Review -- The Incredible Hulk Movie
Well, last night I got to see a pre-release screening of the new Edward Norton picture The Incredible Hulk. It also includes stars Liv Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson, Tim Roth, and William Hurt. Norton stars as Bruce Banner/The Hulk. Tyler plays the love interest Betty Ross. Roth plays Major Blonsky. William Hurt is General "Thunderbolt" Ross. Nelson plays Samuel Stearns.
The movie starts off fairly slowly with a montage of the events leading up to Banner becoming the Hulk (very similar to the old TV show's origin and nothing like the Eric Bana/Ang Lee version). It then moves to 'present day' with Banner living in Brazil and attempting to find a cure there while living in obscurity as the repairman to a tropical soda company. Through an accident some of his blood gets into a drink, which finds its way to the US and the American government finds out. Enter General Ross and his desire to get Banner back. He enlists Major Blonsky as his right hand man to get Banner and after an exciting chase through Brazilian streets the US capture team finds itself face to face not with Banner, but with someone large and green that kicks their asses.
After that the movie slows down a bit as Banner makes his way back to the US, convinced he can find enough data back at home to cure him. He spends the entire time sending communications back and forth with a mysterious 'Mr Blue' who is obviously a scientist of some repute that is trying to help cure him. Bruce eventually finds out that Betty Ross still has the data and tries to meet up with her. Of course, her father, General Ross is paying attention and a massive battle begins on the Culver University campus that ends with lots of destroyed vehicles and Major Blonsky in the hospital even though he had been chemically improved by some of General Ross's pet projects.
The Hulk (and after he changes back, Banner) escapes with Betty and they go on the run and try to make it to New York City and meet Mr. Blue. Blue is Samuel Stearns, a brilliant biologist, who not only wants to cure Banner but use the Gamma therapy to cure all disease. They find a way that they think will cure Bruce permanently, try it, and actually cause a transformation to fail and revert back to Banner. They think he's cured. The military are watching and capture Bruce in Stearns's office. Blonsky shows up, the chemical additions to his body making him stronger and causing him to heal from his ass whipping nearly overnight. He demands Stearns give him gamma radiation (or he'll kill Stearns) while the general is distracted with an unchanging Bruce.
And thus, the Abomination is born. He begins destroying much of Harlem looking for the Hulk. Ross finally realizes that only the Hulk can stop the abomination and in an effort to force the Hulk back out of him after Stearns's cure, Banner throws himself out of a helicopter a thousand feet up. The Hulk is what pulls itself out of the ground and the Hulk and Abomination go at each other in a battle royale that is, by far and away, one of the best superhero movie battles I've ever seen. Pure, smash mouth fun.
Aside from a fairly slow middle chapter and a rather weak performance by Liv Tyler (Jennifer Connelly was much better and better looking), this movie was a hell of a lot of fun and pretty damn good. William Hurt was channelling his inner Ted Levine for this (and I thought it was Ted Levine in the previews). The ending sequence and fight are just freaking awesome. The special affects are fun and amazing. Ross then Blonsky then the Abomination are all great villains/antagonists for the Hulk. Also, the cameos throughout were awesome. Stan Lee got a great little part. Lou Ferrigno getting to be called ' the man' by Banner was hilarious. Downey Jr shows up as you know who at one point. They even had 'Lonely Man' (the old TV Show theme) playing as Banner was stuck hitch hiking at one point.
This one was so much more fan service and for the love of the fans that Ang Lees and it made it so much more enjoyable and fun. It wasn't perfect, but I thoroughly enjoyed the hell out of it.
The movie starts off fairly slowly with a montage of the events leading up to Banner becoming the Hulk (very similar to the old TV show's origin and nothing like the Eric Bana/Ang Lee version). It then moves to 'present day' with Banner living in Brazil and attempting to find a cure there while living in obscurity as the repairman to a tropical soda company. Through an accident some of his blood gets into a drink, which finds its way to the US and the American government finds out. Enter General Ross and his desire to get Banner back. He enlists Major Blonsky as his right hand man to get Banner and after an exciting chase through Brazilian streets the US capture team finds itself face to face not with Banner, but with someone large and green that kicks their asses.
After that the movie slows down a bit as Banner makes his way back to the US, convinced he can find enough data back at home to cure him. He spends the entire time sending communications back and forth with a mysterious 'Mr Blue' who is obviously a scientist of some repute that is trying to help cure him. Bruce eventually finds out that Betty Ross still has the data and tries to meet up with her. Of course, her father, General Ross is paying attention and a massive battle begins on the Culver University campus that ends with lots of destroyed vehicles and Major Blonsky in the hospital even though he had been chemically improved by some of General Ross's pet projects.
The Hulk (and after he changes back, Banner) escapes with Betty and they go on the run and try to make it to New York City and meet Mr. Blue. Blue is Samuel Stearns, a brilliant biologist, who not only wants to cure Banner but use the Gamma therapy to cure all disease. They find a way that they think will cure Bruce permanently, try it, and actually cause a transformation to fail and revert back to Banner. They think he's cured. The military are watching and capture Bruce in Stearns's office. Blonsky shows up, the chemical additions to his body making him stronger and causing him to heal from his ass whipping nearly overnight. He demands Stearns give him gamma radiation (or he'll kill Stearns) while the general is distracted with an unchanging Bruce.
And thus, the Abomination is born. He begins destroying much of Harlem looking for the Hulk. Ross finally realizes that only the Hulk can stop the abomination and in an effort to force the Hulk back out of him after Stearns's cure, Banner throws himself out of a helicopter a thousand feet up. The Hulk is what pulls itself out of the ground and the Hulk and Abomination go at each other in a battle royale that is, by far and away, one of the best superhero movie battles I've ever seen. Pure, smash mouth fun.
Aside from a fairly slow middle chapter and a rather weak performance by Liv Tyler (Jennifer Connelly was much better and better looking), this movie was a hell of a lot of fun and pretty damn good. William Hurt was channelling his inner Ted Levine for this (and I thought it was Ted Levine in the previews). The ending sequence and fight are just freaking awesome. The special affects are fun and amazing. Ross then Blonsky then the Abomination are all great villains/antagonists for the Hulk. Also, the cameos throughout were awesome. Stan Lee got a great little part. Lou Ferrigno getting to be called ' the man' by Banner was hilarious. Downey Jr shows up as you know who at one point. They even had 'Lonely Man' (the old TV Show theme) playing as Banner was stuck hitch hiking at one point.
This one was so much more fan service and for the love of the fans that Ang Lees and it made it so much more enjoyable and fun. It wasn't perfect, but I thoroughly enjoyed the hell out of it.