Film:  The Incredible Hulk
Studio: Universal
Director: Louis Leterrier
Cast: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, William Hurt, Tim Roth,
Release: May 22, 2008
Film length: 114 minutes
Rating: 14A Frightening scenes, Violence  

Monika Wierzbicki (Vancouver Correspondent - Canada) 

So I have a strange affinity for what can be classified as "guy" movies, especially anything involving superheroes, things from comic books, graphic novels etc. so, needless to say I was very excited about this movie and for me at least it did not disappoint. Keeping in mind that this is the summertime (despite the weather acting otherwise) and in the summertime it's all about big budget blockbuster movies with lots of explosions, intense CGI, and not a whole lot of plot or character development. In that sense the movie does not disappoint I mean really, it's June, it's a movie about the hulk, what more to expect?

For those who were not familiar with it, the back story is rapidly divulged at the beginning of the movie. Basically while working on experiments for the military the true purpose of which he was not aware, Dr. Bruce Banner is poisoned by gamma rays and in a catastrophic scene of violence and destruction is turned into the hulk. What was eye catching and engaging especially at the beginning of the movie (aside from the fantastic chase scene through the streets of Brazil) was the actual scenery itself. Considering the kind of movie that this is I was surprised to find myself actually interested in (and paying attention to) the backdrop of dilapidated houses and seedy looking alleyways all surrounded by a massive expanse of Brazilian jungle. While on the topic of visuals I found that for a giant, raging bright green, army-experiment-gone-wrong this Incredible Hulk actually looked well... incredible, especially compared to the 2003 version which screamed CGI and cartoon more than anything else.  

Desperate to cure what ails him, Banner corresponds with a scientist known mysteriously as "Mr. Blue". It is while living the existence of soda factory worker by day, and martial arts and breathing exercise student by night that Banner is tracked down by the military who have been tracing his emails. The ambush is set up by bad guy number one General "Thunderbolt" Ross (a realistically evil William Hurt) and carried out by seriously disturbed bad guy number two Emil Blonsky (played twitchily by Tim Roth). It is only after a lot of really fun smashing, destruction, and violence that Bruce eventually finds his way back home.

Although I wasn't expecting anything intensely in depth when I went to see the movie I was hoping that with Edward Norton playing the main character there was going to be a little more expansion of the Bruce Banner/Hulk dichotomy. Instead he's either an incoherent green rage-aholic, or he's a good guy, who doesn't want the bad guys to get the weapons and so keeps running away from them for the good of everyone involved including his love interest in the story Dr. Elizabeth Ross (played by Liv Tyler). While I enjoyed the movie I thought that some lighter moments or a little more humour would have made it even better. There were some entertaining scenes such as Liv Tyler's freak out at a New York City cab driver, or my personal favourite a mangled Portuguese version of "you wouldn't like me when I'm angry". But all in all, anything humorous or witty was mostly overrode by a series of explosions, wrecks, and clashes between the hulk and the army, the hulk and a thunderstorm, and eventually the hulk and Emil Blonsky buffed up and chemically enhanced into the ultimate arch nemesis.    

This movie was a diverting and entertaining way to spend a warm summer evening (too bad we haven't had any yet!) it is loud, exciting, and doesn't force you to think too much, like many summer blockbusters. If you'd like a pleasant way to spend two hours, and you have NOT seen Ironman yet, The Incredible Hulk is the way to go. Incidentally if you have seen Ironman you should probably go see this movie anyway, you'll love the ending!