Published: October 15, 2008
The Incredible Hulk DVD Review
By Kam Williams
Incredible Adaptation Arrives on DVD
This Marvel Comics adaptation features Ed Norton as Dr. Bruce Banner, a scientist who was conducting research with gamma rays when something went horribly wrong in the lab. Via the magic of flashbacks we learn that he was left with a short fuse which transforms him into an invincible green behemoth whenever he loses control of his temper. We also know that his girlfriend Betty (Liv Tyler) was knocked unconscious in the same accident and that her father, General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (William Hurt) blames Banner for his daughter's injuries.
As the story unfolds, we find Bruce on the lam and working in a Brazilian bottling factory where he's been quietly trying to find a cure for his condition while keeping a low profile. But then, a cut on the finger leads to a bit of his blood dropping into a container of soda about to be shipped to America. And before you can say "Ay Caramba!" a crack team of Army commandos soon descends on the place. The mild mannered Banner, who had been incommunicado for almost six months, loses his cool and morphs into The Hulk in order to escape.
He returns to the States, and enlists the assistance of Betty, only to have her dad's henchman, Blonsky (Tim Roth) still on his tail. Worse, Blonsky turns into a superhuman freak called The Abomination after voluntarily being injected with an experimental radioactive serum.
This development inexorably leads to a colorful showdown in Harlem of all places. At that juncture, special effects take over, as the protagonist and his nemesis knock each other up and down 125th Street in a cartoonish battle royal.
Between its uncomplicated plot and high-impact action sequences, this kid-friendly adventure provides a practically-perfect escape for fans of the comic adaptation genre. Can anybody spell sequel?
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG-13 for violence, frightening sci-fi images, and brief suggestive content.
In English and Portuguese with subtitles.
Running time: 113 minutes
Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
3-Disc DVD Extras: Deleted scenes, feature commentary, alternate opening, digital copy of the film, a half-dozen featurettes, and more.
To see a trailer of The Incredible Hulk, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_JHpLY7S_A
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