College Times

Issue date: 6/12/08 Section: Movies

Media Credit: Courtesy Universal Pictures Ow, Ow, OW!

As much as Edward Norton deserves credit for writing and acting in "The Incredible Hulk," the real winner of this flick will always be Marvel itself. The successful comic publisher-turned movie producing company has succeeded not only in providing sincere adaptations of their prized properties; they've built a universe for these fantastic characters to inhabit. The result is a mixture of exploding action fun and comic drama that's on par with the some of the best comic mythos.

Just like "Iron Man," "The Incredible Hulk" hinges on its unorthodox but outstanding cast - Edward Norton, known for his dramatic muscles more than anything else, gives weight to the character of Bruce Banner, a brilliant scientist who transforms into the giant green monster whenever his heart rate gets too high. Assuming you've seen Ang Lee's "Hulk," this movie launches head first into its story.

Banner is on the run, trying to find a cure, while the morally absent General Ross (William Hurt) pursues the scientist. Several outlets have made mention of the fact that the first third of the movie possesses a "Bourne"-like quality, as Banner eludes military capture in the slums of Brazil, and thankfully those comparisons are more than superficial. It's tense, and the burden of Banner's curse is very apparent. Norton is very much the nerd that Banner should be, which gives some credibility to the monster that resides in him.

More than that, director Louis Leterrier ("The Transporter") makes the audience wait for the Hulk to show up, but when it does, that first sequence is both tense and kind of inspiring. Mixing CG with practical effects means that everything goes boom like it should, and that is just fine with me.

Speaking of the smashing action - if you grew tired of Lee's heady daddy-issues, then "The Incredible Hulk" will satisfy the need to see a 15-foot green monster blow up stuff. The action centerpiece features the Hulk wiping out most of the East Coast Army reserves and it's exciting as it should be. Without spoiling too much, the final fight between Norton's Hulk and Tim Roth's Abomination is a brutal bit of fight choreography that's worth the build up.

Roth does the best in the supporting cast bracket, as his character is more than a one note villain. William Hurt's turn as General Ross comes off as a little too evil and incompetent to be believable, but Liv Tyler admirably provides the pretty face with a few good one-liners. A very pretty face indeed.

However, compared to the original "Hulk," especially when you consider the sly references to the original series, this "Hulk" wins out in every category.

After this and "Iron Man," a veritable one-two punch of summer blockbusters, Marvel has no where to go but up with a slate including "Captain America" and "The Avengers." If they keep up this pace, we're all going to be very, very happy.

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