The Incredible Hulk (2008)- Review and Analysis by Scott Wood for Critical-film.com

The Incredible Hulk A film review by Scott Wood For Critical-film.com   Direct comparisons, I'm sure, will be made between this Louis Leterrier incarnation and Ang Lee's “Hulk” of 2003. Consensus to this point is that Lee's vision was an unpleasant mess (which it was). And for those that still cared about the potential franchise, Leterrier promised the Hulk movie that they wanted in the first place. After seeing “The Incredible Hulk,” I'm not entirely sure they got what they wanted. Then again, I'm not sure they even knew what that was in the first place. Did they know that a film like “Spiderman 2” could exist?   I actually had a distinct appreciation for Lee's film when it was released, and I will not go back on that. It was a clunky, unfocused picture to be sure, but it was ambitious to a fault. Lee wanted to make a monster movie, and he saw The Hulk as a way to exercise that ambition. But, he also was sensitive to the fact that he was basing this on a comic book, so he instilled some very creative framing throughout that copied the art style of those comics. But, he also had to realize that he was making a big budget special effects extravaganza, and at this point, I think everyone on set and post-production was confused. Ambitions were crossed and conflicted with each other (which needn't have been) and the result was sadly incoherent.   Bring on Leterrier's picture and we have a completely different story. Here is a film devoid of anything but singular ambition. It wants to be a big budget special effects extravaganza, and absolutely nothing else. This isn't a knock on it, but more of a back-handed compliment. By keeping it simple, “The Incredible Hulk” is far easier to enjoy than its predecessor and is even rather flawless in its execution. It is loud, bold, and chock-full of some pretty decent CGI. Leterrier knows how to direct a mean action scene and he does plenty here to further prove that. There are times when I was actually physically uncomfortable watching the impact that the monsters on screen were having on each other and their environment. It's a unique sensation. There are even these clever little points in the film when Leterrier shoots from the characters' points of view as they watch the monster/s from a distance. These scenes are a kind of surreal genius, and I appreciate that the filmmakers recognized their effect enough to include them.   So perhaps my beef with “The Incredible Hulk” is not the film itself, but that it seems forgettable in the light of films that I will automatically draw comparison to. Leterrier has every bit as good of a cast as Lee did with his picture, but Lee allowed his characters to speak and attempt to deal with what was happening to them. This film is more concerned with its action beats to allow time for that. Tim Roth spends his time on screen trying to struggle out the intricacies of the character that he has created, but is reduced to close-ups and tag lines. Dr. Ross' new relationship is not explored when it rightfully should be. Even common sense and character motivations are put off to the side to make way for easy plot advancement.   To expect a “Batman Begins” or a “Spiderman 2” or even an “Iron Man” every time out is an unfair thing to do. Those movies were uncommonly good at establishing relationships between their characters, and as ridiculous as it sounds, making what was happening on screen believable. I realize that “The Incredible Hulk” doesn't want to be any of these films, and that I shouldn't expect it to be. I don't. But by setting its sights lower, it matters less how accurately it hits its target, as it does that the target is so much easier to hit.   (Three Stars)   This review was provided in HTML format, as your browser is not capable of displaying flash content. To experience Critical-Film.com the way it was meant to be seen, please download the flash player from <a href="http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash&promoid=BIOW">Macromedia</a>.