Snowball Reviews...The Incredible Hulk

Things are gearing up at Snowball Central. Tests are being conducted, Scientists are scooping Snowballs from Mars, and the BBQ's are heating up. Today is a day for updates, this is update 3 of 4 for June 16th 2008.

That's right the not so jolly green giant is back on the big screen, hopefully to HULK SMASH the previous boring version to smithereens.

POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD

Click "Read More" To Read the entire review.

Summary:

Marvel Studios, this summer, is hoping to bring back the glory of The Incredible Hulk to the big screen. After the studios glorious debut of Iron Man, a lot was to be expected and a lot to be weary about this version of the Hulk.

We all remember the first Hulk movie. The one where the director of Brokeback Mountain decided to not show any of the Hulk until the end of the film, and it took 2 hours of boring story to see it. Yeah we all remember "that version". Well Edward Norton and his team over at Marvel wanted to do something better, bigger, meaner, and again, better, than the original. They decided to call this a requal, by not negating the first film, but allowing us to see how the Hulk should have been presented.

Did they succeed? Sort of.

Read on dear reader.

Here is how this review is going to smash up. First Story, then Characters/Actors, Special Effects, Geek/Fun Factor, then Overall review.

Story:

First of all, the story of the Hulk could be summarized in one sentence. Scientist, Bruce Banner gets exposed to Gamma Radiation, and when he gets mad, turns into a giant green monster. So how can you extract a 2 hour story from that? Letter by Letter? Well, Marvel Studios tried, and didn't do that bad of a job. You have to remember, even though the Hulk has a large history, there really isn't anything to his story other than Banner trying to get rid of the monster inside him. Which is literally the plot of this movie. Edward Norton plays Bruce Banner as he tries to get rid of the Hulk.

The great thing about the start of this movie is before the opening credits are finished, we see the entire origin of the Hulk in flashback form. We see Banner get exposed to Gamma Radiation, goes nuts, almost kills General Ross and his daughter/love interest for Bruce, Betty Ross, and then disappears...for 5 years! That's a long time for hide and seek.

Perfect way to tell the origins without re-treading already been done material.

Either way, I don't want to give away too much of the story, lets just say the Abomination shows up in the form of a soldier who is determined to take down the Hulk by making himself an uglier version of one. Let's just say there isn't a lot of story here. It's a good try, but no real depth to anything. Not as much as Iron Man had anyway.

I wish that Marvel Studios would've allowed Norton to make the movie he wanted to make, which according to him gave the story much more character and depth; but we'll have to wait until the eventual Blue Ray disc to see what was cut.

Either way, I wasn't entirely impressed, but I wasn't disappointed either.

Story = 3/5 Snowballs

Characters/Acting:

There really isn't much to say about this one other than Edward Norton is the one carrying this movie, much like Downey Jr. did with Iron Man. Norton does a good job at playing a troubled Banner, and definitely is careful in making sure he stays out of sight of the US Government. Norton still did a good performance, but not a great one. It's still Edward Norton, so you can't say anything bad about his acting.

Liv Tyler should have had more. I know the filmmakers tried to make her seem smart, but she came off as the "damsel in distress". At least with Paltrow as Pepper Potts, she proved her smarts that she could do well on her own. But Betty Ross, although she was supposed to be a scientist, she didn't do any sciencey stuff other than wear a lab coat and wear smart people glasses. Great Actress, but under utilized.

William Hurt as General Ross is actually pretty good in this movie. He plays a war torn General quite well.

Tim Roth as the Abomination? I saw the drive, but nothing in depth.

After all is said and done, Norton is the only character that I wanted to see throughout the whole thing, and I wasn't disappointed either.

Characters/Actors = 3/5 Snowballs

Special Effects:

Okay now this is where I go and love whoever did the CG for this movie. The Hulk looked fantastic! He definitely got more screen time than the movies predecessor, and looked more believable. The fight scene between the Hulk and the Abomination was fantastic and I enjoyed every smashing moment of it.

I even liked the scene at the University when the army tries to stop the Hulk and the Hulk takes an armored jeep apart and uses it's doors as his own personal shields and smashing tools!

Great job!

Special Effects = 4/5 Snowballs

Geek/Fun Factor:

OMG, this movie is jam packed of Geek References to the Marvel Universe and the history of the Hulk franchise! Here is a run down of the geeky moments that I really enjoyed.

- Stan Lee Cameo (Definitely not as cool as Hef, but still memorable)
- You wouldn't like me when I'm...hungry? Oh yeah Norton tries to say that classic line in Spanish, but since he's still learning Spanish it comes out all wrong.
- Lou Ferrigno as a Security Guard
- Purple Stretchy pants
- HULK SMASH! - The Hulk actually says that line!
- WWII Super Soldiers - This totally sets up for a Captain America movie as General Ross tells the history of the project and that Banner's experiment was supposed to be an extension of that project! Woah way to tie two franchises together!
- Tony Stark Cameo - Robert Downey Jr.!!! I knew he was in the flick to tie in Iron Man, but man oh man did Downey deliver! Same charm, same humour, same hawesomeness! It's right at the end of the film, so you don't have to wait until the end of the credits to see this one.

All in all it was the geeky parts in this movie that I enjoyed the most. Fun Fun Fun all around for the Comic Book Geek in me.

Geek/Fun Factor = 5/5 Snowballs

Overall:

Okay, so overall I would have to say that the movie definitely leaves me wanting more, but still it is the Hulk and it's a much better movie than the last one.

Suffice it to say, Good, but not Great.

Overall = 3/5 Snowballs

So what did you think of the Incredible Hulk? Leave a comment, let me know what you think.

Now excuse me while I HULK SMASH something.

As always I remain obediently yours.

Steve "Snowball" Saylor