I preferred Ang Lee's version

Rating: 6/10 (16 June 2008)

Ang Lee's 2003 version of the Hulk had flaws aplenty: hulked out puppies, plastic-looking CGI, an inexplicably "acid-trip" climax, and a baby-faced hulk design to name but a few. This reboot attempt neatly avoids many of those flaws but sadly introduces a whole new set of it's own.
On the positive side, the relationship between Banner and Betty Ross is far more palpable and emotional here - thanks mostly to Norton and Tyler's fantastic acting. The hulk design itself just looks cooler, with more realistic CGI (though still far from perfect), and more adult facial features. There are some great cameos and worthy homage paid to the TV series that many of us enjoyed when we were kids. Tim Roth is excellent as always. In other words, director Louis Leterrier has definitely gotten some things right.
For me though, this version falls down in two major aspects. First, there seems to be a lack of rising action in the script. The plot certainly escalates, but somehow the finale is no more exciting or interesting than the opening scenes. Each action scene, though fun in it's own right, does not increase the conflict, tension, or drama of the previous scenes. The result is a mechanistic emotional flatline. Put a simpler way, when two giant monsters are on-screen, battling and destroying a city, and I catch myself glancing at my watch, something, somewhere, ain't quite right.
The biggest problem I have though, is that the essence of the Hulk is watered down here. Traditionally the Hulk is the raging, uncontrollable, dark side of man. And its strength and power increase according to the depths of its anger. The madder the Hulk gets, the stronger the Hulk gets. Ang Lee's Hulk did this - the bigger the threat, the bigger the Hulk! We saw him take out military helicopters and fighter jets as if they were children's toys. We saw him toss 70 tons of Abrams tank off to the horizon! This was the true essence of the Hulk. This new take, however, sees the Hulk diluted to a Disney version that flinches at bullets from a .45 handgun and hurts his head when he bumps it on a cave roof. The largest thing he handles is a small forklift truck.
It's a small gripe, I suppose, but an important one. I would think that if a film about a creature with superhuman strength is to be better than it's predecessors, surely the creature should be... well... better than it's predecessors.
In conclusion, if you want to see a better *film*, see this version; but if you want to see a better *Hulk*, then Ang Lee's version has that nailed.