The Incredible Hulk (2008)

For a while I thought that ‘The Incredible Hulk’ was a film that was a blemish on the overall impressive record of the MCU. However on re-watching the film I am glad to say that I was wrong. This film is especially good. But it isn’t bad either. So what’s the deal with this film?

Following up Ang Lee’s ‘Hulk’ from a few years prior must have been a scary task. Not because that was a good film or anything, it meant that if this one was bad, the Hulk could potentially never get another film (as of right now he doesn’t but that’s for a whole other stupid reason). So when this film was just fine I’m sure the MCU heads all breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Just fine’ actually sums up this film pretty well. Edward Norton, Liv Tyler and Tim Roth all are just that. William Hurt as General ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross is clearly trying but the others seem to be just reading their lines and doing so perfectly well. Tim Roth is usually such an aggravated force of pure anger. Here he’s just a normal soldier who’s a bit crazy and bit better at fighting. Clearly his character has a lot of potential. Sadly, the film never truly dives into it.

Missed potential is a major theme here. The action can have great creativity, the strange 2000’s ‘Fast and the Furious’-style is infrequently used and what it means to be the monstrous Hulk isn’t explored. Norton plays him like a guy who’s a bit worried about his condition but far more concerned with getting back to Tyler’s character Betty. While it makes the romance slightly better than expected, the focus seems to be not on the Hulk at all for the opening of the film.

As for the technical elements, the film is lacking. The cinematography, music and production design all lack any special flare. Overall, the film seemingly has no vision. It is just a plain, relatively fun action film. And frankly, that’s just good enough. ‘The Incredible Hulk’ is a film that I don’t even know who directed it, it’s that lacking of note. But it is entertaining to a certain degree. This film has a bad reputation and a think if you think that, it’s worth re-watching it as I did. You might be pleasantly surprised.