Just came from the cinema

Rating: 7/10 (14 June 2008)

The film begins with a quick, comprehensive look on the events leading up to the current situation of Dr. Bruce Banner. For someone like myself who opt skipping the previous Hulk installment, it's quite a helpful touch to help keep us up to speed.
The movie has an interesting plot (quite possibly more interesting than Marvel's other film, Iron Man). The human side of Dr. Bruce Banner is brought about by the superb acting of Edward Norton. The struggle to have control over the big green monster is felt. Dr. Banner goes into hiding and aims to control his emotions, his "excitability", which is at best as controllable at a Geiger counter near a construction site.
Fast forward to the fight scenes. There's enough fight scenes and explosives in the film to satisfy action fans (again, unlike Iron Man). The beast comes to life with the bangs, the screams, the thuds and the booms! (The CGI rendering of both Hulk and Abomination are convincingly real as there were children who began crying when the two beasts did battle - to the disappointment of their fan-fathers. Hehe!).
As previously stated, Hulk's humanity also is put to the fore especially during the times he struggles to push on for the protection of his love interest, Dr. Betty Ross, portrayed well by Liv Tyler. Convincingly, the viewers are led to feel that the Incredible Hulk has a heart.
But it's not all "oohs" and "aahs" with the fight sequences. There were only 2 civilian eyewitnesses to the encounter in Culver University - AT BROAD DAYLIGHT! Meanwhile, there were people allover the place - even staying to witness the fight despite the danger - during the brute strength versus brute strength, climactic battle between Abomination and The Incredible Hulk in New York City. Point is, I would have expected the people already to have run away to safety during Abomination's initial onslaught. But, there was a mother and son around after Abomination fell under the hands of the Incredible Hulk. Also, if it happened in New York, why was Spider Man nowhere to be found? Which brings me to my final point. Marvel has found an incredible way to tease their fans. Tony Stark (um, Iron Man) makes an appearance and talks to Gen. Ross about "super soldier projects". Do we smell an Incredible Hulk-Iron Man tandem in the making soon? Overall, there's enough reason for even the most casual of fans of comic book adaptation fans to watch the film. Norton is brilliant and so as the rest of the cast, like Roth who is brash, proud, and greedy in his portrayal of the "god-like" Abomination. All the "negative" points I have noted can easily be forgivable if you're not too meticulous. A must-see movie.