 "Decent, but has some room for improvement" | 2009-10-26 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1JE7ZFZ71MR13 |
Yes it was 3 million times better than its 2003 cousin twice removed that everyone desperately hopes to avoid at the family reunions. However, it still fell short of having something called originality. Sure, Edward Norton sells his role quite well, but watch this movie and tell me where you haven't seen this formula used before. Super hero obtains his powers and goes through denial trying to keep it under wraps? Check. Super hero is collectively viewed as the villain while trying to save civilization from oblivion? Check. Super hero ends up being called upon to save said civilization's butt from a similar, but much uglier counter-part that has come down with what can only be described as a really bad case of scoliosis? Checkmate.
No, it wasn't horrible, but was not worth watching again. Michael Bay could have done a better job with script originality. Heck, monkeys who are so bored they hurl poop at each other all day could have done a better job. Pretty visuals....lame writing. |
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 "A Successful Follow-up Piece on Many Levels" | 2009-09-30 |
| - Reviewed By jdtp |
Well, it certainly took me a while to get to this one and I think part of my reluctance stemmed from the 2003 film Hulk, which left me with mixed emotions. The story was entirely too dry and drawn out for my tastes and what little screen time the title character received had more in common with video game graphics of the era then big-budget Hollywood feature films. However, I did say mixed emotions on account of the fact that Eric Bana's interpretation of the Bruce Banner character was pretty solid and as poorly animated as they were, a few of Hulk's frenzies were the stuff of comic fan-boy dreams (traveling from town to town like a bouncing ball and tossing tanks as if they were a shot-put to mention a few).
Enter The Incredible Hulk where five years of hiatus brought with them a new director, new script, and even a new leading male to pick up the torch as everyone's favorite "green machine". It should be noted that to a majority of industry insiders, this film is not considered a direct sequel to the 2003 Hulk, but calling it an entirely independent tale isn't accurate either. As such this work is what's commonly classified as a "loose sequel" and for the most part, succeeds in nearly every area where the original came up short.
The film opens right where the former title left off with an apprehensive Banner trying to establish a new life for himself in South America after his last violent encounter with the military. Working at a soda-bottling factory in Rocinha while searching for a cure for his condition, Banner is constantly at odds with his own biology as he practices calming techniques to control his heart rate with trained masters.
Perhaps the coolest developed link-up in recent action-film history occurs when a drop of Banner's infected blood finds its way onto the glass of one of the soda bottles on the assembly line, ends up getting shipped to the States, finds its way into a Wisconsin resident's fridge, poisons the poor thirsty fool (played by none other than Stan Lee himself), and results in the government getting the trace on the scientist/ monster at-large.
Without breaking down the plot too thoroughly (after all, why bother watching it if so), let's just say that the military wants what fuels Banner, Banner just wants to rid himself of the condition, Elizabeth "Betty" Ross wants closure on her ex-boyfriend's condition, and rogue soldier Emil Blonsky feels like if given the chance, he could better-control the powers bestowed upon Banner.
Where the 2003 film was a slightly misguided stab at drama, the 2008 picture is all action; bordering on the definition of a "popcorn flick". As such the pacing is much more swift and efficient throughout with perhaps the longest non-action segment occurs right in the opening where Banner's attempt at a normal life in Brazil is established. By the time Uncle Sam sends his goons down to retrieve the fugitive Banner, the viewer has passed the point of no return: hold on and enjoy the ride!
Directed by Frenchman Louis Leterrier and written by Zack Penn opposed to Ang Lee and James Schamus respectively, the production team is only a part of the switch-ups Marvel Studious/ Universal Pictures implemented between Hulk and The Incredible Hulk. Edward Norton replaces Eric Bana as Bruce Banner; Liv Tyler plays Betty Ross instead of Jennifer Connelly; and William Hurt takes over for Sam Elliott as General Thaddeus Ross. And what would a Hulk film be without paying homage to the living legend Lou Ferrigno? Lou delivers with both a cameo appearance as well as having provided the few spoken lines the Hulk delivers.
Particularly noteworthy is the addition of a new villain intended to pose a more realistic threat to the Hulk than the military could possibly offer in the form of "The Abomination". The presentation of this enemy is a bit reminiscent of the Gray Hulk Marvel comic story thread (only on the opposite side of the coin) and upon completing some research, it turns out that screenwriter James Schamus was indeed planning a sequel around the time the 2003 film was released that would indeed feature the Gray Hulk story arc. However as time went on (and a new crew was assembled to do the film), Silver Age villain Abomination was recruited to provide the antihero moments with an updated look that subconsciously pays homage to the "Baby" alien design of Alien Resurrection.
Perhaps my own crowning moment takes place at the conclusion of the film when Robert Downy Jr. appears as Tony Stark to assure a drunken General Ross that a new team of heroes was on the cusp of formation, of course hinting toward Marvel's next major motion picture: The Avengers set to release in 2012. Additionally, and also appreciated by fans who have followed the comic's continuity, Samuel Sterns (played by Tim Blake Nelson) makes an appearance which sets up his eventual transformation from slightly mad scientist to green-skinned, large brained, massive skulled, super-intelligent villain, The Leader.
In all it's easy to become thrilled with this project simply for the potential for future franchise efforts hinted toward throughout if not for the much-publicized improvements made over the 2003 picture. And this coming from a reviewer who thought the 2003 film wasn't all that bad to start with. While the computer generated imaging has drawn criticism by some fans once again, the truth of the matter is that this incarnation of the Hulk is truly "larger than life" as the character need be portrayed. For the most part, it works, especially in the battle between Hulk and Abomination throughout the cityscape that comes off as a clash of titanic proportion more at home in the mythology of the ancient Greeks than on the pages of a comic book. And in the end that's what makes for a solid comic to cinema translation as far as I'm concerned. |
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| "How incredible is it really?" | 2009-09-23 |
| - Reviewed By danytequila |
This 2008 movie is way better than the 2003 version of Ang Lee.
Now to answer the question: is the BD version of the 2008 movie really incredible?
For starters The Incredible Hulk offers viewers, well, an incredible amount of bonus materials. A commentary track featuring director Louis Leterrier and actor Tim Roth is first. The track begins with the work that went into the film's opening credit sequence. Not only does this sequence pay homage to the original television show, but it sets up the film by establishing itself as a separate entity from Ang Lee's film (thank God!). From there, the track offers fairly standard stuff, with some light discussion of sets and shooting locations, Stan Lee's cameo, the work of the other cast and crew members, the special effects, make-up, sound design, and other tidbits. It's a very average track, worth a listen for hardcore fans, but skippable for most of us. The Incredible Hulk is also U-Control enabled. There are several options to choose from. The Thunderbolt Files provides biographies of various characters, Bruce Banner's location, and Ross' mission parameters. Scene Explorer allows viewers to see various sequences in the film in several stages of development. Comic Book Gallery shows various images from the Hulk comics. Animated Comic showcases how scenes from the film were influenced by scenes found in previous comic books. Finally, a standard picture-in-picture feature is available that features behind-the-scenes videos, cast and crew interviews, and more.
An alternate opening to the film (1080p, DTS-HD MA 5.1, 2:34) is next, followed by 23 deleted scenes (480p, 42:45). The Making of Incredible (1080i, 29:54) examines Louis Letterier's initial involvement and the strengths he brought to the film, the casting of the primary characters, shooting locations, special effects, shooting techniques, and more.
The Incredible Hulk is BD-Live (Blu-ray profile 2.0) enabled. The disc offers a brief text-based introduction to the technology. Upon accessing the BD-Live home page, users must first create an account to access the extra content. The main page is attractive and easy to navigate.
The Incredible Hulk is a fine example of a comic book movie done right. It offers amazing visuals and plenty of action, but, more important to the story, never falters in the areas of character development and narrative, which are crucial in creating a fulfilling cinematic experience. The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Bat Man Begins and The Dark Knight are all shining examples of the comic book-based movie done absolutely right, and 2008 will be remembered as one of the best years the genre has seen to date. Universal brings The Incredible Hulk to Blu-ray in a package that is a definite must-own. Featuring excellent video quality and a reference-grade soundtrack that raises the bar for action movie extravaganza mixes, not to mention a jam-packed supplemental section, a digital copy of the film, and a unique green-colored Blu-ray case, the disc is impossible to resist. The Incredible Hulk comes highly recommended to all comic book-based movie fans.
Are you still reading this? Go and buy it now!
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| "Finally A Worthy Hulk!" | 2009-09-10 |
| - Reviewed By User: AAVK7HMPKPQVG |
Unlike 2003's The Hulk, 2008's The Incredible Hulk is actually a good film! Go figure, it only took a remake slash sequel, a concept re-launch if you will, five years later to really do the character justice! This film's improvement over the last isn't just due to the advancement of CG technology (which it has big time!); it's also about a solid, entertaining script and talented actors delivering convincing performances. Everything about this Hulk film just seemed to work so well, so much better than I assumed could have been possible after being subjected to the first film. Obviously, I wasn't expecting much.
The Incredible Hulk was a blast to watch, this is entertainment gold! Edward Norton is one of my favorite actors; his Bruce Banner was leaps and bounds more likable and sympathetic than Bana's and, truth be told, the overall re-casting of established characters was the best thing they could have done for this series. Jennifer Connelly and Sam Elliott are both admirable actors but they can't hold candles to Tyler and Hurt.
Now, once again comparing this film to the last, The Incredible Hulk's new villain, Roth's Abomination, just took a big fat, steaming cinematic dump all over Nolte's goofy character, Father. Really, I don't even know what they were thinking with that bit of casting! I like Nick Nolte and all but c'mon, his character stunk! Abomination is where it's at and where it should have been in the first place!
There's been a lot of chatter amongst comic and movie fans about which Marvel film kicked more tail, The Incredible Hulk or Iron Man, and for most the answer to that is clear...Iron Man. However the battle between Iron Man and Stane's Iron Monger just cannot compare to the unbridled entertainment value of The Incredible Hulk's romp `em, stomp `em toe-to-toe showdown with the Abomination! Iron Man edges ahead of The Incredible Hulk in the "Better Film" category but only by a little and only due to Downey Jr.'s performance. |
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 "Movie" | 2009-09-10 |
| - Reviewed By User: A18EBS1CWQZJ3S |
| Purchased as a gift fot my hubby to add to his collection. Loved the movie. |
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| "excellent" | 2009-08-31 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1BL924CAVZ6SK |
| this movie was awesome especially on blu ray the graphics were great i love this movie |
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