with a big, dopey grin on my face.

That’s right, Marvel has got another hit on their hands. In the same style that IRON MAN kicked off the summer with, Marvel Studios has managed to take another one of their non-Spidey characters and handle them correctly in a big screen adaptation.

THE INCREDIBLE HULK is the Hulk film that comic fans left theatres wishing they had seen in 2003. It mixes a little romance with some crafty chase scenes and a whole lot of destruction, and the end result is a good thing…a very good thing.

Now there are probably some people out there that are going to want to know whether or not this a sequel, a reboot, or a “re-quel” as it’s been called. To be honest, I don’t really care what label they put to it. What matters is that this story is told well and doesn’t get caught up in the drama of the characters while forgetting that it’s a comic book film. Within the first few minutes of the credits rolling and the montage flashing back to Banner’s Gamma-Ray experiments, I was already 10 times more interested in this film than after seeing Ang Lee’s version.

There are clear echoes of the Bixby TV show in here, both in the set pieces and a few minor nods of the hat that Marvel threw in for the fans. Edward Norton slips into the role of Dr. Bruce Banner as easily as Robert Downey Jr. made us believe a metal-man could fly. His portrayal of Banner is that of a man desperate to be with the woman he loves, and at the same time protect her from the creature he has inside. His constant fugitive status brought back memories of the BOURNE series for me as Banner has to try and stay one step ahead of General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, this time played by the always-intriguing William Hurt. The journey to find a cure eventually leads Banner back to his home where he encounters estranged girlfriend Betty Ross, with Liv Tyler stepping in to handle that role. Their reunion is nothing short of brief however as General Ross has hired Emil Blonsky -- an experienced war hero -- to bring in the troubled doctor. Tim Roth provides a great character in Blonsky, and his gradual transformation into the Hulk’s primary foe is an interesting plot to watch unfold.

It seems almost impossible to review this film without mentioning the CGI effects as a character all on their own. I personally found the new look of the Hulk to be a great blend of current and past renditions. He’s quite a bit leaner this time around, and every bit as ferocious in battle. There’s one scene in particular to look for, where Betty and the Hulk are hiding in a cave during a rainstorm. You get a brief glimpse of this scene in the trailers, but you have to see it on the big screen to appreciate the detail that’s gone into making the Hulk look so completely life-like. The way he moves, breathes, and yes, even vocalizes, is an impressive display of just how far film technology has come, even in the few years that have passed since Ang Lee’s version.

I’m sure there will be the inevitable question of “Is it as good as IRON MAN?” from comic fan to comic fan. I don’t know if it’s as interesting on every level as Iron Man was, mostly due to Downey Jr.’s incredible performance, but I do think it’s the best translation of the Hulk from comic to live action we’ve seen to date, either on the big screen or small. There are moments in the film that could be considered slow, but it’s hard to really have any character be as interesting as the Hulk is when he’s onscreen causing massive amounts of damage and destruction. After all, the excitement of the film is when the Hulk is around, so when he’s not you’re bound to have that feeling of “When’s he gonna ‘Hulk out’ next?”. A part of me feels like -- as a fan -- that we as the audience are actually rooting against Banner the entire film. He’s constantly trying to keep track of how long it’s been since his last “incident” and keep his extra persona in check, and we’re practically begging for him to unleash that beast and just show off the power he’s storing inside.

What Marvel has really done here is create a great 2nd part (after IRON MAN) to what is turning out to be a cross-pollination story arch of Marvel characters, ultimately leading to what we hope will be a fantastic AVENGERS film at the end of the road. Look for little signs along the way during the film that point to not only the possibility of future Hulk storylines, but also to other Marvel characters that have yet to be used.

So far Marvel is 2 for 2 this summer, and it looks like they’ve got a good game plan ahead for their future film projects. I for one can’t wait to see what they do next.