Incredible Hulk (Widescreen Edition) | Edward Norton, Liv Tyler

Incredible Hulk (Widescreen Edition) | Edward Norton, Liv Tyler | Going Green

DVDs:

Incredible Hulk (W...

	Incredible Hulk (Widescreen Edition) Edward Norton, Liv Tyler Universal Studios, 2008 average customer review:based on 138 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

The Incredible Hulk (2008) kicks off an all-new, explosive and action-packed epic of one of the most popular Super Heroes of all time. In this new beginning, scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) desperately hunts for a cure to the gamma radiation that poisoned his cells and unleashes the unbridled force of rage within him: The Hulk. Living in the shadows - cut off from a life he knew and the woman he loves, Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) - Banner struggles to avoid the obsessive pursuit of his nemesis, General Thunderbolt Ross (William Hurt), and the military machinery that seeks to capture him and brutally exploit his power.

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Sleeper of the Year!

With Iron Man and The Dark Knight getting most of the attention this summer, a lot of people overlooked The Incredible Hulk, including me. I didn't see TIH at the movies, so when I bought the Blu Ray I didn't know what to expect. Well let me tell you that this is one of the best Blu Ray experiences I've had since switching to Blu. This movie basically revolves around Banner trying to control the Hulk, but when he unleashes the beast, it's one helluva ride. This movie is definitely worth picking up. The picture is top notch and it's beyond me why the official reviewer didn't give it a 5.0. If the video deserves a 5.0, then the audio should get a 5.5. If you want to give your speakers a work out then put this one in. The bass is tremendous and they really bring the action scenes to life. Overall, this is a must buy for your Blu Ray collection.

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Going Green

What makes The Incredible Hulk a great movie is that it does such a great job with the CGI. I recently saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and the green screen special effects were so obvious that it was distracting to the action. That kind of blatant "fakeness" would not be good in a movie like The Hulk whose 'big' star is CGI technology. No. The Hulk delivers a realistic looking CGI protagonist (and a cool looking antagonist).

The story flow is a little slow at times, and I'm not sure that Ed Norton was a slam-dunk Bruce Banner. The movie was good while Ed and his supporting cast were on-screen, but the movie was great when his CGI counterpart smashed onto the screen.

The Incredible Hulk takes you from a brief introduction of how Bruce Banner became The Hulk, who uncontrollably destroyed everything in his path, to perhaps the first real confrontation that earned The Hulk superhero status. There's plenty of action and tons of visual candy. I was thoroughly entertained.

The story is well-written for the screen by X-men screenwriter Zak Penn. The really good news is that Penn has announced that he is working on the screenplay that will bring The Hulk, Iron Man and the rest of The Avengers together on the big screen perhaps as early as 2010 (wishful thinking).

The Hulk needs some friends to help move his movies along when he's not in the green. The Avengers movie would be just the antidote that he's looking for.

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HULK SMASH!

If you enjoy a wonderful sequel to a classic movie and TV show, you will enjoy this the latest installment of the Incredible Hulk. There are a few changes in this latest movie...Liv Tyler now plays the love interest; William Hurt plays the General; and Edward Norton now plays the tortured Dr. Bruce Banner. There is the same old theme of a tormented Dr. Banner trying to cure himself (i.e., by using calming techniques taught to him and by sending data to a professor at the University) while trying to elude his nemesis General Ross (who is still trying to capture and control the Hulk), and rekindling a romance with Betty (Ross' daughter). The new additions to the story is the angry, power hungry soldier, Emil Blonsky who Ross' is willing to experiment on to insure that he has someone who can rival the Hulk. Blonsky doesn't mind being experimented on if it means that he will have super strength. He feels the power already.

While there are some cheesy moments (cameos of both a deceased Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno, not to mention the creator of Marvel Comics), over all I think this movie was extremely enjoyable, and I think Norton ended up being a decent Hulk. He definitely looks and acts tortured. And the lesson is clear, you can continue to fight the rage inside you or you can learn to control and use it. But more importantly, the movie sets the tone for future Hulk movies and future storylines...the Doctor helping Banner I think could be the Doctor with the large cranium from the comic books/cartoons, not to mention Banner's continued search for a cure. Or maybe at least we will discover if Banner ever learns to control his beast.

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Probably the Hulk that most people want to see

A few observations about the mostly successful, mostly entertaining 2008 film "The Incredible Hulk"...

The movie is billed as a reboot or totally new version of the Hulk, not a sequel to the 2003 Ang Lee film that was simply titled, "Hulk". I'd call the movie more of a semi-reboot. Why? Well, the earlier movie ends with Bruce Banner in hiding in South America, with General Ross and his cronies madly searching for him. And the new film, well... opens with Bruce Banner hiding in South America, with General Ross and his cronies madly searching for him. I think Marvel smartly structured the film to appease both camps: if you liked the earlier movie you can- contrary to the all the "forget the earlier movie!" hype- view this one as the next chapter in the story. And if you didn't like the earlier film, you can point to the recasting of the actors and the less introspective, more "big summer movie" tone and say, "Whew, it's NOT the same storyline!" Your money, your choice.

The new film offers a more kinetic, visceral, action-oriented story, peppered with just enough quietly dramatic moments (in other words, talking scenes) so the movie doesn't turn into a relentless, flashing, pinball machine. If you ever read the comic book, it really feels like a three-issue run from the mid-70's "Hulk Smash! era.

The deleted scenes in the 3-disc special edition are interesting. Apparently a more pronounced love triangle between Betty, Bruce, and Betty's new boyfriend Leonard (who we learn is actually comics character Leonard Samson, pre-irradiation experiment) was a bigger part of the original conception of the film. Though the five or six deleted scenes involving this triangle are intrguing to see, I think I like the final film's decision to simply allude to the tension between the three characters instead of turning the middle part of the movie into an episode of "As the Hulk Turns".

There are one or two deleted scenes involving Hulk nemesis General Ross that I wished were kept in the film. Though never depicting him as warm and fuzzy, a couple of those scenes showed that his motivation to capture the Hulk and harness his power, though misguided, didn't come from an evil place. If they were included in the film, those scenes would have made it easier to swallow the General's semi-change of heart at the end when he decides to extend an olive branch to Bruce and join forces with him to take down the Abomination. That's a quibble, though. The film and its developments in the current cut still work; there's just less explicit evidence on display that the General is capable of making that emotional leap.

More about the three-disc DVD I bought: Though generous, the set is not as lavish as the term "three-disc DVD" might suggest. The first disc is the movie (looks and sounds great) along with a commentary track; the second disc contains a thirty-minute or so "making of" piece, a few short (about ten minutes each) companion pieces that provide additional details about different aspects of the production, and the deleted scenes I mentioned. The third disc is simply a digital copy of the film that you can upload and watch on your PC.

I hope that the DVD release of "The Incredible Hulk" puts the movie over the top financially, offsetting its somewhat lackluster box office (so much for blowing the Ang Lee film out of the water). It would be be nice to see another chapter in this saga, after all, and without having to suffer through another re-boot, or semi-reboot, or whatever confusing technique they'd end up employing in a hand-wringing gesture to overthink the concept of what people want from this character that's simultaneously highly commercial and "what's he really about?" offbeat.

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A Good But Nowhere Great Adaptation

WARNING SPOILERS WARNING

I'll agree that Ang Lee's 'HULK' (2003) was a poor attempt but I was not inspired by this movie at all. Going up against 2 of the greatest comic book movies in the same year (Iron Man & The Dark Knight) doesn't help 'The Incredible Hulk' but the #1 problem with this movie is how few chances this movie takes. None of the casting choices are great (although none are poor), and the script is so blah it's the kind of movie that you want to just sit down, veg and not think too much about.

At the beginning of the movie we get a quick rundown of how Bruce Banner became the Hulk, we see he's on the run and General Ross is going after him. Ross is commissioned Emil Blonsky (who later becomes the Abomination) who help lead the team to get the Hulk and there is a weak love story with Banner and Ross' daughter Betty Ross (played by Liv Tyler). Possibly worse than the script is the pitifully weak acting by said Tyler. In the comics Betty was always a stronger character but here she is the mega damsel in distress. She is supposed to be a Phd. but she's very wimpy and the acting leaves a lot to be desired. Norton is acceptable but he's 10 years since his amazing 'American History X' role and he's subdued but nothing special.

The thing that is special is the CGI which is fantastic. The last 15 minutes of the movie is a CGI tour de force and it's amazing how computer work gets better every 6 months or so. Much more believable than the 2003 Hulk movie this is a grand accomplishment.

If you want a popcorn movie that is just something to watch and you can leave your brain on the shelf this is nice. If you are looking for a comic movie to compete with the classics like Iron Man, The Dark Knight, Superman, Spider-Man 2 you will be disappointed.

*** 1/2 RECOMMENDED

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