Really Incredible.

Rating: 8/10 (19 July 2009)

You see, here's my problem, Ang Lee's Hulk was, to all intents and purposes, a noble film, very noble in fact. The man responsible for bringing one of the definitive Jane Austen adaptations to our screens as well as one of modern cinema's great martial arts epics, not to mention The Ice Storm, took it upon himself to art up, for lack of a better term, I do apologise, I'm sure I could have come up with something better, a property that consists of a man turning into a green monster who says 'Hulk smash' pretty much most of the time. It was noble, of course it was, layering in a foundation that took in split screen editing, that worked, and a complicated relationship with his father and a brooding atmosphere, it was just the film was turning the character and story into something it wasn't, which is why I think bringing in Louis Louterrier and essentially broadening the whole style of the film is a good move, and let's not beat around the bush, The Incredible Hulk, as opposed to Ang Lee's Hulk is a broader movie in every way. The film is not as inherently complex as the previous, the action is more frequent and a hell of lot more fun and more clear to see most of the time and the relationship between Betty and Bruce is a lot more romantic, with a lovely comedic element becoming a lot more engaging. In fact the whole film is engaging in every way that Lee's isn't. Edward Norton, an actor for fairly intense performances, brings that element, but also fun, to his performance and his uncredited work on the screenplay. He plays the more light hearted moments (stretchy pants, anyone, or inability to make love with Betty) beautifully, making his Banner quite a lovely character and you can't help but feel sympathetic to his plight. Liv Tyler is lovely throughout, but that's really all she brings to the table, but let's not get carried away, she does it well, whilst the villains, William Hurt and Tim Roth are fantastic, particularly Roth who literally becomes a worse character than the one he is chasing.
There are those who will undoubtedly bemoan that the film is dumbed down compared to Ang Lee's version, but to be honest with you, I think the film works best because of it. It may be wrong to refer to it as being dumbed down, I think calling it a broader film works better. The action is more elaborate and high octane, the CGI is miles better than before, with the Hulk himself looking less like Shrek's angrier twin brother and more like a flesh and blood creation. It's hair blowing in the wind and the vain's pumping through its green skin is a wonderful piece of visual effects work and the believability of it makes the film easier to enjoy, a major flaw of the previous version. If there is a criticism to level at it it has to be with the climax. The fight sequence between the Hulk and the Abomination starts of well, but does go on a bit long and at times, with all the CGI going starts to resemble a video game. It's the only fault with the movie, but not a glaring one, and when it's the only fault I am finding as compared to the many that film number one had, it's not bad going, and of course, as with all comic book adaptations nowadays, the ending only leaves you gagging for more. That is a great final shot.
Hulk, you are incredible again.