Not the best film of the summer, but pretty darn close!

Rating: 8/10 (15 June 2008)

I must say that this film is exactly what a Hulk film should be. It should be a mix of 'The Fugitive' and 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'. The last film wasn't like that at all. Matter of fact, the plot plodded in places, ruining the momentum. None of that here.
Having said that, it's still not the best film of the summer. Why? Well, there's not enough emotional investment into the relationship between Bruce and Betty. What's there on film is great, but a bit more back-history would be nice as well. I wonder if that's what Edward Norton was aiming for before Marvel decided to truncate the film. Regardless, I can't wait to see the additional footage in the Blu-ray and DVD version. If that relationship is fleshed out more, it would almost be the perfect Hulk film. As such for the theater release, it's very strong, but more could have been done.
There are some very jaw-dropping scenes in this film, but at the same time, this Hulk seems more human somehow, compared to the last film. This Hulk can actually be hurt, and there's real pain that shows on his face, especially when he fights Abomination. This adds a depth of character to this normally one-dimensional portrayal in the other film. I don't recall any particular moment where the Hulk in the other movie was in pain, or even if he bled. Good move by Marvel to make him a more human monster.
If anybody was concerned about whether or not this movie is better than the last Hulk film, rest assured that Marvel learned their lesson. The only complaint I have is what I said before; I believe Marvel wanted a film to so totally not be like the other one that they removed a good portion of the pathos from it in order to move things along. However, any complaint about that will have to wait until the DVD/Blu-ray release. I can't wait! Meanwhile, go watch the film and enjoy what's there.