Hey at least there weren't any mutated gamma poodles.

Rating: 7/10 (8 April 2010)

When does a good premised film go bad? Is it the creation of a convoluted back-story involving a bitter, straggly Nick Nolte? Or could it be having an antagonist that out of nowhere becomes a mutated electro-absorbing thingy? Or maybe it was just that massive gamma poodle....Most people would say all of those things were reason enough to explain why Marvel Studios disowned and retconed the first "Hulk" movie made back in 2003 starring Eric Bana and the luscious Jennifer Connelly. And although director Ang Lee tried as he could, even with his unique and artistically clever editing style, the source material and script were just too derivative of a story that's essentially about a guy turning into a big green monster.
Five years later, Marvel who've essentially said "our bad" has completely forgone the first Hulk, "rebooting" the franchise with "The Incredible Hulk". This film looks to achieve what the first film should have; going with what the audience knows (aka the comics and the old television series). So much so Edward Norton (who plays the Hulk) took the liberty in re-tweaking the entire script to bring back the familiarity of the 70's TV show, which he was, obviously, a big fan of. The rest of the film indeed does play out like a long episode from the TV show; Bruce Banner hiding in South America to control his rage, trying to find a cure to his disease, and the Hulk remaining a tragic hero (even at one part having the TV's tragic hulk theme playing).
At some point during post-production, Marvel decisively stepped in to shorten and tighten Ed Norton's cut, which eventually led to Norton not receiving any writing credit on the film. I'm not sure what was left out (besides an hour worth of story) but the final cut is definitely more superhero-filmy. Its never been an easy task to relate the Hulk to an audience (unless they've all attended anger management classes) but here perhaps the footage left on the cutting room floor was extra story needed to identify with the Hulk, which is kind of essential unless you're a teenager who purely enjoys watching CGI monsters smash and fight. And most of the audience was that, so in that way, the film succeeds, but I'm guessing the DVD will have Norton's extended cut, and maybe a better film with it.