Forget 2003’s Hulk film directed by Ang Lee. The new movie throws out that continuity and attaches itself firmly to the 1970s television series of the same name. The movie takes into account the continuity of the summer’s other big hit Iron Man (which I haven’t gotten to see yet unfortunately) and future projects such as The Avengers, but more on that later.
The Movie
Bruce Banner (now played by Edward Norton) is hiding out in Brazilian slums while he investigates the possibility of a cure in the form of rare flowers. William Hurt takes a turn as the military bad guy General Thaddeus Ross who has hunted for Banner for years. His daughter also happens to be Betty Ross, Banner’s former girlfriend. The General gets a lead and sends a commando team to extract Banner. Now, of course, we get the idea, you don’t want to see Banner get really, really mad and yes, that’s exactly what we get.
What follows are some smash you up comic book fight scenes that burn out your eyes with the editing choices. Rage pulsates throughout the scenes which is very true to the Hulk comic book series and shows deep affection not only for the character, but for the genre as a whole. There are some classic Hulk nods with characters like Samuel Sterns and Doc Samson showing up and there is a real passion for the television series that used to lead us into the weekends on Friday nights and whose theme song is still a haunting echo.
Parents Take Note
Now that said, it’s not a movie for little kids. Older ones, especially boys are going to love the “Hulk Me Smash” feel of it and it’s definitely a popcorn cruncher on a hot summer day, but it’s chalk full of smashing violent scenes (not a lot of blood and gore), but the rage is palpable as described earlier. There’s also a cameo of Tony Stark from Iron Man that fans of both will enjoy. All in all, I think it’s a lot better than Ang Lee’s film. And to be honest, the military desire to study the Hulk is understandable but the portrayal is a tired shtick at this point.
The Incredible Hulk is rated PG-13 for violence. There are some scenes of injured people as Hulk smashes his way out and there’s no getting around the idea that innocents get hurt. Not as kid friendly as the Fantastic Four movies, but definitely friendlier than Iron Man.
Parents who take kids under 13 want to be prepared to answer some questions and discuss with them why it’s important to control your temper. Bruce Banner may not be able to due to the gamma radiation poisoning he has that turns him into the Hulk, but kids can. Comic book fans will definitely enjoy this one much more than the 2003 version to which my husband added “It’s an incredible ride and it was like reading a great comic, only on the screen.”