Movie Info

RATING:

PG-13 for sequences of intense action violence, some frightening sci-fi images and brief suggestive content.

GENRE:

Action/Adventure, Adaptation, Sequel

RELEASE:

June 13, 2008

STARRING:

Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt, Christina Cabot

DIRECTOR:

Louis Leterrier

DISTRIBUTORS:

Universal Pictures

 

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MOVIE REVIEW

Movie Review: The Incredible Hulk

Movieguide Magazine

What's This?

CBN.com - The Incredible Hulk is another effort by the people at Marvel Comics to profit from their classic comic book characters. The story is somewhat predictable, but entertaining. The movie switches back and forth between live action and ultra-violent video game action. At the heart of the movie, however, is a love story between the male lead and his girlfriend, who tries to help him control the monster within himself.

The storyline, familiar to fans of the old television show and the original comic books, opens with scientist Bruce Banner (played by Edward Norton) turning into a huge green monster when an experiment goes horribly wrong. The mild-mannered scientist turns into the Hulk when he is angered or threatened and his blood pressure rises, then he changes back as he calms down.

Unknown to Banner, the experiment was part of an effort by the military to create a super-soldier. The military general (played by William Hurt) who supported the program, even after the government ended it, considers Banner to be government property, so Banner travels the world running and hiding from him. The general just happens to be the estranged father of Banner’s true love, Betty, played by Liv Tyler.

While trying to find an antidote for his condition, Banner works as an ordinary laborer in a Brazilian soda bottling plant. His location is discovered when a drop of his blood gets into a soft-drink bottle, and the beverage buyer gets ill. The cause is traced to the soft drink and the bottling plant.

As troops close in on Banner, some local thugs activate the Hulk. The moviemakers succeed in getting the audience to cheer as the thugs “get what’s coming to them.” Banner does a number on the troops when he finishes with the thugs. One zealous soldier (played by Tim Roth) is so taken by the strength he sees the Hulk demonstrate that he seeks this power for himself. So, like Spider-Man and Iron Man, the plot develops into a battle between the “good” superhero and his “evil” counterpart. In this case, the “bad” Hulk looks like a cross between a human and a dinosaur. Both Hulk characters look so obviously computer generated that they lack the sense of humanity of the television Hulk (Lou Ferrigno). Ferrigno has a cameo appearance as a security guard (which drew a cheer from the audience at the screening).

Sadly, the filmmakers attempt a shot at humor when a steamy sex scene between Banner and Betty is halted, not by their sense of morality, but by Banner’s rising blood pressure. Banner fears that the rise could trigger The Hulk within him.

Some of the biggest hit movies of recent years have featured superheroes. Granted, the formula for such movies is to create some horrible bad guys for the heroes to defeat, but in real life, there seem to be more and more bad guys. The typical local news program often includes a murder report. What the world needs is not a superhero who turns green, makes webs or flies around looking for people to rescue. What the world needs is the Savior Jesus Christ. The world needs more people who live lead by the Holy Spirit. Then, we would have less hatred, greed, violence, poverty and all the misery our true arch-enemy tries to dish out.

Parents will want to exercise caution in allowing their children to see The Incredible Hulk. The movie contains intense violence, an interrupted sex scene, and some foul language. Also, though the movie implies that Gen. Ross is a rogue general, the American military is once again shown to have evil leaders out to make men into indestructible killing machines.

Address Comments To:
Jeffrey R. Immelt, Chairman/CEO, General Electric
Jeff Zucker, President/CEO, NBC Universal Entertainment
Ron Meyer, President/COO, Universal Studios
Marc Shmuger, Chairman & David Linde, Co-Chairman, Universal Pictures
100 Universal City Plaza
Universal City, CA 91608-1085
Phone: (818) 777-1000
Web Page: www.universalstudios.com

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