First of all, this really is a step forward in the right direction after the disaster that was Ang Lee's 'Hulk'. That being said, this is not a very good film. It works as a summer blockbuster just fine but it's not generally a good film, and this year's Iron Man is certainly the better of the two. It seems that The Hulk is a rather troublesome character to adapt to the big screen because of its particularly complex dual nature. It is true that most of these films deal with the issue of having "2 identities", but in the case of the Hulk, he is not your average superhero and he despises his condition more than anything in his life.
So the film starts with a very inventive and rather effective sequence of credits where the beginning of the Hulk (Edward Norton) is explained. In a couple of minutes the film covers the accident in the lab and Bruce Banner's subsequent retreat to an unknown location. That location is a favela in Brazil where he practises different relaxation techniques and where he's actively looking for a solution to his problem. On the other side of the world, William Hurt (a U.S. military general) the man who was in charge of Bruce Banner's scientific research and father of his ex-girlfriend (Liv Tyler) is desperately looking for him and hires a combat veteran, Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), to help him with his quest.
The main problem with this film is that it tries to be many things but only succeeds at one: being an action film. The action sequences are undoubtedly fun and the special effects are quite impressive; the Hulk himself, although looking nothing like Edward Norton, is incredibly well-done. But then most of the dramatic scenes in the film are very poorly done and even cliched. This problem stems from the screenplay, which is very flawed. The characters have no depth to them at all and while that is not a major problem for a character like Blonsky, who we just want to see as the unstoppable bad guy, it tends to detract from the film when it is so difficult to care for the good guys. So, we know Bruce Banner is not content with his current situation but that's about it as far as "character development" goes. Moreover, Liv Tyler's character is laughable; we first find that she has moved on after Bruce’s disappearance and that she is in a serious relationship with some guy, but as soon as he sees Banner, she is able to forget all about her recent life, which is not even mentioned again. William Hurt's character is perhaps the one with the most solid background and the least 2-dimensional of the bunch, but then that's not saying much. Most of the performances are solid: Edward Norton is fine but not thoroughly convincing, which probably isn't his fault anyway, and both William Hurt and Tim Roth are very good. Liv Tyler is without a doubt the weakest link in the cast, with her unbearably monotonous voice and overall flaccid persona, but she had the worst character of the film, so it wasn't that terrible all things considered.
Despite all the above, this really is an enjoyable film. The editing is probably what saves the film from disaster because the film's strongest point is its vibrant pace which keeps the viewer engaged even during action-less scenes. The build up to seeing the Hulk in its entirety is perhaps a cheap technique but a very effective one. We are able to catch bits and glimpses of the creature for the first part of the film and then when we finally lay eyes on the whole thing, it doesn't disappoint. Overall it's a film that flies by and keeps you entertained all throughout with decent performances and killer special effects. Recommended if you like this genre.
Personal Rating: 6/10
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