A Great Tribute to the 70s TV Show

Rating: 7/10 (5 November 2008)

I loved the way this film paid tribute to the 70s classic. A movie about the Hulk should have some references to Bill Bixby's Hulk and this film had them. It was great to hear some of that music again, see Banner do the lonely walk and see him being given radiation in the way that was done to Bixby. We all loved the 70s version, so why stray too far away from it? The filmmakers had the good taste in deciding not to.
With the tone set to more like the 70s show and less like Ang Lee's version, this film was instantly engaging. And along with an interesting story, gripping action and great special effects, this film was thoroughly entertaining. I also liked that it explained how the Hulk has always been able to keep his pants on. I'm not sure if it was explained in the comic books or anywhere else, but this was a nice touch.
Edward Norton was an excellent choice to play Banner. No one could be more opposite to the Hulk. (I suppose the Jekyll/Hyde character he played in Primal Fear prepared him for this.) And Liv Tyler was fine. But as much as I like William Hurt, he didn't seem to have much energy. Perhaps it was the script, but he just seemed detached.
The CGI effects have come a long way since Ang Lee's Hulk. When I heard they were still going to use CGI for the Hulk in this version, I had my reservations. While it can render reptiles and all sorts of creatures fairly well, computers have always had trouble making humans or human-like creatures look real. But it seems they have come pretty close for this film.
One thing I would have like to have seen kept in this film from the 70s version was Banner's reason for getting the radiation-- so that he could become stronger to protect his loved ones. Here, this film went with the comic books' version-- to become a super soldier for the military. I liked the 70s version. It just seemed to add more empathy to Banner's character, and it was just plain more romantic.
Well, all in all a great film, and I'm looking forward to the next.