First off, the 2003 movie was called “The Hulk,” all right? This new one is “The Incredible Hulk.”
And there’s more going on than just the restoration of the long-running character’s original adjective. This Marvel Comics production leaves behind the interesting but dramatically messy approach of Ang Lee’s 2003 film in favor of straight-ahead comic-book action. It works, but it doesn’t quite soar.
Smartly, the origins of scientist Bruce Banner’s peculiar condition are dispensed with under the opening credits, which wordlessly depict an experiment gone wrong. Banner, played by Edward Norton, has absorbed some gamma radiation that turns him into a mighty Jekyll/Hyde character.
When angry or aroused, Banner turns into the giant green Hulk, a pure expression of rage. And you thought Norton got the split-personality business out of his system with “Fight Club.”
Much of “TIH” is a chase picture, as Banner eludes military brass (embodied by William Hurt) by hiding out in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. At some point he’ll have to return to the leafy college where his former flame (Liv Tyler) still does research.
The action sequences, around which the movie is built, are deftly orchestrated by director Louis Leterrier (who did the first two “Transporter” pictures). Mind-blowingly good computer effects add to the convincing mayhem; this is no man in green make-up, but a digital presence.
Maybe it’s just my personal taste, but a bunch of scenes pairing Edward Norton and Liv Tyler is not a recipe for success, and the movie falls flat when they take over the middle section. You can’t help but compare this film to “Iron Man.” The sheer seething personality that Robert Downey Jr. brought to that project has no equivalent here.
The best stroke is giving Hulk a nemesis with similar powers: A lethal British agent, played by Tim Roth, gets himself a dose of the gamma goodness and goes into battle (with his own distinctive Hulk-ified design). Roth is just cracked enough to make this character an intriguing opponent.
A few good cameos, a terrific final scene, and all that action will probably make a hit for Marvel. What it lacks is a sense of character, which is what (despite being “just a comic book”) has made the Hulk a durable property all these years.
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