The Incredible Hulk review

Special effects have come a long way in the 30 years since Lou Ferrigno starred as the Hulk on the popular TV series. Even so, in the two big budget movie versions based on the comic book hero, none of the sophisticated computer technology has managed to imbue the muscle-bound green giant with the same viability achieved by the real life Ferrigno. The hope was that this latest version would succeed where 2003's Hulk failed but, save for its promising beginning, sadly The Incredible Hulk is equally disappointing.

Edward Norton has taken over the role of Bruce Banner - played last time out by Eric Bana - whose exposure to gamma poisoning transforms him into the shirt-ripping, trouser-splitting Hulk. But while last time the metamorphosis rendered the monster recognizable as Banner, no such effort appears to have been made here. Indeed, the vast disparity both in size and appearance between Banner and the Hulk makes it difficult to reconcile the two as being connected.

I realize some items of clothing are termed One Size Fits All, but it would require some amazing breakthrough in fabric composition to come up with trousers that would fit both the svelte Banner and his leviathan alter-ego, as seen here. All of which might be forgivable if the Hulk looked anything but a CGI creation, and an often crudely executed one at that. Figuring that bigger is better, this time round the Hulk is larger, and stronger, than ever, but his invulnerability only serves to diminish any legitimate threat he faces.

That Norton, who also co-wrote the screenplay, is distancing himself from the finished result, apparently over some ruthless editing, is not exactly an endorsement. Although it's hard to imagine how restoring an additional 15 minutes would improve matters.

Romance has often played a part in superhero adventures, but the relationship between Banner and fellow scientist Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) is the central story in The Incredible Hulk. At those moments when she's tenderly becalming the Hulk, it feels less like a Marvel comic story and more like Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

The film's rare moments of involvement follow an opening of potential. A graphic establishes it's been 158 days since Banner's last 'incident'. Hiding out in Brazil, working in a bottling plant, he attends classes to control his emotions as he carefully monitors his heart rate to insure it doesn't rise above the 200 that will trigger his transformation. All the while he's looking for an antidote to his condition. Banner is on the run from the US military, and a force headed-up by the formidable General Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross who is keen to kill Banner and harness his genetics as a weapon. Adding to the drama is the fact that the General also happens to be the father of Betty. It's when we finally get to see the Hulk that the initial promise dissipates.

. With a less than stunning resume, director Louis Leterrier shows little ability to corral and focus proceedings. But even he did a better job than the scriptwriters who, in the little dialogue they did write, came up with such clunking lines as 'This is a whole new level of weird', and 'Look alive, this could get interesting'. Both lines are delivered by a hopelessly miscast Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky, a special ops soldier brought in to hunt down Banner.

A cameo by Ferrigno brought smiles of recognition and pangs of nostalgia, only highlighting the film's shortcomings. While a surprise appearance at the end by another comic book superhero set up the clear intention of a sequel. The hope presumably being that two superheroes are better than one. If indeed there is to be another installment, then one suggestion for Banner on how to reduce his heart rate should he find it rising to a dangerously high level would be to watch The Incredible Hulk.

Kevin Murphy