Not really that incredible

‘The Incredible Hulk’
Director: Louis Leterrier
Cast: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth
Rating: PG-13
Grade: 3 Globes

REVIEW. The most enthusiastic audience reaction in a preview screening of “The Incredible Hulk” came when Robert Downey Jr. — aka Tony Stark — took the screen for his cameo. This is a testament not only to how well-loved “Iron Man” is, but also to how kinda-sorta-maybe-but- not-really-loved “Hulk” will likely be.

Marvel is calling “The Incredible Hulk” a “reimagining,” not a sequel to the green giant’s 2003 Ang Lee-directed big screen debut (which was loved by absolutely no one). But it certainly feels like a sequel to something. The filmmakers assume — probably correctly — that you already know who Bruce Banner is, and that you won’t like him when he’s angry. They use this as an excuse to gloss over the Hulk’s origin and skip ahead to Banner (Edward Norton) hiding out in Brazil and trying to keep his cool. The move feels a bit like cheating, but it’s probably wise — if you’ve seen one botched gamma radiation test, you’ve seen them all.

Try as they do to differentiate this Hulk from his unpopular predecessor — by referencing the TV show early and often, by piling on the action scenes and skimping on the human element — director Louis Leterrier and screenwriters Norton (who co-wrote under a fake name) and Zak Penn fall into the same trap that Lee did. They understand that the Hulk is a monster, not a superhero. But they don’t understand that monster movies should be campy and the violence gleeful. Like Lee, they take the whole thing too seriously.

As Banner, Norton is sufficiently wimpy — so much so that you wonder what stock girlfriend Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) sees in him. The answer is puppiness. And while the scenes of Tyler fixing Norton’s hair and untucking his shirt are patronizing, at least we get a sense that she has a reason to be in the game. She needs a man to mother, and it may as well be this one.

Unfortunately, Norton outperforms his muscular alter ego by a mile. Whether he be fighting Tim Roth (really? Tim Roth?) or kneeling at Tyler’s feet, the Hulk looks like the worst thing a CGI character can be when standing next to flesh-and-blood actors: a cartoon.

The fact that Lee, a master director, failed with the Hulk shows how hard it is to get the character right on screen. Leterrier and company do a bit better, but not enough to supplant “Iron Man” as king of the summer ’08 mountain. Guess we’ll just have to wait for the
Joker.