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Down in South America,
The new Bruce Banner stays.
The Hulk, a monster spawned by rage
And errant gamma rays,
He’s kept contained by staying calm
For over a hundred days.
 
He seeks a cure as Mr. Green
And chats with Mr. Blue,
An online pal who gives advice
On what he ought to do.
Bruce keeps his cool, until he bleeds
And bad events ensue.
 
Military adversaries,
Led by General Ross,
Are sent to apprehend poor Bruce,
But they are at a loss
When he transforms into the Hulk
And starts to grab and toss.
 
Though Bruce escapes and journeys north,
An Emil Blonsky eyed
The power of the mighty Hulk
That was concealed inside.
He wants that power for himself,
Which Ross tries to provide.
 
Bruce heads to where his girlfriend is,
A university,
And when he gets back to the states
He’s sorrowful to see
That Betty’s found another man,
Who knows psychiatry.
 
When Betty sees her Bruce, however,
She loves him once again.
Then Bruce becomes the Hulk once more
When trapped by Ross’s men.
He saves her life and takes her off
To find a rocky den.
 
When Hulk is gone and Bruce returns,
His lover aids his quest
To find a cure, and goes with him
To Mr. Blue’s address.
There Mr. Blue tries curing Bruce
And meets with some success.
 
But when Bruce sees that Mr. Blue
Desires Bruce’s power
For science, as Ross wants a weapon,
Things begin to sour.
Then Bruce is tranquilized and Blonsky
Comes to have his hour.
 
Blonsky forces Mr. Blue
To give him more mutation,
And, with the serum Ross infused,
Becomes an Abomination.
He then wreaks havoc in New York
And wants a confrontation.
 
By jumping out a plane, Bruce turns
Into the Hulk once more.
They beat each other to a pulp,
But Hulk wins with a roar.
Bruce then secludes himself again
To wait for Cap and Thor.
_________________
 

The Incredible Hulk is a reinvention, not a sequel, of Ang Lee’s 2003 version of the Marvel character Hulk. While the original film had some good points, this version is much more action-packed and makes more sense overall. With references to the comics and the old Hulk television show with Bill Bixby, The Incredible Hulk is certainly exciting, but less memorable than other Marvel movies.

The Hulk is the least interesting of the Avengers, in my opinion, whether because he talks the least or because his focus of brawn over brain does not appeal as much as other smarter heroes. The constant explosions get old after a while, especially in the big finale, and the scenes of Bruce being hunted, though thrilling, are reminiscent of the Bourne movies. Plus, the Hulk is obviously CGI throughout.

Still, it is the best Hulk movie out there so far. During this latest viewing, I noticed that Bruce Banner hardly talks at all in the first 40 minutes or so, instead conveying the plot through actions, typing, and mere looks (and turning into a giant green rage monster). This says something about Edward Norton’s skill as an actor, and, his laconic performance stands in “stark” contrast to Robert Downey, Jr.’s fast-talking charisma in Iron Man. Though I’m a fan of Mark Ruffalo’s taking over the character in The Avengers, it’s a shame that Norton didn’t get to play Banner again.

Best line: (Betty) “The subway is probably quickest.”  (Bruce) “Me in a metal tube, deep underground with hundreds of people in the most aggressive city in the world.”  (Betty) “Right. Let’s get a cab.” (which isn’t much better)

 
Artistry: 5
Characters/Actors: 6
Entertainment: 5
Visual Effects: 5
Originality: 3
Watchability: 4
 
TOTAL: 28 out of 60
 

Tomorrow: #341: Monsters vs. Aliens

© 2014 S. G. Liput