This Hulk not exactly Incredible, but decent

Rating: 7/10 (27 November 2008)

Marvel isn't one to let lackluster box-office and mixed reviews keep a good superhero franchise down. In the case of the the Hulk, one of their flagship characters, Ang Lee's 2003 film proved to not be the potent blockbuster they were after, so, five years later, Marvel has rebooted the character with The Incredible Hulk, featuring none of the cast or creative principals of the previous entry. So, what is the verdict of this do-over: a decent entry, featuring more action than the previous film, but not quite as deep in regards to character development.
The Incredible Hulk opens with a title sequence that wipes the memories of the first film completely away, re-establishing the origin story, albeit in a more compressed form. The film proper then opens in Brazil, where Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) is hiding from the government agents that are attempting to locate him. Bruce, it seems, has used himself as a guinea pig for a super-soldier serum, which, when his heart rate goes too high, leads to him transforming into a not-so-jolly green giant. While dodging the head of the super solider project, General Ross (William Hurt), Bruce is attempting to cure himself, with help from an unseen ally he communicates with over computer named Mr. Blue.
After an accident at a soda bottling factory leads Ross to him, Bruce goes on the run, returning to the US and seeking out his lost love Betty (Liv Tyler), while being tracked by Ross's chief lieutenant, Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), who has volunteered to also take some of the super soldier serum to attempt to beat the Hulk at his own game, but quickly becomes addicted to the serum, and leads to him seeking more and more, with possibly disastrous results.
One thing was certain with this version of the Hulk, and that was that action, lacking in the first film, was to be more of a priority, and, for the most part, The Incredible Hulk delivers. There are no less than three major action sequences in the film, and each is reasonably well done, delivering decent thrills and energy. The Hulk, once again computer generated, is sufficiently convincing, a bit beefier and more muscular than the 2003 version.
While the action has been ratcheted up, the attention to character detail has been scaled back a degree or so. The romance is there between Bruce and Betty in the script, but their chemistry is mostly dead. The friction between her and her father also rings a bit hollow, and the face off between Bruce and Blonsky is almost exclusively physical, with no deeper level to it. While those searching for more fisticuffs will be pleased, anyone interested in greater depth to the proceedings will find The Incredible Hulk a bit lacking.
The Incredible Hulk boasts a strong cast, but they are used with mixed results. Edward Norton takes over the role of Bruce Banner from Eric Bana, but there is no real shift in quality. Norton delivers a good performance, but nothing exceptional. Liv Tyler is a step down from Jennifer Connolly's turn in the first film, not tremendously convincing as Betty. William Hurt doesn't give the best of performances as General Ross either, over the top in the wrong kind of way. Tim Roth gives another effective villainous turn as Emil Blonsky.
The Incredible Hulk proves to be a good comic book film, but not pushing the envelope at all. Marvel has proved that they can turn a lackluster showing of a character around by starting over, but it remains to be seen if this incarnation of the Hulk will be back for a second round. If you are looking for some well-done comic book action and decent special effects, then The Incredible Hulk will deliver the goods. If you want a film that stretches the boundaries of the the comic book film, then look to Iron Man, The Dark Knight or Spider-Man 2.