Two Thumbs Up!

Bruce Banner has been on the run for the past five years, trying to find a cure for his gamma radiation poisoning while keeping one step ahead of General Ross and the U.S. military. But after a close call in Brazil, Banner decides it's time to return home and find the person who can help rid himself of the Hulk.

This is not a sequel to the Ang Lee 2003 movie but is more of a reboot. The story does away with Hulk's origins by explaining how he came to be in the opening title sequence.

The Incredible Hulk has a ton of action, with each piece building upon the previous ones until the finale explodes with mayhem and carnage. The CGI for the showdown is fantastic and I have very few complaints about the acting. Edward Norton is quiet and understated as Bruce Banner and the chemistry between him and Liv Tyler as Betty Ross is palpable. I didn't think anyone could do a great a job as Sam Elliot as General Ross but William Hurt just nails it. Though Tim Roth seems an unlikely choice as a tough-as-nails career military man (especially in one scene where he's in the infirmary) he brings such presence to Emil Blonsky that you can't help but believe that this guy would do what it took to take down the Hulk.

The mood is more somber than other comic book movies and so some attempts at humor fall flat. There are also some plot holes particularly in the last part of the film as action and a quick pace takes precedence over story development. There are also some pacing issues that make the movie seem longer than it really is. But this doesn't detract from the fact that The Incredible Hulk is an enjoyable, exciting movie and I was entertained by it.