Opening Thoughts:
This is a MCU film that I’ve never seen before and I cannot believe I have not seen it back at 2008. The character of Bruce Banner/Hulk is one of my favorite Marvel superheroes and I’m glad I finally got to see this really solid flick.
The Positives:
The great thing about this film is that it I can see why this movie is a lot better than the 2003 film starring Eric Bana. This movie made you really invested with Bruce Banner/Hulk, his love interest Betty, General ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross, and Blonsky/Abomination. I loved how the movie opened up with scenes as the opening credits were playing of the origin of Bruce becaming the Hulk and how the U.S Government has been tracking him down ever since. I found it really unique because all of us knows the origin of the Hulk and we really did not need another movie to have a first act of Bruce Banner becoming the Hulk. So the opening credits summed it up pretty well.
I liked how in this movie we get to see more in depth of Bruce living in another country hiding from the US government while trying to find a cure for his alter ego disease. When Banner becomes the Hulk, it’s no question the movie gets really interesting. The action scenes between Hulk and the military throughout the film are top notch. Let’s not forget the finale action scene between the Hulk and Abomination. That was great too. There was actually great character development too in this film. I liked how General Thunderbolt Ross developed. In the first and middle act, he was just selfish that just wanted to capture Bruce and bring him in. But in the third act, he realizes that Hulk is the only one that can stop Abomination so he lets him go from the helicopter. Bruce Banner also developed well in this film. He wanted his alter ego disease to be gone completely but when he sees Abomination wrecking everything in sight at Harlem, he also realizes he needs to be the Hulk to beat him. The first finale scene of the movie where Banner is about to transform to the Hulk but actually able to control it showed he developed mentally as a character. Banner’s goal was to get rid of his alter ego completely throughout most of the film but he changed at the third act and that’s pretty unique. I also liked in this movie that we learn that Hulk’s mindset is really not Bruce Banner when Banner transforms. I actually did not know that, so that was pretty cool to know. Last but not least, the last finale scene where Tony Stark approaches General Ross at a local bar and tells him a team is being made was pure gold. Around 2008, that scene was even more powerful because marvel fans and casual moviegoers were in for a treat at May of 2012. It’s 2019 and you know already what I’m talking about.
The Negatives:
My only flaw with this movie is that some parts of the middle act felt a little rushed.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, The Incredible Hulk is a really good film and Edward Norton was great as Bruce Banner/The Hulk. It’s disappointing Norton did not reprise his role for other MCU films but Mark Ruffalo being the replacement was a good choice. The 2003 Hulk film is still my favorite because it’s more of a guilty pleasure film for me and it was the film that made me love the character of Bruce Banner/The Hulk. But The Incredible Hulk beats the 2003 movie for sure. I’m gonna rate the movie four out of five stars. The movie is definitely watchable countless of times. It’s a shame this is one of the underrated films of the MCU. After seeing this movie, I’d put this in my top 10 favorite MCU films (currently).
My Social Media Accounts:
As always you can follow me on Instagram, Twitter and on my LetterBoxd Accounts. You can find the same exact review on my LetterBoxd account as well. I’ll drop the links down below.
The Elite Film Prodigy 