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The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Starring Edward Norton
AWOE ONSCREEN REVIEWS
If you remember the 2003 Hulk movie, the 2008 Incredible Hulk Movie will wipe the tragedy of that movie away from your mind. If you’re familiar with the Incredible Hulk comics the movie was so true to the persona it’s based on.
Edward Norton as Bruce Banner was inspiring as a scientist who thought he was saving the world turned into a beast of anger. As the story goes, Banner was working for the government on an experimental program to help cure some sort of gamma radiation. So in hopes of testing his project he injects himself with it and so the Hulk is born.
How? Well, Banner’s project was really to create a super soldier, something the government didn’t tell him. His injection causes this scared green beast child to emerge from his inner man. The beast is coined The Hulk, the governments most wanted so they can extract the ‘super soldier’ from within.
The Romance
Now with every good superhero story there’s a little romance that occurs between our hero and some over invested female. In the Incredible Hulk it’s Betty Ross (Liv Tyler), The General’s daughter. She plays a homely, but loving ex-girlfriend of Banner. I use ex-loosely because Banner went on the run after the little test went wrong.
When Betty is introduced, she’s dating a shrink, but when she sees Banner again it’s about five years after the Hulk has been let loose. According to the movie it doesn’t appear she’s seen Banner as the Hulk.
Still the chemistry between Betty and Banner is unbelievable. Their eyes show more feeling than any actions that they portray in the movie. Even when Banner turns into the Hulk it’s his connection to Betty that quiets the outer beast.
Mayhem?
Wow! That’s the only word to describe the ongoing destruction in this movie. Hulk smashes things, his adversary Abomination smashes things and The General blows up stuff too. It’s enough mayhem in the Incredible Hulk to satisfy any action deprived, movie fan.
Comedy?
If you like comedy, look for Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns. He has the best lines and the most energy in this film. All of his scenes are worth going to see again! He is zany and crazy!
Creepy Villains?
If you want creepy you have your pick of The General (William Hurt) and Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) his super soldier wanna be. The General is just a power mad ingrate who doesn’t know when to stop. Blonsky seems to make the Hulk his goal in life. He’s like a washed up soldier gone wrong, looking for a bigger challenge than he is a man. Both actors make their characters incredibly intolerable.
Any Moral Value?
If I had to pull some moral value, first it’s wrong, wrong, wrong to just smash stuff because you’re angry! Be angry and sin not! As comical as that is, I’m serious on that point. Not to mention Bruce Banner could be any one of us. He’s a man who’s provoked to anger by people who just won’t leave him alone. Sure we don’t turn into big green beasts, but anger is ugly. When we’re provoking another person to anger it’s even uglier. Anger can ruin anyone’s life, much like the Hulk ruins Banner’s life.
On the upside, Betty and Banner’s relationship showed that in every angry person, there’s someone who is afraid of rejection. That somewhere on the inside there’s a cry to be loved and understood. So when you see the Incredible Hulk, remember, there’s a Bruce Banner inside each one of us just trying to escape the fear of being misunderstood.
Downside
They used profane language throughout the movie and used the Lord's name in vain several times. There was also an almost lust scene between Banner and Betty, but it didn't progress beyond kissing. They were both covered in the scene. There's also a shot of Banner in a tub unclothed. You can see arms, legs, but nothing vital. He looks more helpless than anything else.
Must See!
*****
Rated PG 13
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