I've always been intrigued by the character, the Hulk, so I was hoping the 2008 movie would be...dare I say...incredible.
It wasn't.
There were a few average action scenes, but for the most part, they didn't seem believable. Now, I know that sounds strange since the Hulk is not real. But there are some unbelievable characters in the Marvel Universe that come across as believable to me. I can't help comparing Hulk to Iron Man. It's not everyday we see people doing the things that Iron Man does, but somehow, Iron Man seems believable and I feel a connection with him.
The Incredible Hulk also lacks a good story line in my opinion. I would have liked to see more of the Hulk using his strength to help people, while still trying to escape from his enemies. However, the movie is centered around Hulk hiding from his enemies...and his biggest one of all (literally), The Abomination, didn't appear until almost the end of the movie.
On a positive note, there were some lines in the script that made me chuckle (cue "Let's get a cab" scene) and I liked Edward Norton's portrayal of Bruce Banner. He was accurately portrayed as just your average guy next door (though with a very big problem).
My favorite scene in the entire movie, however, was Tony Stark's cameo at the end. It was a seemingly random appearance and completely unnecessary perhaps, but RDJ as Tony Stark always makes me smile. I recently read that at the end of Thor on blu-ray there's a 4-minute short film explaining why Tony Stark showed up at the end of The Incredible Hulk. I'm currently in the middle of watching Thor on DVD, so I guess I'll find out if it's also there. If not, I may have to seek it out.
I guess that sums up how I feel overall about The Incredible Hulk. It wasn't all that incredible and I'm ready to move on.
I didn't expect to enjoy The Incredible Hulk, but I did.
ReplyDeleteThe big surprise was when his entire background was presented in the opening credits. I thought this would be an origin story, instead most of it was a spy thriller. I liked the chase scenes and the accompanying score.
The only time I raised an eyebrow was when everyone had monster serum in their fridge. It made me feel the Hulk is less unique when it's so easy to create someone like him. Was the Abomination necessary? I don’t know. I guess Hulk is so powerful that the movie needed to present him with an actual challenge.
My favorite scene was when Bruce and Betty got together in the rain. In a movie about an angry green guy, it was love that won me. Is it ironic that I prefer the non-Hulk moments?
Overall a solid experience, but nothing special.
Thank you for your thoughtful reply, Mihail! You make a very good point about the fact that everyone had monster serum in their fridge. That's something I hadn't thought much about. Bruce and Betty's relationship was special and that scene was touching. I love that she saw the good in Hulk and loved Bruce through his anger and suffering. The world needs more of that kind of love and more people like you who appreciate moments like that. :-)
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