It isn't easy being green...

Rating: Null/10 (29 April 2009)

Ed Norton may well go down in movie history as the only character to be less handsome than his monstrous alter-ego in this film. A hulk this brute may well be, but he's a rugged, strong-jawed fellow with a sensitive nature lurking just beneath the rippling green muscles...
The Incredible Hulk is pretty good as far as Superhero movies go, but I can't help wondering why Norton felt it necessary to apparently change so much of Zak Penn's screenplay given the latter's track record in superhero screen adaptations. Whatever the reason, the first half of the film, in which the story explores the lonely, wretched existence of the fugitive Bruce Banner is quite involving. Unfortunately the film's second half, which concentrates more on the cartoonish elements of the character's adventures, is not quite so engaging and, in the final confrontation, it is numbingly obvious that all we are watching is two cartoons duking it out.
The cast here is also pretty good for a superhero flick aimed at the teens, even though Norton, Hurt, Roth, et al, often appear to merely be going through the motions. Nevertheless, if you're in the mood for some undemanding entertainment this will fit the bill nicely.