For whatever reason, the film wasn't much of a success at the box office; in fact, it's arguably the only film from Marvel Studios thus far which could be considered a financial failure, grossing $263 million at the worldwide box office on a production budget of $150 million (and that budget doesn't include the money spent on elements like marketing). To put that into perspective, every other film from Marvel Studios so far has made at least two times its production budget at the worldwide box office. Since Iron Man had come out the prior month and defied all expectations, you'd think that interest in another product from Marvel Studios would have been pretty high. To find a possible explanation, let's go back to 2003. A lot of people excitedly anticipated Ang Lee's Hulk, the first big-budget cinematic outing for the Jade Giant, were severely disappointed when they saw more psychological exploration of the characters than the big guy actually smashing things; on a side note, I actually admire and respect 2003's Hulk for what it was aiming to accomplish. There are definite problems and pretentious moments, but I still find it intriguing and can't bring myself to hate it. Why is the 2003 Hulk important here? Simply put, I think this instilled a 'fool me once' mentality in many people when it came to 2008's The Incredible Hulk. Since many people were left disappointed by the first attempt, they may have felt reluctant to give the Hulk a second chance. Then there's Iron Man, which could have thrown up a few barriers unintentionally. What do I mean by this? Well, let's compare the two. Which the titular character of Iron Man is a playboy with plenty of money and toys, the character of Bruce Banner (the human side of the coin otherwise occupied by Hulk) is a desperate, depressed man with very little to help him in his quest. While Iron Man is more than happy to flaunt his inventions and heroism, Banner is constantly attempting to contain the raging power inside him. Iron Man is a cool, classy and immensely fun film, whereas The Incredible Hulk is a more traditional chase thriller focused on a man persecuted and terrified because of the monster he could become...
Those are some of the reasons why audience could perhaps perceive Iron Man more favourably over The Incredible Hulk and therefore rally around the former more than the latter, but the BIG reason is Robert Downey Jr. With his portrayal of Tony Stark AKA Iron Man, Downey Jr. arguably redefined the mainstream audience's perception of what a superhero could be. On the other hand, while I mean no disrespect to Edward Norton's portrayal of Bruce Banner, it lacks the explosive power of Downey Jr.'s performance. Bringing an end to this particular rant, The Incredible Hulk is the black sheep for one more reason; it marks the Hulk as the only major Avenger not to receive the sequel treatment. While Iron Man, Thor and Captain America have all received the trilogy treatment, the Jade Giant has been relegated to team outings only.
So what's my take on this? Decidedly split. There is a positive side in that, while the Hulk is an immensely enjoyable presence, there aren't many different ways to approach the character in a stand-alone format. There is a definite approach (he tries not to change, he changes, rinse and repeat). Then again, the negative side is that, after looking at the underwhelming box office, The Incredible Hulk is actually pretty good. It's a simple formula done well, nothing more and nothing less, and sometimes that's enough to make a solidly entertaining film.
After an accident where he is exposed to high levels of gamma radiation, Dr Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) develops a unique problem. Whenever he gets too angry, Bruce loses control and transforms into a green behemoth which comes to be known as the Hulk. When the film begins, Bruce is hiding in the Brazilian favelas, training to control his anger, searching for a cure to his condition and keeping a low profile to avoid detection by those who seek his power for their own morally dubious plans. When an accident exposes him, Bruce finds himself fleeing from General Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' (William Hurt) and his man on the ground Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth). Deciding that enough is enough, Bruce seeks the help of his former colleague Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) in tracking down a permanent cure. Meanwhile, Blonsky develops an obsession with the Hulk which sets him on a dark path...
One of the pleasant surprises offered by The Incredible Hulk is that director Louis Leterrier and writer Zak Penn take their time between revealing the Hulk. The big guy's first two appearances are kept mostly in shadow. The first brief appearance showing up right out of the gate in a masterfully edited and concisely executed opening montage which tells us everything we need to know about the Hulk's origins and Bruce's current predicament. Once that's done, we are given time with Bruce in hiding in Brazil to see how he's coping with his condition. We see him searching for a cure, striving to control his anger and doing his best to fit in through his job at a local bottling plant and learning Portuguese (the latter of which has some funny results as Bruce gets one of his key catchphrases wrong). The opening montage and the time spent with Bruce here sets up all we need to know about Bruce and allows us to sympathise with him, while the editing team of Rick Shaine, Vincent Tabaillon and John Wright does strong work in making these scenes (along with the rest of the film) fly by without the important to character and story being diluted. Once Bruce is discovered, Leterrier kicks off the action with Bruce being chased across the favelas by Blonsky and his fellow soldiers before the Hulk shows up to turn the tables. The first part of this scene, which is prominently stunt-driven, really lets you feel the sweat and desperation of Bruce's flight; there's a great visceral punch to the scene (when one soldier takes a tumble, the impact resonates with a palpable crunch). This both establishes Bruce as a real human being and builds up the first proper reveal of the 'other guy'. When he finally does, there is brilliant satisfaction to be had from the unrestrained destruction. The Hulk isn't meant to be subtle, so seeing him commit violent acts like flinging one of his antagonists through two panes of glass and into the opposite wall brings the right burst of pulpy adrenaline. And, as said before, the Hulk is kept mostly in shadow, evoking memories of old monster films (not for the first time, either). This is highly effective approach which makes the Hulk's initial appearances all the more menacing. Cinematographer Peter Menzies Jr. deserves high praise for these moments and many other beautifully framed and lit scenes throughout.
From then on, Leterrier keeps things going at a steady clip. Part of the reason it's so easy to become invested in the scenes amongst the carnage is the performance of Edward Norton. Norton is an exceptional actor capable of tackling many different roles (compare his performance in 2000's Fight Club to his work in the recent Birdman), and he excels at capturing the haunted pain and fear which grips Bruce. I'm not sure if others have said this before, but part of what intrigues me the most about the character of Bruce Banner / The Hulk are the possible parallels to addiction. Imagine if you are going to give into the temptation which addictions evoke, but by doing so, you risk major destruction and possible casualties. Ideas like this fascinate me, which is possibly why I have a great affinity for the character. By looking at the character through that perspective, Bruce's desperation to simply kill the 'addiction' which is currently destroying him rather than learning to control it is much more sympathetic and understandable. Norton's frail, world-weary and intensely committed portrayal makes Bruce's quest all the more worthy of investment.
But for every hero, there must be villains, which is where General Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' and Blonsky come in. Sadly, the bad guys in this film are a mixed bag, so let's get the bad news out of the way first; William Hurt isn't a very good fit for the role of the General. I think that Hurt can deliver great performances (his turn in A History of Violence is incredible), but I have to agree with those who accuse him of being too bland sometimes, which is annoyingly the case here. While Hurt definitely looks the part, he fails to give the character the power and stature he should have. There's a reason the character has the nickname 'Thunderbolt', but Hurt's performance never makes it clear. Compare this with Sam Elliott's portrayal of the same character in the 2003 Hulk, which was effortlessly imposing and authoritative, and Hurt's shortcomings become clear. While he is far from terrible, Hurt is still clearly not the best fit for the role. Fortunately, the opposite is true of Tim Roth and the role of Emil Blonsky. Roth is a terrific actor, and his portrayal of Blonsky provides a truly vicious opponent for Banner to overcome. There is a ferociousness to the character which is evident very early on and throughout; Blonsky is a soldier with an almost-animal desire to be the best warrior he can, and Roth totally sells that with his physically aggressive work here. To quote critic James Berardinelli, this is Roth 'at his bad-ass best'. Special kudos should also go to the make-up department for their work making Roth look suitably gaunt in the later stages of the film, as Blonsky's envy for the Hulk's power leads him to some dark places.
Outside of Norton, Roth and Hurt, there are only two other roles important enough to discuss. As Betty Ross, Bruce's former colleague and girlfriend, Liv Tyler looks her usual lovely self. This plays into the 'Beauty and the Beast' element which develops between Betty and the Hulk, with Betty apparently being the only one who can calm the big guy. However, one of the film's greatest successes is the relationship between Betty and Bruce. It is clear that both characters share a genuine affection and love for each other, but Bruce's isolation and inability to re-kindle their relationship makes their relationship stilted in a sadly efficient way. Credit has to go to Norton and Tyler for their wonderful chemistry in bringing the relationship between these two characters to life. There are two scenes which summarise the relationship perfectly; the first scene effectively cuts between the two characters lying in separate beds obviously longing to be together, while the second shows them trying to physically rekindle their relationship. The latter scene ends on a funny yet sad note, which emphasises the film-maker's understanding and often witty contemplation of how, while the Hulk may be a lot of fun, there are definite drawbacks. The other notable performance comes from Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns, a man who might be able to help in Bruce's search for a cure. Nelson delivers a funny performance which sticks on the right side of quirky, as Sterns is a character who comes across as being a sandwich or two short of a picnic. While I do have an issue with the character of Sterns (which I will focus on later), Nelson's performance is more than solid for what his role in the film entails. As is to be expected from a Marvel Studios film, there are some cameos, one of which would have been a great surprise if the trailers hadn't given it away (I don't know why they do things like that, but I'm keeping quiet for those who haven't seen the film). They're nice little touches which emphasise the world in which The Incredible Hulk exists.
While there are only three action sequences in the film, Leterrier and his team of editors space them throughout the film expertly and each showdown is lengthy enough to satisfy those looking for ample Hulk carnage. Each of the set-pieces lasts at least ten minutes and continually ups the scale from its predecessor; the second set-piece on a college campus shows the General throwing everything he has at the Hulk (including Blonsky) with somewhat predictable results, while the final showdown between the Hulk and 'The Abomination' concludes the film on an large-scale 15-minute battle royale. All three action sequences are brilliantly done with plenty of fan-boy moments; the final show-down, in particular, captures the pure comic-book thrill of seeing the Hulk square off against another super-powered and generally angry foe. All of these scenes are realised through CGI which, if not spectacular, is still more than effective. Both the Hulk and the Abomination are well-realised (even though I have to agree with those who say that the Hulk looks nothing like Edward Norton), and hold the gravity and menace which one might expect from characters like these.
However, in case it seems like I'm being excessively positive here, there are definite issues here. While I have no problems with Nelson's performance here, his character is victim to sequel begging which, given the unlikelihood of another stand-alone Hulk film, makes the moment all the more superfluous for annoyingly commercial reasons. Also, while he does what he can with his role, Ty Burrell is under-used to the point where he also feels superfluous as Betty's current boyfriend. His character is meant to represent how Betty has moved on with her life in Bruce's absence, but given how quickly she seems to forget him, he's pretty much pointless. Finally, this isn't so much a complaint as it is a statement, but The Incredible Hulk isn't one of Marvel's best. Don't get me wrong; it's a very well-made action film with mostly solid performances, expertly crafted action sequences, a nicely paced story, a good script and strong technical credits (credit has to go to Craig Armstrong's wonderfully atmospheric score which captures a mixture of action, monstrous menace and romance brilliantly). But, despite welcome levity and dedication to character, this is still a mostly standard smash-'em-up. I know that I have no right to really expect any more from a stand-alone Hulk film and I freely admit that this is probably the best I could have hoped for, but I just think that the Hulk works better as a part of the Avengers ensemble than on his own. It's more interesting watching him interact with these other superheroes who have true control over their abilities and seeing him struggle to fit in. But I still highly enjoy this film and what it achieved for both Bruce Banner and the Hulk and I love how perfectly it sets up the characters for The Avengers, so I can't complain too much.
As for my thoughts on Edward Norton leaving the role after this film, I admit that I was disappointed. I would have liked to see him interact with the cast members playing the other Avengers, especially Robert Downey Jr. But if the studio and he couldn't get on, I suppose there was little that could be done. Besides, just like Don Cheadle replacing Terrence Howard as James Rhodes in Iron Man 2, the decision to replace Edward Norton with Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner in The Avengers could turn out for the better...
Final Verdict
While The Incredible Hulk may not be one of my personal favourites of the Marvel Studio films, it's still a solid outing for the Jade Giant. The smash-'em-up action makes for satisfyingly visceral comic-book excitement realised through efficient visual effects, the cast is mostly solid (with Edward Norton and Tim Roth standing out as the hero and villain respectively) and the direction by Leterrier and the work of the editing team keeps the film moving along at a decent pace while still giving the characters and their relationships enough time to make an impression. Some of the characters feel awkward (either due to miscasting, shameless sequel begging or a sense of pointlessness), and the film lacks the overall flair which can be found in other, better Marvel Studio efforts, but come the final scene and the terrific appearance from a familiar face in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), The Incredible Hulk earns its place as a entertaining entry from the output of Marvel Studios.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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