A huge improvement over the 2003 version

Rating: 8/10 (22 August 2008)

As opposed to "Hulk," the adaptation made in 2003, "The Incredible Hulk" actually looks like some work was put into it. The first film had no emotion and was mostly filled with long scenes of dialogue or useless scenes with the Hulk fighting other creatures. That film also made up stuff about Bruce Banner's dad being involved in turning Bruce into the Hulk, which was never a part of the old TV shows. This film is very emotional and puts a greater focus on Bruce, not what he turns into. Unlike the first film, the cast is actually made up of known people, including Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, and William Hurt. There are also little bits of humor that make this a more fun film to watch, such as Bruce's girlfriend giving him a pair of purple shorts to wear. The action scenes are good, but not great. This is a pretty gruesome film that can be a bit disturbing to some audiences like myself, though it is still far less than "The Dark Knight." It can be painful to watch when the two Hulks are fighting and when Bruce is injected with the chemicals. This is not an unwatchable film, but be aware that it can be tough to watch at times. Parents take caution; it is fairly violent (not bloody) and somewhat gruesome for young audiences. Know your kids and whether or not they should see this.
*** out of ****