Movie and Television Reviews

Yeah! Another superhero movie! I look forward to the day when Hollywood's entire output alternates between superhero films, computer animated kids movies, and teenage gross-out comedies.

How common are superhero movies? Instead of moving on the last two available superheroes, Aquaman and Rhinoman, Hollywood decided to make another Hulk. So, given the easiest task in the world, making a better Hulk movie than Ang Lee's 2003 travesty, how did director Louis Leterrier do? Eh.

In The Incredible Hulk, David Banner (Edward Norton and his amazing abs) goes to Brazil to hide from authorities. When a drop of his distinguishable blood finds its way into Stan Lee's Fanta bottle, the Army sends a special team led by Emil Bronsky to capture him. The Hulk gets mad and gets away.

The Hulk enters the United States to hook up with sexy genius Elizabeth Betty Ross (Liv Tyler in another breathy performance) and find a cure. The Army along with a partially Hulked Bronsky tries to capture him, but he gets mad and gets away.

David Banner and Ross eventually find something that suppresses one of David's Hulk episodes. Since he can't get mad and turn into the Hulk, the Army captures David Banner. Blonsky doesn't have to report back for a couple of hours, so he convinces the scientist who helped David to make him 100% Hulk.

Well, he turns into a serpent Hulk and terrorizes New York. Falling off of a helicopter, David Banner gets mad, turns into the Hulk and fights the serpent Hulk.

It's OK in parts. The Hulk animation is about five years better than the 2003 version. He looks more real when he interacts with his environment, for example.

The movie comes to a screeching halt whenever Louis Leterrier explores Ross and Banner's relationship.

Nerd bait:

The two dateless guys with heavy metal t-shirts sitting next to me in the theater almost spit Icee through their nose in delirious delight when somebody in the movie said "Tony Stark."

Stan Lee makes another of his increasingly annoying cameos. Lou Ferrigno! And, some guy who voiced the cartoon owns a pizza parlor. We see Bill Bixby in the Courtship of Eddie's Father (I heard that the third Hulk movie has the gas station attendant from the first season episode "Escape from Los Santos.").

Nothing delights comic book nerds more than super explanations. TIH tells us why the Hulk's pants never fall off and some biology stuff that the script writers extracted from the consultant over lunch or an email.

Message/Politics:

TIH is an obvious slam at John McCain and his dangerous temper.

Also:

1. It never works out when the Army tries to make super soldiers.

2. Gamma radiation isn't a toy.

3. We need to accept the other.