The Incredible Hulk

by Aaron Helfferich · Published June 13, 2008

To continue the series of the Marvel comic book universe, the notably angry and distinctly green monster super hero known as The Incredible Hulk has returned to theaters. After the astounding success of “Iron Man,” Marvel hopes to continue their exploration of humanly intriguing characters with special physical attributes. To appropriately transfer these trends, Marvel turns to the aid of actor Edward Norton to star as the big green guy, effectively trying to erase 2003’s “Hulk” from our memory.

This new reincarnation of the Hulk story begins by quickly brushing up on his creation. In a quick opening credits sequence, we learn how Dr. Bruce Banner’s experiment with gamma radiation goes awry and injects his body with substance that reacts with his increased heart rate. Once he reaches a certain limit, Bruce transforms into the Hulk, but causes insurmountable damage to anything around him. Now, as a fugitive of his country, Bruce flees to a life of hiding in search of a cure to his condition. But, when a US General attempts to harness Banner’s powers as a weapon, Bruce is forced to cope with his unwanted stress.

Just as the story begins to meander among the likes of monotonous super heroes, the plot takes us to Betty Ross. Portrayed with intricate importance by Liv Tyler, Betty gives “The Incredible Hulk” an edge over other superhero films when it comes to relationships. Even though it would have been beneficial to see the relationship of Bruce and Betty before the radiation accident, Norton and Tyler breathe life into characters that are otherwise considered dull and unworthy.

It’s a relationship that every superhero film should take notes from. Seeing that Betty is an integral part of every aspect in our hero’s life, Hulk would be nothing worthy of a cinematic presence without her. It’s a performance that brings the ideas of “King Kong” to a much more personal level.

Other than a finale that you never want to end, Hulk’s secondary life as a superhero never quite gets the action pizazz that films like “Iron Man” and “Batman Begins” so easily stepped into. The rough edges truly show when Tyler and Norton are not sharing moments together. With a central relationship being so prevalent, “The Incredible Hulk” creates important character moments rarely seen in superhero films.