I never understood the deep animosity Ang Lee’s Hulk generated. While not even close to perfect, his take on one of Marvel’s signature characters wasn’t timid about trying to break the rules. It was actually about something, its dealings with the nature of humankind and the mysterious demons lurking within the id an intriguing puzzle box I thoroughly enjoyed trying to decipher.

Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) and The Hulk see eye-to-eye in Unviersal Pictures' The Incredible Hulk

In truth, I certainly agree that the final third of the picture fell apart, the idiotic cartoon climax particularly annoying considering just how much heart and soul went into the rest of it. Overall, however, I think what Lee attempted with his superhero opus is deserving of both respect and admiration, and while it doesn’t rank with the director’s classics like Sense and Sensibility, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Ice Storm, The Wedding Banquet and Brokeback Mountain it’s still a worthy effort deserving of respect.

But the film was still considered a failure, so it isn’t exactly a surprise Marvel and Universal Studios went out of their way to re-invent the wheel and take their stomp-and-smash behemoth back to the drawing board. The thing is, director Louis Leterrier’s (The Transporter) The Incredible Hulk doesn’t exactly rise to the occasion. Sure it’s better then The Fantastic Four or Ghost Rider, but considering how awful those flicks were that doesn’t seem like it should have been all that difficult.

Not that this one doesn’t offer some nice thrills and chills. If anything, Edward Norton (who apparently co-wrote the screenplay, even though the Writer’s Guild decided not to give him any credit) is a definite improvement over Eric Bana as Bruce Banner. While I like the latter actor one heck of lot (his performance in Troy is the only reason to watch that overblown mythological spectacle), Norton actually seems to really connect to the character in a way he never did.

More than that, Leterrier knows how to stage comic book action sequences that announce themselves with a full-bodied deep-throated roar. An opening chase through the streets of a Brazilian favela ending inside a rundown soda pop factory is arguably one of the best things I’ve seen this year, while a latter confrontation between The Hulk and an Army attack helicopter is so giddily invigorating I almost didn’t want it to end.

So, with all that being true, why does the film feel like a rather humdrum letdown? Well, for one thing, as good as Norton is he still has absolutely zero chemistry with costar Liv Tyler. Her Betty Ross isn’t anywhere near the character Jennifer Connelly’s was in the Lee version. Here she’s a rather pathetic wallflower speaking in such breathy monotone I kept waiting for Marilyn Monroe to rise up from the grave and slap the woman for doing such an awful imitation. While I think Tyler is a talented actress given the right material, here she just looks lost arguably delivering the very worst performance of her entire career.

But this isn’t the real problem. The real issue is the fact The Incredible Hulk is another one of those pictures that looks like a giant video game come to life, the only problem being the person playing it is having way more fun then we are watching them do it. While the CGI is light years more dynamic then it was in Lee’s film, the same problems still exist. Not once do you believe the events taking place up on the screen are actually happening, and when the Oscar short-list for potential nominees for Best Animated Film are announced don’t be surprised if this is on it.

All of which brings me back to where I began wondering what was so bad about Ang Lee’s Hulk at the beginning of this review. Considering this one isn’t any better, especially where it comes to the complaints people screamed about the most (notably the cartoonish special effects) the first time around, I can’t help but think this second adventure isn’t going to do any better then it did. The film might have its moments and the character might have his superpowers, but that still doesn’t make either incredible.

Maybe the third time will be the charm and they’ll get it right when – if – they make that rumored Avengers movie in 2011. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Film Rating: êê  (out of 4)

- reprinted courtesy of the SGN in Seattle

Additional Links

-  The Incredible Hulk Theatrical Trailer
-  Hulk Theatrical Trailer