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Plot - Following a failed gamma ray experiment, Dr. Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) transforms into the Incredible Hulk anytime his pulse rate get too high. Trying to protect himself and others he goes into hiding in Brazil, but the army, led by General Ross (William Hurt) are out to capture him, seeing him as a weapon with huge potential.
After my viewing of The Avengers I thought I'd give this another go. I have watched it once before but it was more in the background, not paying complete attention to it. And although my attention wasn't 100% on it, my thoughts that I did conclude at the time proved to be correct; a decent but forgettable flick, Marvel's weakest effort to date for me. Even my rampant fanboy-ism can only lift the film so far.
The film actually opens well, its opening stretch probably the strongest portion of the film. We get a real idea of Bruce's isolation and loneliness, which he has created out of necessity. And the location of Tavares Bastos in Rio de Janeiro is a very strong, evocative setting. With its claustrophobic layout and exotic flavours it gives a real character to the slum. And even though Banner is in puny human form for it, the chase that ensues there is arguably more exciting and engaging than much of the later special-effects laden action.
The action is solid and at intervals entertaining but is also rather predictable. Though I did smile at the moment where Hulk uses a police car as a pair of boxing gloves. It's the kind of over-the-top, gloriously ridiculous moment that the film is crying out for more of. Other than that though the action unfortunately tends towards the noisy and mindless variety, testing my patience rather than boosting my adrenaline. Of the action featuring the Hulk I'd say the fight against the army on the college campus is probably the best, peppered with some moments of invention and excitement that are sadly missing elsewhere.
I'm not sure if it's the fault of the character or his performance but Edward Norton comes across as exceptionally bland as Bruce Banner. The same could be said for Liv Tyler and sadly together they share very little chemistry. The villains of the piece fare better. William Hurt brings a weighty gravitas to the one-dimensional character of the gruff General Ross. And despite some weak characterisation, and dialogue that leaves something to be desired Tim Roth is able to rise above it with some edge and intensity and deliver a fun performance as the soldier whose mental state begins to deteriorate as the film goes along.
While the film is decently paced at some times I'd say it is too long, resulting in some sections were the film drags. Considering that it basically has a fairly simple chase plot at its core, and the origin story is glossed over in a brief montage it really doesn't feel like it needs to be almost two hours long. And even with that two hours they couldn't find time to give any sort of exit to Ty Burrell's character?!! It really is one of the most blatant vanishings from a film I can remember, with no scene or even a line referencing him. And the fact that I really like him from Modern Family just made it more annoying.
The special effects act as a perfect way of reflecting the film as a whole; solid and at times effective but overall underwhelming. I just think the film as a whole lacks the fun and humour required; the laughs that were to be found in The Avengers. Without it you just have a relatively silly story which plays very serious, making it tough to buy into at times. It says a lot for the film that perhaps my favourite little moments occurred as the result of two cameos; Robert Downey Jr in the guise of Tony Stark and Lou Ferrigno, the original Hulk.
Conclusion – A decent if unremarkable film, which also happens to be incredibly forgettable. While certainly not a disaster it's also very far from a roaring success.
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Year of release
2008
2008
Directed by
Louis Letterier
Louis Letterier
Written by
Zak Penn
Zak Penn
Starring
Edward Norton
Liv Tyler
William Hurt
Tim Roth
Edward Norton
Liv Tyler
William Hurt
Tim Roth
The Incredible Hulk
++
(5.7/10)
(5.7/10)
Plot - Following a failed gamma ray experiment, Dr. Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) transforms into the Incredible Hulk anytime his pulse rate get too high. Trying to protect himself and others he goes into hiding in Brazil, but the army, led by General Ross (William Hurt) are out to capture him, seeing him as a weapon with huge potential.
After my viewing of The Avengers I thought I'd give this another go. I have watched it once before but it was more in the background, not paying complete attention to it. And although my attention wasn't 100% on it, my thoughts that I did conclude at the time proved to be correct; a decent but forgettable flick, Marvel's weakest effort to date for me. Even my rampant fanboy-ism can only lift the film so far.
The film actually opens well, its opening stretch probably the strongest portion of the film. We get a real idea of Bruce's isolation and loneliness, which he has created out of necessity. And the location of Tavares Bastos in Rio de Janeiro is a very strong, evocative setting. With its claustrophobic layout and exotic flavours it gives a real character to the slum. And even though Banner is in puny human form for it, the chase that ensues there is arguably more exciting and engaging than much of the later special-effects laden action.
The action is solid and at intervals entertaining but is also rather predictable. Though I did smile at the moment where Hulk uses a police car as a pair of boxing gloves. It's the kind of over-the-top, gloriously ridiculous moment that the film is crying out for more of. Other than that though the action unfortunately tends towards the noisy and mindless variety, testing my patience rather than boosting my adrenaline. Of the action featuring the Hulk I'd say the fight against the army on the college campus is probably the best, peppered with some moments of invention and excitement that are sadly missing elsewhere.
I'm not sure if it's the fault of the character or his performance but Edward Norton comes across as exceptionally bland as Bruce Banner. The same could be said for Liv Tyler and sadly together they share very little chemistry. The villains of the piece fare better. William Hurt brings a weighty gravitas to the one-dimensional character of the gruff General Ross. And despite some weak characterisation, and dialogue that leaves something to be desired Tim Roth is able to rise above it with some edge and intensity and deliver a fun performance as the soldier whose mental state begins to deteriorate as the film goes along.
While the film is decently paced at some times I'd say it is too long, resulting in some sections were the film drags. Considering that it basically has a fairly simple chase plot at its core, and the origin story is glossed over in a brief montage it really doesn't feel like it needs to be almost two hours long. And even with that two hours they couldn't find time to give any sort of exit to Ty Burrell's character?!! It really is one of the most blatant vanishings from a film I can remember, with no scene or even a line referencing him. And the fact that I really like him from Modern Family just made it more annoying.
The special effects act as a perfect way of reflecting the film as a whole; solid and at times effective but overall underwhelming. I just think the film as a whole lacks the fun and humour required; the laughs that were to be found in The Avengers. Without it you just have a relatively silly story which plays very serious, making it tough to buy into at times. It says a lot for the film that perhaps my favourite little moments occurred as the result of two cameos; Robert Downey Jr in the guise of Tony Stark and Lou Ferrigno, the original Hulk.
Conclusion – A decent if unremarkable film, which also happens to be incredibly forgettable. While certainly not a disaster it's also very far from a roaring success.