The Incredible Hulk is a 2008 superhero film based on, well- The Hulk.. The film tells the story of Bruce Banner (played by Edward Norton-not Mark Ruffalo), a brilliant scientist who is exposed to gamma radiation and as a result, transforms into a giant, green, indestructible creature known as the Hulk. The film is the second in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and serves as a reboot of the Hulk character after the mixed reception of Ang Lee’s 2003 film.
The film begins with Bruce in hiding in Brazil, desperate to find a cure for his condition and prevent himself from turning into the Hulk. In this opening sequence, we see Bruce as a man torn apart by his own inner demons – he is paranoid, anxious, and full of deep-seated fear. Edward Norton’s portrayal of Bruce Banner is compelling, and his nuanced performance brings depth and complexity to the character. We can see that Bruce is a man struggling to contain the monster inside him, a monster he is all too aware of.
One of the most interesting aspects of The Incredible Hulk is the way it explores the idea of the monster within. For Bruce, the Hulk is an uncontrollable force that threatens to consume him at any moment, and he is constantly struggling to contain it. The film perfectly captures the sense of dread and helplessness that comes with feeling like a monster, and the fear of hurting the people we love. We are reminded of this fear in one of the film’s most powerful moments, when Bruce begs his lover, Betty Ross (played by Liv Tyler), to leave him, saying “You don’t know what I’m capable of.” It’s a haunting scene that speaks to the themes of the film and the tragic nature of the Hulk’s character.
Another aspect of the film that works particularly well is the way it handles the action sequences. The fight scenes in the film are thrilling and well-executed, but they are also grounded in a sense of realism that makes them feel more impactful. The Hulk’s battles with the military are particularly effective, and we are left with a sense of the enormity of his strength and power.
I love the first scene where the Hulk emerges from the dark of the facility. First, Bruce gets pissed off by this creepy bald guy. The movie does a good job at making the creepy bald guy SO malicious with literally no redeeming qualities, so once the Hulk comes out, and smashes the bald dude through a window, you, as the viewer feel no remorse for the Hulk just straight up murdering the guy.
He then you see the Hulk walk out of the shadow, and we see him for the first time.
Then Emil Blonsky looks down and sees the Hulk, where they briefly exchange glares, which left me with CHILLS.
Then the second time around, once Emil Blonsky took the super soldier serum, he feels extremely confident in his ability to beat a 10 FOOT MONSTER. And you see him, a regular guy, look up at the hulk with nothing but PURE confidence and anger, like it’s David v Golliath!
But David must have lost some muscle or something. So really it was more like: Dave v Golliath.
Yeah bro dies.
Well, he’s the main villain, so not REALLY, but he got completely destroyed and disappeared until the third act.
When he DOES come back, it results in a really cool fight scene between the Hulk and Emil Blonsky, who has now injected himself with Hulk’s blood, becoming the ABOMINATION.
It was 3 in the morning, so I was dozing off during the fight, but the with the chains and beast roar ending was pretty cool. The darker lighting was really cool and the CGI was very good for 2008.
But speaking of falling asleep, there are some parts of the movie that can feel slow or boring. The characters who aren’t Bruce or the Hulk aren’t very interesting, and some parts of the story drag on for too long. But overall it’s a really cool superhero movie that’s worth watching.
If you like action movies with cool fight scenes and think the idea of a giant green monster is awesome, then you’ll love The Incredible Hulk. It’s a movie that explores the idea of having a monster inside of you that you can’t control, and it has a lot of heart and emotion to it.
If you agree with my take, let me know what you thought down in the comments below, or get the convo started in the fan page forums.