Road to Endgame: The Incredible Hulk (2008)

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

I don’t know why, but I am usually amazed when people haven’t seen all the Marvel movies.  There are currently 21 movies, about to be 22.  There are people who haven’t seen the 8 main Star Wars movies.  But I expect them to have seen 21 movies and understand everything about the Marvel Universe?

Yes.  Because this is the tightest shit of our generation.  If you have any gaps in your viewing history before you see Endgame, you need to go correct yourself!

Admittedly, if there is a movie to leave off your Marvel viewing list, this would probably be it.  They recast the main character, and it barely connects to any of the other films.  Until Civil War came around that is.  General Thaddeus Ross returns to the MCU in Civil War and properly connects it to everything else.

This is a good movie, but has more weaknesses than the others.  It glosses over the creation of the Hulk in the opening credits.  Most of the introductory Marvel movies make it a point to have the villains be evil versions of the hero.

Iron Man faced Iron Monger.  Armor VS Armor.
Thor faced Loki.  God VS God.
Captain America faced Red Skull.  Super Soldier VS Super Soldier.
Hulk faced Abomination.  Monster VS Monster.

The CGI in this movie is pretty good.  However there are a few scenes that are just. . .cut weird.  A prime example is when Tim Ross’ character decides to square up against the Hulk and the Hulk kicks him across the field.  It looks like the Hulk just places his foot against Tim Ross and then we cut away to people’s reactions.  It just looks odd.

Edward Norton plays a pretty good Bruce Banner.  I would say great, but we’ve seen Mark Ruffalo by this point.  If we got Edward Norton in Avengers, it would have been a different Hulk.

Tim Ross plays an excellent villain, as he normally does.  However he is just a one off villain that just wants to be a better warrior.  He doesn’t have any plans or machinations, just wants to be the baddest monster around.  This doesn’t stop Tim Ross from doing a good job.

Liv Tyler does a good job, but Betsy Ross basically falls off the world after this movie.  They seem to make it clear that she is no longer Bruce’s love interest in Age of Ultron.  She doesn’t even get a footnote mention unlike Natalie Portman’s character dumping Thor in Ragnarok.

The fight between Hulk and Abomination is just freaking AWESOME.  My one complaint is that the epic line that Hulk goes with at the end is “Hulk Smash” instead of “HULK STRONGEST ONE THERE IS!”  It’s a better line to me, but is also a well known Hulk line.  Just not as Mainstream popular.

I would have liked to see a sequel with The Leader.  Hell, we can still get the Leader to pop up in a future movie.  He’s just there waiting.  Or he died on the floor when his head started growing.  One or the other.

Ultimately at the time I really enjoyed this movie, but I don’t think it has aged well.  It is a little darker and more serious than the better Marvel movies.

So in a little more than 24 hours I wrapped up Phase 1.  Tomorrow I begin Phase 2.