With cloning, bioterrorism, and gene therapy all at the forefront of modern science, there’s no better time than now for Marvel Comics to adapt their genetically maximized hero, the Hulk, to the big screen.

So far, Marvel’s had great success with its superhero films: the film versions of the X-Men, Spider-Man, and Daredevil characters have all lived up to, and perhaps surpassed, their comic book origins. But the same can’t be said for “The Hulk,” which opens today in local theaters.

Most of the over 30 crowd remember, with great nostalgic fondness, the campy 1970’s television series starring Bill Bixby as mild mannered scientist Bruce Banner and his ferocious Hulk alter-ego, played by bulky Lou Ferrigno. Low-tech visual effects and Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde histrionics apparently left a lasting impression, for the movie is expected to be one of the summer’s big blockbusters.

But don’t expect this to be the Hulk you know and love. Plenty of creative license has been taken with story elements from the comic. A successful geneticist, Dr. Bruce Banner (Eric Bana) works with his former girlfriend Betty Ross (the always luminous Jennifer Connelly), also a gene researcher. When a lab accident exposes Bruce to deadly levels of gamma radiation, Bruce emerges miraculously unscathed.

Simultaneously, Bruce’s long absent father (a particularly scruffy Nick Nolte) returns, with somewhat sinister intentions — in flashbacks we learn the senior Dr. Banner conducted some questionable experiments on himself, then passed on an unmanifested genetic mutation to his son. It doesn’t take long for the consequences of the lethal gamma dose and his genetic modification to become apparent: when Bruce becomes angry, he is physically transformed into a 12 foot tall raging green beast.

Everyone wants a piece of Bruce — literally — from his psychotic father to Betty’s Army general father (Sam Elliott) and the greedy corporate scientist Glen Talbot (Josh Lucas). Soon the Hulk is on the run, and the destruction commences.

Unfortunately, CGI technology is still not ready to do the Hulk justice. The big guy might as well be selling canned vegetables with a sidekick named Sprout. No, that’s not really fair — there are those “almost” moments when your optic nerves will convince your brain to suspend its disbelief. But the Hulk doesn’t move with the weight of purpose you would expect from a fury-fueled, 400-plus pound physique. Other visually murky special effects sequences will leave you scratching your head wondering what actually transpired. And CGI is still unable to resolve the perennial mystery: how is the Hulk able to wear Bruce Banner’s pants, when every other article of clothing is destroyed by his massive growth spurt?

The script is also problematic. Is it an action movie? Is it a cerebral discourse on the limits of scientific inquiry? Is it a love story? Is it a family therapy session? It tries to be all these things, but doesn’t carry any of them off well. Director Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) does his best to tie these elements together, but in the end there is no resolution. That’s probably because Universal, the studio behind the film, is hoping to revisit these themes in a sequel.

Perhaps the most innovative concept in “The Hulk” is the inventive adaptation of comic book storytelling elements. Story board blocks of action, shifting perspectives and abstract visuals will distract you from any larger disappointment you might feel about the rest of the film.