The Incredible Hulk (2008)

I'm not sure why this movie is getting such mixed reviews--right now it has a 65% on RottenTomatoes. That's just not true. The movie is much much MUCH better than 65%. It's actually up there with Iron Man in my opinion right now. It's just a different sort of movie. This one is an action monster movie--but that's hard to get around when the main character turns into a big green monster who tosses cars around when he gets angry. I think you just have to own the monster movie aspect if that's the character you have. And, apparently to the critics dismay, that's what this movie does. It has great CGI and big explosive action sequences.

But, the acting is also good and the characters interesting, again despite what the critics say. I'll admit to being a big Ed Norton fan (despite some of his choices in films) but I am not a huge Liv Tyler fan and have no real affinity for William Hurt or Tim Roth. But they're all superb and very well cast. I didn't see the Eric Bana Hulk but I think Norton a better choice for Banner. The whole point of the Hulk story is to have this quiet, smart, unassuming, calm man burst into a huge violent alter ego when the least bit angry. That only works if the actor playing Banner isn't built and doesn't look sort of cocky (I like Bana just fine but he's better suited for Troy). Tyler does a good job of being simultaneously weepy and strong and understanding. You really think these two love each other and got the seriously short end of the stick in terms of their relationship. And the bad guys are wonderful as are the few morally ambiguous smaller characters.

The only teeny tiny complaint I had about the whole movie involves the CGI. It seems like Hulk is different sizes at different points in the film--specifically noticeably when he's in the cave with Betty and then when he and Betty are on the roof in the final battle sequence. I would have liked some explanation in the story rather than having to assume that the CGI is sloppy . . . .

But, super exciting, won't it be fun to have Hulk and Iron Man in a movie together?!

And, I LOVE the preview for Tropic Thunder with Robert Downey Jr. as a faux black man and the preview for the newest Mummy movie.