The Incredible Hulk
Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action violence, some frightening sci-fi images and brief suggestive content.
reviewed by Christopher Lyon
It's a Marvel-ous summer at the movieplex. "Iron Man" set the standard for Summer '08 super-action heroism. Key elements in "The Incredible Hulk" make sure fans get that his story exists in the same 'verse as "Iron Man" and the rest of the Marvel Comics stable of conflicted heroes. And while Hulk doesn't steal the summer crown from "Iron Man," he's a likable cousin that's fun to have hanging around the block.
The Story
Director Louis Leterrier's version of the Hulk is not an origin story. In an opening montage, we're reminded of the gamma radiation experiments gone wrong that led Dr. Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) to initially transform into the Hulk, destroying a research lab and leaving wounded in his rampage his girlfriend Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) and her father (William Hurt), a military general looking for keys to creating a biologically enhanced "super soldier."
Now living in hiding in Brazil, Bruce trains with a martial arts master to learn to control his anger and exchanges Internet messages with a mysterious "Mr. Blue" trying to help find a cure for his "condition." That condition, of course, is that when he gets really angry - and his heart monitor watch shows 200 beats per minute - Bruce's eyes turn green and he becomes a nine-foot-tall muscle-ripped, bullet-proof monster looking to do a little smashin'.
General Ross still searches for Bruce, not to cure him but to use him to build an army of super soldiers. With the help of a special ops trained killer named Blonsky (Tim Roth), the General tracks Banner down, pushes him back into Hulk mode for several intense battle sequences, and chases him back home and into the arms of Betty.
With Betty's help, Bruce looks for the mysterious scientist Mr. Blue (Tim Blake Nelson) to see if he can be cured once and for all. Meanwhile, the General begins juicing an eager Blonsky with substances similar to what created the Hulk. But Blonsky wants more, leading eventually to an overdose that creates a hulking, spiny, evil monster twice Hulk's size known as Abomination. [Cue the nighttime showdown in the streets of Harlem.]
The Verdict
What Works: Most reviews of "The Incredible Hulk" dismiss director Ang Lee's 2003 movie, "Hulk," as a disappointment. I liked it more than some for Lee's probing of the psychological anger issues and broken relationships driving the heart of the monster. But it did fumble in bringing the story together in the last act, leaving the conclusion too long and awkward and unsatisfying.
Director Leterrier and star Edward Norton (who had major input in writing the movie) choose instead to follow more closely the path of the 70s TV show, specifically, and comic book movies, in general. The characters and relationships are less complicated, and the storytelling more straightforward. We always know what everyone wants and what's at stake in each explosive battle sequence.
Fans of the TV show will catch a few happy references, and fans of the comics will find things more faithful to the Marvel universe. Action movie fans get several exciting sequences in which the CGI Hulk engages angrily and convincingly with both live action foes and the similarly animated Abomination.
Norton's a good actor, and he gives Banner plenty of soulful longing (though he's a little whiny at times). He and Tyler share a comfortable chemistry, which resonates later when she is able to calm the beast. And I liked Tim Blake Nelson as the cracked scientist who gleefully revels in messing with Banner's weird blood chemistry.
What Doesn't Work: For all it's action satisfaction, "TIH" mostly misses the emotionally conflicted heart of Hulk. Even given its flaws, Lee's telling of the Hulk made us think about our own anger and daddy issues. And Marvel-mate "Iron Man" succeeded in digging deeply enough into the psyche to make us care about the hero, not just the battle.
I remember watching the Hulk TV show years ago and feeling really sad for Bruce Banner at the end of each episode as he hitchhiked down the highway, driven away from the possibility of any real community by his unresolved anger issues. This film doesn't really capture that.
In the same way, the villains are underwhelming for their lack of evil intent. Blonsky/Abomination just wants a good fight, and he's willing to hurt people to get it. The General is not a nice man with little power, but no plan to destroy humanity or rule the universe. Honestly, not that fearsome.
Content: The rating comes mostly from all the smashing and 'sploding. Ordinance and bodies fly furiously (but with little gore). We assume a high body count, though death is only confirmed once or twice. Banner and Betty end up in bed together, about to have sex, but they have to stop to keep his heart rate in check.
Worldview
Honestly, "The Incredible Hulk" provides fewer worldview issues than Lee's 2003 version. Banner manages his anger to keep from becoming the Hulk, but he doesn't seem to have an "anger problem." He has a biochemical problem. He never confesses to enjoying becoming the Hulk (or even really remembering it), as Banner does in the previous movie when he says, "I like it."
In fact, this film references the famous TV line: "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry," but really this Banner should say, "You wouldn't like me when my heart rate reaches 200." Anger doesn't seem to be the issue.
Without reading in too deeply, the film's only real message seems to deal with the problem of misusing science in a quest for more power. General Ross and Blonsky are willing to tinker with human biology to gain dominance. Banner has learned that although such power is possible, it is also an illusion. Power that cannot be controlled always leads to destruction Ñ and usually self-destruction.
The Bible promises Christians enormous power through God's Spirit in them Ñ the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, Paul wrote in Ephesians. But it's a power under control. In fact, one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit is supernatural self-control. God gives us a power that obeys our will.
At one point, the film wonders what Banner could accomplish if he could control the Hulk, bringing the monster out only when he was needed and putting him away the rest of the time. That would be a useful power, if the person using it had the wisdom and humility to use it for good. But there's a flaw: If Banner has to get mad to unleash the Hulk, is he really in control? Can you accomplish anything good when in a rage?
For those of us living outside of comic books, the Bible says no: "Man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." (James 1:20). Solomon warns that angry people are not wise people: "A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control." (Proverbs 29:11) That's why God tells us to practice the art of being "slow to anger" and quick to get rid of it.
Of course, if Banner ever masters that completely, the Hulk sequels might be a little boring.
Questions:
- Fan of the 2003 "Hulk"? Why or why not? How does this one compare for you?
- What did you think of Norton as Bruce Banner? Who else could you imagine in that role?
- I won't give it away, but did you dig that little sequence at the end of the film with you-know-who?
- Be honest: Have you ever uttered the words, "Hulk Smash," then hit something really hard? Yes, you have.
- Do ever think of anger as a good and useful thing? Why or why not? Can anger be used to accomplish anything "good"?
- What's so wrong with "giving full vent" to your anger?
