Marvel Comics’ famous green monster, The Incredible Hulk, returns to the big screen a second time after Oscars Award Winner Ang Lee’s take in 2003.

Typical Superhero Plot

Famous Marvel comics, such as Spiderman and Superman, follow the simple and generic plot of good versus bad with super powers of some sort, with the superheroes ultimately triumphing over evil. The story of The Incredible Hulk revolves around that plot, but with a small twist to the storyline.

In this case, it’s the fight between Hulk (Edward Norton) the villain and Blonsky (William Roth) the righteous soldier in the first part of the movie. The good and evil roles later make a complete switch towards the second half of the movie when Blonsky gradually turns into the Abomination, a beast that Hulk must fight to save New York City from total destruction.

Even though the twist in the storyline is unique, one could already guess the obvious outcome of the fight between the good and the evil with the exposure of many superhero movies in cinemas. Just like Powerpuff Girls and Superman, the superhero always saves the day.

While you might get bored of the less-than-original plot because you grew up watching superhero cartoons and movies, The Incredible Hulk is not one to watch for its storyline. After all, what is a superhero movie without Mr Superhero saving the day

Cast and Crew

This time, the beautiful Liv Tyler replaces Jennifer Connelly as Betty Ross, the girlfriend of Bruce Banner, and Fight Club’s Edward Norton replaces Eric Bana as Bruce Banner, the scientist who transforms into Hulk, the angry green beast. The man who crosses paths with Hulk is soldier Emil Blonsky, played by Tim Roth.

Other than having a talent in acting, Edward Norton is also a writer, co-writing the screenplay for this film alongside Zak Penn, the writer who’s responsible for the screenplay of Marvel superhero movies such as X2, Elektra , X-Men: The Last Stand, and The Fantastic Four. Norton is not entirely new to doing behind-the-scenes work. In fact, he has worked as a director for romantic comedy Keeping The Faith and an editor for romantic drama Down In The Valley.

Edward Norton manages to incorporate subtle body languages into his acting, such as the playful wink of his eye when he sees Betty Ross (Liv Tyler), leading to a stronger understanding from the audience’s point of view of his character’s relationship with Betty Ross (Liv Tyler).

Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), however, fails to connect with his character as the ambitious and determined soldier whose archenemy was the Hulk. Unless baring your fangs and glaring expresses deep hatred, Tim Roth lacks the anger and drive in his performance that his character needs – aggressive, hateful and strong.

Liv Tyler is a beautiful actress whose performance on-screen is natural. The chemistry between her and Edward Norton burns passionately in racy romantic scenes. If you are bringing along your sibling to watch The Incredible Hulk, be sure to cover their eyes when these scenes come along.

Lots Of Action

The Incredible Hulk is filled with countless CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) visual effects that are a feast to the eyes. From the appearance of Hulk and Abomination, to the many fighting and explosion scenes, the visual effects are implemented in every single scene of the movie, creating a real and believable watching experience.

Make sure you stay till the very end of the movie as every minute of the movie is filled with constant action. The Incredible Hulk will definitely keep your heart pounding non-stop for 2 hours, with its super cool smashing of cars, choke-slam fighting moves, bomb explosions and the constant chase for the Hulk.

The Verdict

The Incredible Hulk is definitely a film to watch if you enjoy action movies. The storyline is simple to follow and easy to understand as it is the typical superhero movie where good always triumphs over evil.

However, if you are looking for a movie that has a complex plot, The Incredible Hulk can be crossed out in your list of movies to watch, as the main selling point of this movie is its non-stop action-packed scenes.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Movie Details

Opens: 12 June 2008

Movie Rating: PG

Running Time: 114 mins

Language: English

Director: Louis Leterrier

Cast: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth