The Incredible Hulk

Early on, Leterrier blows Lee’s work away during the opening credits, but that's where the positives in relation to the previous film end. That there are only three action scenes in two hours doesn’t bother me so much given that even without the Hulk's fights with the army, there is still something going on and it's solidly paced. However, Leterrier's forte is contact fights in an arena or in mafia dens. In the bigger scenes, he desperately steals wherever he can think of, meaning that the opening is "Bourne Morocco," the university ambush replicates Ang's tanks from the desert, and the ending is all about CGI battles. The rest is horribly sterile so that the fated love fizzles out and the viewer shakes his head sadly. But I’m quite curious to see if the team offered at the end will really actually happen. (09/19/2008)

A unique cast versus primitively crafted characters at the level of 2D PC games. Blockbuster ambitions versus B-movie clichés. Straight-faced tacky stylization and fetishized straightforward and self-serving militaristic action. Simply put, The Incredible Hulk is a “completely new level of weird”, or an entertaining guilty pleasure worthy of the Golden Raspberry Award for the worst movie of the year. (07/19/2008)

I still don’ t understand why there made an incomprehensible remake of a fairly new movie when it was already clear in advance that it would turn out more or less the same. Hulk doesn't have a good story and doesn't have that potential, he’s too serious and dramatic for a comic book hero. Technically, it's the same as with the previous film: impressive overall, but unfinished in the details. Tim Roth adds the necessary spice to it, Liv Tyler is an ornament (classic), and Edward Norton with his worried face also doesn't interest much. At least the opening credits made a proper “upgrade” and, with it’s solid orchestral accompaniment, it is one of the few captivating things you will see in the movie. (09/28/2008)

Of all the Marvel movies, I found The Incredible Hulk to be the least entertaining and action-packed, and as far as the story goes, it was rather shallow, plus I never found the character of Bruce Banner to be very likeable (whoever played him). Also, compared to other Marvel movies, it lacked some of the quirks and maybe even a plot twist, but it's true that it was one of the first cinematic notches in this universe. And I have to admit that I'm quite glad that Mark Ruffalo appears as the Hulk in the following films, as he fits the role better than Edward Norton, even though this character is my least favorite anyway. In short, a mediocre action movie about a "green bruiser" that just flows by and has nothing to surprise. (06/29/2016)

I wasn't thrilled that the first Hulk’s original footsteps were abandoned, but it didn't turn out as badly as I expected. In fact, it turned out unexpectedly well. Although the mystery, cleverness, and fatefulness that Ang Lee delivered a few years ago are gone, we're getting a pure-bred action comic book movie, which, for The Hulk, is probably for the first time. I really enjoyed the unchanged Banner's chase scene with the soldiers on the Favela roofs, and I was glad that Leterrier approached it with the same care as, say, the fight between Blonsky and Mr. Green. Edward Norton was great as usual, and Roth and Hurt make worthy opponents. Only Liv Tyler sometimes seemed “weird". I also have to praise highly the music of Craig Armstrong, who was really playful with the soundtrack. Plus, for fans, we also have references to the Avengers and a visit from Robert Downey Jr. I had more fun than I’ve had in a long time. (09/18/2008)