A worthy comic book adaptation... just leave your memories of the TV show at the door

Rating: 8/10 (14 June 2008)

First off, like many others here, I am a huge Hulk fan, and am prone to minimize what's wrong with this movie (I'm putting that bias up front, so people can judge my comments more objectively). Second, I loved the television series, and had much less exposure to the comics, but am familiar with the comic book adaptation enough to draw some basic comparisons.
I went into this movie with very high expectations that it would rival or exceed the dramatic flair of the television series. This was a big mistake. Why? Well, the television series was an adaptation of the comic. Plus, it was filmed in the late seventies, when CGI didn't exist, budgets were limited, and stories were simpler in their formulation and execution. With these constraints, it made perfect sense for the series to focus on the dramatic internal struggle of Bill Bixby. He usually had forty minutes of every hour to do this, prior to his two "Hulk-Outs." The Hulk itself, as a human, could only destroy so much.
As a fan of the comic, though, where the only limits are set by the reader's imagination, the Hulk story was very different. The comic-book Hulk was boundless, larger than life, relentless in its destruction, and occasionally evil. So, if you're going to make a movie with a $130 million dollar budget, by a studio with comic-book origins, it's natural that the movie should be an overblown feast for the eyes.
This movie will give you that, and more. The CGI Hulk is magnificent in its destruction. I very much felt like I was watching the ape from the recent King Kong, both in terms of its nuances and overall movement patterns. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the same architects were behind both. The violence is strong and occasionally unsettling, but very much in keeping with the Hulk from the comics. General Ross, played by William Hurt, is a great adversary, as is the Abomination. I wasn't too keen on Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky, for although he did an adequate job, he's too short and not a worthy foe. If they wanted a credible foreign villain who was physically imposing, I would have much preferred to see the new James Bond in this role. The origin of the character of the Leader is cleverly done, and the actor who played him did a nice job.
As for one of the fundamental elements, how does Edward Norton do? Again, trying to leave my bias for the TV show aside, he does well. He captures the pain of being a loner well, but I felt there wasn't enough conviction to his anger, and he doesn't sell that emotion well. The leadups to the Hulk-outs felt somewhat rushed, as were the Hulkouts themselves. But once we see the Hulk... wow.
In sum, if you're a fan of the comics and just want to see visceral rage and all-out destruction, this is a very good movie. 8.5 out of 10. If you're more a fan of the series and want a serious amount of drama so you care more both for Banner and the Hulk's plight, this movie was okay but somewhat lacking in this area. 7 out of 10.
Rumor has it that Norton wanted a movie that was thirty minutes longer and more dramatic. Had he gotten his wish, I think Marvel would have had a blockbuster on their hands, well better than Iron Man, which I also liked. I'll see what the extended version DVD brings... even if it's more dramatic, though, I'll hope for the rumored deleted scene involving a standoff between Hulk and polar bears, as the action never gets old.
Hulk Smash!!!