The Incredible Hulk [DVD]

 

 

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As much as I liked Ang Lee's original Hulk movie, especially his getting rid of the annoying Glen Talbot, the story as a whole lacked consistency and I hated the split-screen images.
That can certainly not be said of Louis Leterrier's superb movie which successfully manages to avoid anything other than a brief acknowledgment of the 2003 movie with mention of the 5 year time-gap. He and writer Zak Penn have created an action-packed and well-thought out story that also manages to pay homage to the original TV series as well as to the rich historical goldmine of the Marvel archives.
Edward Norton and Tim Roth are both well cast, Roth's character is an interesting amalgam of 2 great Marvel ideas, the super-soldier serum as well as the Gamma radiation. The first battle between the Hulk and the souped-up Emil Blonsky is a great appetiser for the real main course.
The Hulk and Abomination themselves are great CGI creations, the Hulk himself is what I was personally hoping for, a combination of raw power as well as a child-like innocence and the remnants of Banner's personality lying just below the surface. The Abomination is a complete re-imagining of the character's appearance and it works a treat. The set-piece battle is well worth the money and we get the immortal phrase "Hulk Smash" thrown in. The addition of Samuel Sterns and his contamination with Banner's blood is a nod to what we hope to expect from the next Hulk movie as Hulk's arch nemesis is now lying in wait.
One of the best, and certainly the most moving scene, involves Liv Tyler's Betty Ross and The Hulk sat atop a rocky outcrop during a storm, a scene which the well-stacked extras disc explores in comic form.
One of this films greatest attributes is the humour that runs throughout; from several attempts at "You wouldn't like me when I get angry...", one of which is included in the deleted scenes and there is a well deserved tribute to Lou Ferrigno in his brief guest appearance.
Old Marvelites like me will smile at the many references throughout the movie to the Marvel universe, from The Hulk's comic history we have Rick Jones, Jim Wilson and Doc Samson and from the Marvel Universe Robert Downey Jr. makes a nice guest-shot when greeted with the great line "You always wear the best suits", watch out also for Dr. Reinstein (the man who created Captain America) and mention of Nick Fury as well as assistance from a new S.H.I.E.L.D. There are also tributes to the 1970's TV show with the late Bill Bixby's brief movie appearance and Jack Colvin's character Jack McGee getting a name check as well as a brief use of the theme tune and where would a Marvel movie be without Stan Lee?.
These 2 discs as a whole offer a solid 5 star package that I will personally be watching many times.

marvel comics green goliath returns to the cinema screen for another go. is there anyone reading this who has never heard of the character? if so: doctor bruce banner used an experimental ray treatment on himself that as a result turns him into a huge strong rampaging monster every time he gets rather angry. hunted by army general ross, who just happens to want the ray treatment so he can create hulk style soldiers to use as weapons, banner is on the run. ross is also the father of his girlfriend betty.

there was a hulk movie in 2003 that tried to be both comic book action movie and a look at the issues of a man with such intense anger. Directed by ang lee and starring eric bana, it made a lot of money but it rather divided audience opinion. some liked the psychological take but many wanted more action.

marvel comics, who publish the hulk in comic book form, were among the latter. now that they have their own film studio set up they can dow what they like movie wise with their characters, and they wanted another go at the hulk to produce a more exciting movie. this is their attempt.

nigh on all the characters from the first film return, although they're all played by different actors. and whilst this does follow on from that film, it is also a fresh take, and you can watch it if you haven't seen that one without getting confused. it gets through the origin of the character in a quick sequence during the credits. sometimes I wish all superhero films would do that.

this movie tells of banner evading ross whilst trying to find a cure for his condition. at the same time a soldier called emil blonsky, who likes a fight and wants to do it for as long as he can is facing the fact that he's not getting any younger. the ray treatment might be just what he needs to go on fighting. and who but the hulk could stop the result of that?

running at one hour and forty eight minutes this is good escapist entertainment, capably directed by louis leterrier, and well acted by all the cast. ed norton in the lead role convinces very well at showing us a man who is struggling to keep his inner demons under control.william hurt is also worthy of note for playing a man conflicted between duty and family - he has a great last scene which really highlights this. liv tyler is not bad as betty but her version of the character is a bit wet compared to jennifer connelly's in the earlier movie.

the movie is structured round three big action set pieces, one of which breaks hollywood cliche by taking place in broad daylight. whilst the movie is pretty much self contained, the end leaves scope for more.

and if you're familiar with the old hulk tv show then listen out for a name that will ring a bell. if you're familiar with other movies from marvel studios, then you might get another surprise.

this is not quite a hulk smash, but it's not at all bad.

this edition of the dvd comes over two discs, in a very sturdy box.

the first disc offers:

the movie, with direct scene access.

a commentary from director louis leterrier and actor tim roth [blonsky]. likeable and enthusiastic and articulate they are worth a listen.

and at the start of the disc once loaded you get trailers for the third mummy film, the iron man movie, and forthcoming cartoons from marvel animation before you get to the main menu,

the film has language tracks in english and hungarian, and 5.1 sound. there is a 2.0 sound option but that's only in english.

there are subtitles in english SDH arabic danish dutch finnish hungarian icelandic norwegian swedish and turkish. the menu screens are in english or dutch.

on disc two there are a fair few documentaries. there doesnt look like much to go by the menu screen, but there's some good material amongst them.

alternate opening: a two minute long deleted scene from the start of the film. this offers some lovely scenery.

42 minutes worth of deleted scenes. interestingly none of them are action moments, so you get the feeling a lot of this was cut for pace. there are some good character scenes amongst them, although the more emotional betty bruce moments are hurt by a rather intrusive score. you can watch all of these at once or one at a time. if you know your marvel comics continuity then keep your eyes on the scenery in the blonsky ross conversation.

the making of incredible hulk is a thirty minute long look at the making of the film, and is a good documentary of this kind. once again the director helps that with his talking and enthusiasm and all the cast are clearly enjoying themselves. there was talk of the star and director having had a fall out over the length of the final cut, but there's nothing about that here.

becoming the hulk and becoming the abomination are two ten minute documentaries about the design of the two characters and how they were achieved on screen. technically interesting and also a good look at the acting process involved in such creations.

anatomy of a hulk out is three ten minute documentaries about each of the three action set pieces. they can be watched one at a time or all at once, and are up to the standards of the above mentioned material for the same reasons.

from comic book to screen takes one key scene from the movie that was inspired by a similar scene in a hulk comic, and shows you the images from the comic. It's well done and worth a look.

this disc offers just an english language soundtrack in 2.0 stereo sound

and subtitles in english sdh italian arabic bulgarian czech danish dutch finnish greek hebrew hungarian icelandic norwegian polish portugese romanian russian slovenian swedish and turkish. the menu screens can be viewed in english italian dutch russian or portugese.

a decent bit of movie entertainment, and a very good package for it

When the first version of the Hulk hit the screens it met with a rather lukewarm reception but now Marvel have gone back to the drawing board and given us a new film which hits the mark one hundred percent.
Set five years after Bruce Banner's accident with Gamma radiation, we find our hero living in South America, holding down a part time job and trying to learn how to control the beast that rages within him.
Banner is in contact with the mysterious Mr Blue who is trying to help him find a cure for his problem but things get hectic when a military team succeed in tracking Banner down with the intention of examining him to find out how he got his abilities so they can replicate the treatment.
Seeking help from Betty Ross, Banner returns to the USA to cure his condition once and for all, unaware that the military has taken further steps to bring both him, and the Hulk inside him, back home.
Now this is exactly what the first Hulk film should've been. However, this one has been made by someone who obviously had a real passion for the original television series in the 70's as there are numerous nods to the show, right down to the opening title sequence and some of the music too.
Norton is spot on as Banner and looks freakishly like Bill Bixby in some scenes. William Hurt is excellent, as always, as General `Thunderbolt' Ross, Liv Tyler is surprisingly good as Betty Ross and Tim Roth plays Banner's nemesis Emil Blonsky with zeal and gives us some great scenes.
The film is well paced and builds to the satisfying conclusion as the Hulk and The Abomination fight it out while another classic Hulk villain is born in the debris of the battle. Readers of the comic book will spot him as soon as he appears on screen! There is a nice tie-in at the end with an appearance by Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark.
For those who haven't seen it yet it's advisable for continuity purposes to watch Iron Man first, specifically the scene at the end of that film's credits, before this film and then the last scene will make perfect sense.
The second disc contains some great extras including an alternative opening which comic book readers will understand the significance of, nearly 45 minutes of deleted and extended scenes, the ubiquitous making of and lots of behind the scenes info.
As Marvel films go, this rates as one of their best and it's a must have piece of the puzzle that leads us towards the upcoming Avengers movie.

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2.0 out of 5 stars What have they done to the story?
I fondly remember the original TV series from my childhood so decided to give the 2008 film a try. They seem to have stripped the story of its soul. Read more

Published 12 days ago by C. Agnew

3.0 out of 5 stars A better attempt at the hulk
than the preposterous Ang Lee film. But like so many of these marvel spin-off films it does not even get close to capturing the fun and excitement of the comics; even the... Read more

Published 4 months ago by aristotle

2.0 out of 5 stars Not as bad as the Hulk but still near awful
Ed Norton takes over from Eric Bana as Shrek sorry the Hulk in a superhero film about a superhero who isn't a superhero. Read more

Published 9 months ago by ekb

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Watch
It's a great movie the first time you watch it but it doesn't have the replay value that some other titles have. Read more

Published 9 months ago by Thomas M. Green

1.0 out of 5 stars Disgraceful
I ordered this dvd for a gift and it was purchased as 'NEW' it has arrived today a used dvd - how am i supposed to give this as a gift when others have used it. Read more

Published 9 months ago by notamused01

3.0 out of 5 stars Hulk DVD
This was purchased for my son as he is hulk mad. Getting good play as he is watching it at least once each week.

Published 12 months ago by Ms Boo

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible Hulk dvd
This film is great, if you like the genre. My teenage son loves films like this and this one is no dissapointment. Great side-effects, plenty of action, big finale. Read more

Published 13 months ago by Dave

4.0 out of 5 stars The marvellous Hulk
I'm not sure I enjoyed this as much as the 1994 version but it was still great fun. It features a cameo appearance by 'Lou Ferrigno' the original 'natural' non-animated Hulk. Read more

Published 18 months ago by Justice Peace

5.0 out of 5 stars incredible hulk dvd 2008 movie
my son loved this film,at the pictures and at home.It has everything a young boy likes, a monster(the hulk) the army and fight scenes and explosions. Read more

Published 21 months ago by Vj Daly

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible Hulk DVD
Excellent service, was received with in a few days of ordering. My 7 year old son is over the moon as it is his favourite film at the moment.

Published 21 months ago by Mrs. D. Hevizi-chapman

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