The Incredible Hulk

Jeri Jacquin, Movie Maven

Opening in theatres this Friday with a colorful bang is Executive Producer Stan Lee with Marvel Comics, along with Universal Pictures, film “The Incredible Hulk”.

In this film scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) has been subjected to an experiment gone horribly wrong. While in hiding he tries to find a cure for the gamma rays that, when angered, forces him to become the Hulk.

But no matter how far from home his heart is still with his love Dr. Elizabeth Ross (Liv Tyler), a driving force for discovering a cure so that Banner may reclaim the life he lost.

He must also do this while constantly trying to escape General Thunderbolt Ross (William Hurt), who wants Banner captured to use him to cultivate a powerful military weapon.  Hiring someone to help him do just that is, Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), who becomes the Abomination and is just as powerful if not more so than the Hulk.

Working with Banner and Ross is Professor Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson), Banner must make a decision to either remain the Hulk forever or go forward with a cure that will give him a normal life once again.

FINAL WORD: Casting the incredible Edward Norton, two-time Academy Award nominee, was pure genius. Just as Robert Downey Jr. made “Iron Man” his own, Norton embraces this part and has does it justice. He carries the character with intensity.

Norton also was responsible for working with writer Zak Penn on the screenplay. Says Norton, “Audiences already know the story, we are just telling it artfully”. He wrote the draft that director LeTerrier agreed with, while also adding mention of other Marvel Comic characters. All of this puts in motion things that will be explained in films to come.  It is also a smart move to have the story unfold in the beginning so quickly as to get right to the story line.

Tyler is very loving as Dr. Ross and Hurt as the General plays mean as mean can get. Roth as the eventual Abomination seems an odd choice for the part but pulls off the bad guy with no problem.

In this version of the story, Marvel went back to the original formula created by Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno as the late 1970’s Hulk television series went on air. Director LeTerrier says: “Bixby’s portrayal of this character was so emotional and loveable as he tried to befriend people and re-create a life each episode. Bruce Banner was and is an anti-hero. He doesn’t want the power but he understands that anger can easily be transformed into courage.”

There is a moment seeing Bixby, a funny Ferrigno, an obvious kudo to Stan Lee and even a good joke regarding the Hulk’s famous purple pants. The effects are well done and actually what would be expected for a comic book character come to the big screen.

The horrible groan heard round the world by the 2003 version of ‘The Incredible Hulk’ is now a fleeting memory. This film is fun from beginning to end and coming in at two hours it built up quite nicely and ended with the audience cheering…but for what you will have to see for yourself!

TUBS OF POPCORN: I give “The Incredible Hulk” three and a half tubs of popcorn. There is one word to describe this film and that is – redemption. Marvel Comics has knocked it out of the ballpark once again with another superhero and Hulk fans are not going to be disappointed.

So get ready for the Hulk to unleash the beast!