The Incredible Hulk

Jack Kirby lives! Didn't we just have a Hulk movie not too long ago? Am I having a flash of déjà-vu? I am happy to say that there is a lot that is right with this movie. I wonder if the "other" Hulk movie was the reason that Marvel decided to get into the business of making the movies themselves (besides the obvious reason that they can keep a bigger slice of the money pie, ahhhh the money pie). Maybe the Captain America version of Saving Private Ryan could be on the horizon soon. Wouldn't that be exciting kids! Overall I liked The Incredible Hulk a lot. The movie opens up with a bang where the origin of the Hulk is shown completely during the opening credits. I loved that. That one thing made my day. So by the time we get through the credits, we are off and running. We are in the middle of the story. There was no taking an hour and half just to tell us we are watching a Hulk movie. We know who it is. We know how he got here. Can we please get on with it? How many times have you seen the origin of Batman, a dozen, enough to make ya hurl? After all the Hulk has been around some 40 years, if you went to see the movie, chances are you know how he got here (maybe not). The whole script is very tight and well thought out, though the dialogue will pretty much put you to sleep. There are none of the snappy comebacks of Spiderman to be found in this movie. The Incredible Hulk doesn't stray off on any of those weird tangents that sometimes get in the way of the main storyline. This is a lean and mean movie.

The movie has a great cast. Edward Norton was an inspired choice to play the Hulk though you don't really get the impression here that he is even flexing his actor's muscle. He mostly plays Bruce Banner the way he looks on the poster, which is with his head down (I think the poster is a steal from the cover of "The Amazing Spiderman" #50, if you have to steal, steal from the best). I would follow Ed Norton to hell and back. I think he is a great actor, though he doesn't really shine that bright here. There are several films by Edward Norton that you should check out if you have the time; American History X, 25 th Hour, Fight Club, and Down in the Valley. They are all worth watching. When we do see the Hulk on screen, dramatically we are supposed to relate the Hulk to Bruce Banner, but for me this never really kicks in. I see them both, but I never really believe they are the same person (though the movie does have one hell of a transformation scene near the middle to give credit where credit is due). This is no big surprise, but it keeps the film from pulling you in dramatically like the best films do. When we saw Lon Chaney Jr. turn into the Wolf man, we KNOW that they are the same person. We can feel it. This doesn't happen in The Incredible Hulk. It didn't happen in the previous Hulk film either. The cast includes Liv Tyler (who can still be seen in the next theater over in The Strangers) as Betty Ross with her big sad puppy dog eyes, whose job in this movie is to spend a lot of time looking worried. Tim Roth stars as the bad guy (more like a mad Rottweiler) and William Hurt plays Gen. Ross. I also like William Hurt in this movie, who brings just a little bit of pathos to the part he was given, though if you took a look at the dialogue that he is given to speak, it is pretty flat.

The CGI effects are solid, and more importantly the actions sequences are framed in a way that you can actually tell what is going on. What is a comic book movie if you don't smash a few things here and there? And when these guys move around, you feel like they really have weight. It is surprising how quick and nimble they are, and it plays well within the movie. When the Hulk tears a car in half to use as a shield against the Abomination, you can feel your heart start to pump. Overall the movie looks great (this wasn't done on the cheap), and though dramatically it never grabs you by the throat, if you want to see an action picture you should put The Incredible Hulk on your busy summer schedule. All hail Jack Kirby! When is The Mighty Thor coming out?

You can write to James Harper at movielover77061@yahoo.com