Good, but not great

Rating: 7/10 (15 June 2008)

Here's the thing about comic book heroes. Most of them have silly names and often sillier costumes. But there's something so fundamental and human about the ones that have survived half a century. Spider-Man isn't just some dude swinging around New York. He's a young kid trying to balance so many competing parts of his life and spreading himself too thin. We all know what that's like. With the X-Men it's not just people with cool powers kicking the crap out of each other. It's about being part of a minority and others discriminating against you. Who hasn't had a taste of that? And with the Hulk, it's ultimately anger management. Literally having a monster inside of you and how difficult it is to control it. It's about being at war with yourself. So yes... his name is ridiculous. The idea of a giant green monster is a little out there. But when these movies have enough small character moments peppered in with the action there's a chance to really connect with them and allow yourself to forgive how unrealistic they dare to be because you're so immersed in their universe. The Incredible Hulk is not the best comic book movie ever made. It's not even in the top three. But it's a solid film and it could have been so much worse.
I have fond memories of the old TV show. Back then it was a waiting game until the Hulk showed up. Now it's the hardest part of the show to swallow and I find myself really intrigued by David Banner's plight. I didn't hate the Ang Lee movie but I have no desire to ever revisit it. This new incarnation has elements of both but for the most part does a satisfactory job of establishing itself as something new. The first act was the best part of the film for me. Everything until the battle on the college campus. The introductory scenes of Bruce were really effective and the first Hulk-out was almost legitimately frightening. The later action scenes are bigger in scope but they're never as creative.
Norton's been making headlines for all the wrong reasons lately but there's no denying he's got the goods. I have a feeling there were a lot of character moments left on the cutting room floor but what's left is still an admirable performance. And even though it's an underwritten role, Liv Tyler is a complete sweetheart as Betty. There's such a charming girl-next-door quality to her and even though I don't completely buy her as a scientist I totally believed in the connection she and Bruce shared. I felt like William Hurt and Tim Roth both received pretty thankless roles. They weren't bad by and means but the script (or this cut anyways) never allows them the chance to do much other than beg to fight the Hulk again or scream for more firepower.
The CGI isn't fantastic. That's just a fact. But it only pulled me out of the film a couple of times. And the Hulk looks about a million times better than he did in the last movie. As expected it does take over once the third act hits and for me that stuff just isn't as enthralling. The film never lost me, it just never reached the heights of the opening thirty minutes. Not for me at least. If I were thirteen I probably would have drooled over the last fight scene.
In the pantheon of comic book movies Hulk stands above Fantastic Four and Daredevil but never quite makes it to the top tier of films like Spider-Man 2, X2, Batman Begins, or even Iron Man. It's comfortably in the middle. I don't feel like I wasted my time or money. But I'm not anxiously awaiting a sequel either.
You really could do worse.