"The Hulk" Movie Review

More of a sequel than a do-over, The Incredible Hulk manages to stay true to all three incarnations (comic, TV, film) of our green skinned pal from the comic book to the TV show and yes, even to Ang Lee's version.

Just to recap Hulk's origin, Bruce Banner is a brilliant scientist whose body chemistry is altered after an accidental overdose of gamma radiation. When he becomes angry, he gets Wal-Mart sized muscles and goes on a rampage. The sequel picks up where the original left off, with Banner (Ed Norton) living in South America and working as a day laborer in a soda bottling plant.

When he's not working on a cure, his free time is spent learning to control his anger through meditation and martial arts. The military, led by Gen Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (William Hurt), considers Banner government property and soon tracks him down with an elite team led by Emil Brosky (Tim Roth). Thanks to the Hulk, Banner escapes but Brosky agrees to be Ross' new guinea pig to level the playing field, leading to a climactic battle that fans have been waiting for.

Five years removed from Ang Lee's 2003 Hulk, it's nice to see that helmer Louis Leterrier managed to create the perfect balance between Hulk and Banner, just as one would for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He allows Norton to show the tortured soul of Bruce Banner that many of us remember from Bill Bixby's TV persona. Leterrier also pays homage to the show and the comic by featuring cameos by creator Stan Lee and Lou Ferrigno (who also provides the voice of the Hulk).

Ed Norton gives a near perfect performance in the modern day Bruce Banner. You almost expect to wink to the audience as he says "You wouldn't like me when I'm hungry" in a nod to the TV show. Liv Tyler is cute as Betty Ross, but cute doesn't make up for the fact that her and Norton have little on screen chemistry. Oddly enough, she has more chemistry with the Hulk in scenes reminiscent of Fay Wray with King Kong, which alone makes her performance noteworthy. Tim Roth may look like Paulie Walnuts from The Sopranos, but he gets better over time as the bad guy who ultimately becomes the Abomination. Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns (aka Mr. Blue) is a motor-mouthed scientist provides comic relief as Banner's long distance ally turned adversary.

While Ang Lee's version is not mentioned explicitly, the attempt to show the more human sides of Banner, girlfriend Liv Tyler and even the stoicness of General Ross shows that character development was definitely put above any CG-fueled slugfests. While Lee's version was more lopsided towards Banner, The Incredible Hulk keeps everything in check. The ending featuring a certain Tony Stark will certainly please both fans and fanboys alike in a teaser for a movie that could really be...incredible.

P13 for sequences of intense action violence, some frightening sci-fi images, and brief suggestive content

Billy Tatum gives The Incredible Hulk 5 Scoops!