REVIEW: The Incredible Hulk

Night 2 of my MCU Re-watch brought me to the movie in the cinematic universe that many consider a black sheep of the family. Partially because Bruce Banner/the Incredible Hulk are played by a different actor. It's not the only recasting in the MCU, but it's noticeable. So, let's dive in to 2008's "The Incredible Hulk."

The biggest issue I have with this movie is that tonally, it just doesn't fit in with the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We could blame that on a whole host of issues -- from the fact that this was only the 2nd movie in the MCU, to the behind-the-scenes squabbling over script-writing credits and editing choices. While Iron Man (released earlier that same year) handles some heavier hero themes with levity and fun, The Incredible Hulk doesn't have nearly as much charm. One could argue that Tony Stark/Iron Man is just a more humorous, charming character, but as the MCU progressed, even Bruce Banner had his moments.

I do like that the origin of the Hulk was reduced to a montage over the opening credits -- not getting too bogged down in a backstory that many (especially comic book fans) are already familiar with. Banner (Edward Norton) is working alongside military man Thunderbolt Ross (Williams Hurt) and daughter Betty Ross (Liv Tyler as Banner's love interest) to replicate the Super Soldier Serum that made Captain America. It ends rather poorly for Banner, but isn't catastrophic. Rather than the gamma radiation killing him, it causes him to turn into a massive green monster with an anger issue whenever his heart rate is too high.

While Norton delivers satisfying enough performance, he's never quite believable as a brilliant scientist or as Betty's lover. Although a scene where they almost get some sexy time, but he pulls back because he is 'too excited,' is surprisingly tender. The CGI Hulk also bears no resemblance whatsoever to his human counterpart. There are also consistency issues within this movie and the wider MCU about just how cognizant Bruce is when he's in Hulk form. Norton's Banner insists he just gets flashes of memories, but is not in control, yet when he is being chased by the military in the soda bottling plant where he's hiding out in Brazil, he has the clear presence of mind to tell them to "leave him alone."

While it doesn't appear initially that there is one clear villain other than the military led by Ross to try and recapture and weaponize the Hulk's abilities, soldier Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) lusts after the power that Banner is trying to rid himself of through everything from Lamaze breathing exercises to chatting online with a random scientist he knows only as "Mr. Blue." I don't know if the Dark Web existed then, but surely internet stranger danger warnings were a thing back in 2008, no? While chatting with Mr. Blue doesn't work out well for Banner or Blue, it does give us a nice cameo by Tim Blake Nelson. 

While the overall character development in this movie isn't strong, there are some great character moments, including from Ty Burrell as Betty's newer love interest. Him telling off Ross for prioritizing his work over his relationship with his own daughter is one scene in this movie to cheer for. Having Lou Ferrigno play a security guard was a nice touch, and Stan Lee's cameo as a man who drinks soda infected with Banner's blood is not only charming, but also moves the plot forward.

The plot itself suffices, but there are definite issues. The chase scene in Brazil does well not to use too much jerky camerawork, but it feels that half of it was shot in the daylight and half at night. The issue of what happens with Banner's pants when he Hulks out is haphazardly dealt with, and other than sassing-off an overly aggressive taxi driver, Liv Tyler's Betty is largely there to play the damsel-in-distress eye candy for male moviegoers. Thunderbolt's motives are not well defined, and it's unclear if he's working for the government, the military, S.H.I.E.L.D. or some combination of the three. 

The final battle between Hulk and Blonsky, who is now a bony, brownish variation of the Hulk called 'Abomination' is much like the Hulk himself -- brash, unapologetically violent and obtuse. It feels a bit like watching two drunk bros fighting outside a bar -- unashamed of how ridiculous they look or the kind of destruction they leave behind. How the Hulk is able to save Betty and Thunderbolt from a burning helicopter explosion is beyond the reasonable suspension of disbelief (even by superhero movie standards). And while this CGI version of the Hulk is much improved over Ang Lee's universally-panned version, the proportions are definitely off. 


In retrospect, I wish they had played a little more with the Super Soldier program tie-in to really make this feel like a part of a wider universe, but give the number of rewrites this clunky script got, perhaps it was better that they left that alone. The "post-credits" scene (which actually happens pre-credits) is a nice touch, but does call back to my earlier point about plot inconsistencies: Ross is supposedly working for S.H.I.E.L.D. (I think), so wouldn't he already know about the Avengers initiative? Overall, not one of my favorites.


RATING: ⭐ / ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐