Finally! The Hulk Is Given Justice

Rating: 9/10 (14 August 2008)

Ah! June 21, 2003 a day that will live in infamy in my movie going experiences. Why will this day live in infamy for me? Well, it was the day i experienced Ang Lee's The Hulk on the big screen. The day provided me with one of the most crushing disappointments i've experienced in my life. I remember leaving the theater after the film was over confused by what i saw and angry that the hulk was completely distorted taking away his Hulk Smash and turning his story into a psychological drama dealing with his crazy scientist father and lame romance with Betty Ross. Topping it all off with killer mutant poodles and Nick Nolte turning into a lightning god, a rock, and a giant green nuclear cloud that fights the hulk before being blow up by a jet. Then the movie didn't show Hulk for 42 minutes and didn't end with him in a final shot. Talk about lame.
So now we flash forward 5 years later and everything has changed for the sequel. New cast, director, and tone than the original with this one putting more emphasis on action. I can pretty much tell you they hit a home run. Not only do they get it right this time they even change the backstory to what it was in the comics and completely ignore Lee's film even exists.
The strength of this movie lies with having things the original movie lacked like strong performances and a great villain. Ed Norton beats the crap out of Eric Bana's version of Bruce Banner. Norton's Banner is a man in control of his own world and has the ability to control his inner demon without sacrificing his inner human ability to care for others. Li Tyler is a much better Betty Ross simply because there's a warmth to her that was sorely missing from Jennifer Connely's take on he character. You actually feel she loves Bruce and would be devastated if something was to happen to him, where as Connely just stood on the side lines and let things happen to her hubby, just so she could yell at her general father. William Hurt does an admirable job replacing Sam Elliot as the general who wants Banner dead but i felt Eliot was far more menacing in the original (The only thing the original did better than this film. Finally, we get this film's biggest strength the villain. Tim Roth does a sensational job as Emil Blonsky aka Abomination a man fed up that he wasn't promoted higher up in military rankings, so he takes his anger out on Hulk and forces Hurt's character to steal a mutated Hulk serum that gives him super human strength thus turning him into the monster Abomination. Overall this film was action packed with wall to wall action that stayed true to the comic books. Plus Hulk even says his catch phrase Hulk Smask! Thank you to all involved with this for getting the Hulk right. This fan appreciates it.