Anthony's Film Review - The Incredible Hulk (2008)

This cinematic version of the Incredible Hulk definitely works as a solid Marvel adaptation...

The Incredible Hulk is an old Marvel Comics character, so naturally, it would be adapted a few times. So far, there's been an Incredible Hulk television series in the late 70's and early 80's, a 90's animated Incredible Hulk series, and the 2003 film adaptation Hulk directed by Ang Lee. There would also be The Incredible Hulk in 2008, but this one is notable for one reason. It's produced by Marvel Studios, a company set up specifically for the purpose of adapting Marvel Comics stories into movies. More importantly, it is considered part of a broad expanding fictional universe called the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This film and Iron Man released earlier the same year are the first two entries of the MCU.

The moment the movie starts, you get the origin story. A scientist named Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) undergoes an experiment in which he is subject to high levels of gamma radiation. Unfortunately, it goes terribly wrong, resulting in him transforming into a monstrous green beast that we would later refer to as Hulk. It also results in serious injuries to his romantic partner, Dr. Betty Ross (Liv Tyler), and General Ross (William Hurt), Betty's father, seeing the Hulk as a threat to national security. Keep in mind that all of this is being told not over the course of the beginning of the movie, but rather crammed into the opening credits sequence.

When the movie begins, we actually see Bruce in South America, specifically Brazil. It becomes clear that he's there for two reasons. One, he's hiding from the United States government. Two, he is trying to find a cure for his gamma radiation, with the help of a mysterious online contact known as Mr. Blue. For a while, it does look like American authorities won't be able to locate Bruce's whereabouts. But something unexpected happens that results in a drop of Bruce's blood winding up in the United States, which triggers an event that gets the attention of the government. Suddenly, all bets are off. Bruce, in both Hulk form and human form, has to run away again.

What's interesting is how this is a superhero movie, but not in the usual sense. There is only one segment in the story where the Incredible Hulk is called upon to be the savior for masses of people in grave danger. Otherwise, Bruce is treated as a fugitive, forcing him to live as a societal outcast in hiding. It is interesting to see what ultimately happens to Bruce/Hulk when the story ends. Is he still forced to hide from his government pursuers, or is there indeed a stable place for him to be accepted?

On my 1-to-10 scale, The Incredible Hulk could easily be a 7. I'm going to bump it up to an 8 because the action-packed climax is quite a spectacle. Now, if you ask me if this adaptation of the Hulk character is better than previous adaptations, I have no idea because I haven't seen them at the time of this review. I can at least say that this particular adaptation is a good one. More importantly, it fits in nicely with the Marvel Cinematic Universe as it is beginning to take off. After all, the last scene of this movie harkens back to Iron Man while giving the audience something to look forward to. Marvel Studios has a winner with this version of the big green Hulk.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about The Incredible Hulk, visit the Internet Movie Database.