The Incredible Hulk (2008) Review

Next on the list of MCU films is the forgotten film in the franchise The Incredible Hulk and I re-watched it last night and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees Bruce Banner travel the world looking for a cure for his Hulk problem while the US army hunt him down and try and gain his power. 

Main Character

It is easy to forget that Edward Norton was the original Bruce Banner in the MCU and he is really good in this film. I just really like the small frame of Norton as Banner compared to the huge Hulk and the film does a great job of showing that and it feels really intense when he transitions into The Hulk. He is a character that is easy to root for and he delivers in a role that it is a bit of a shame we never got to see him in again.

Supporting Characters 

William Hurt plays General Ross and he is great, he is a really good antagonist for the film and it is like he was born to play the role of a US Army General and he knocks it out of the park here and is a nice addition. Tim Roth plays Emil Blonsky and again I think he is a very interesting antagonist, I just really like how even though he is basically a normal army guy he isn't intimidated by The Hulk and wants to go one on one with him and it adds a fascinating dynamic. Liv Tyler plays Betty Ross and I thought she and Norton had a really good dynamic, she is a pretty strong love interest and it felt pretty natural and there are some really good moments between the two of them. 

Story

The story is good, the best thing it does is avoids the origin story and starts the film in a really interesting place with Banner already on the run from the government and it is interesting seeing him trying to find this cure for the Hulk even though you pretty much know where it is going to go. For me though it is the films final act where it falls down, there is a big CGI battle and it is nowhere near as good as the rest of the film and I really wish the final battle had gone in a different direction then it did. Also the film seems to be confused about how Banner changes into The Hulk and it really bugs me in this film as it feels like just an excuse for some comedic moments. 

Script

The script is good in fact I think it is pretty good indeed. The drama feels real and very personal for Banner and the relationships between characters are really well handled and natural feeling. The humour mostly works, I have the issues above but it isn't enough for me to take points off of the overall rating. 

Style 

The style is decent, the pacing is really good for the film and keeps it moving at a brisk pace and keeping you interesting throughout, also when Hulk is wrecking army guys that is really cool. But this film is held back a bit by its age as the CGI doesn't look very good and is clearly dated. Whereas Iron Man still looks great this film doesn't hold up so well. 

Overall

Overall, despite the fact it is mostly forgotten this is a great film with plenty of upside. If you are watching the Marvel films then don't miss this one out as it is certainly worth the time of day. 

Rating - 8/10