Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Universal Studios Home Entertainment – 113 mins – 2008 – Rated PG-13 – 1080p Widescreen 2.35: 1 – DTS-HD Lossless Master 5.1 Audio

The first Hulk movie directed by Ang Lee in 2003 was not the powerhouse box office film that is was predicted to be. While other Marvel heroes like Spider-Man and the X-men were welcomed with cheers, the Hulk did not meet the same approval. So after a few years the guys at Marvel went back to the drawing board, hoping you wouldn’t remember the first film, and decided to re-invent the mighty green one on the big screen with a whole new cast, this time calling it The Incredible Hulk. Was the second time the charm? Not really, but at least there’s no silly father and son relationship in this one. The Incredible Hulk is now available on Blu-ray (sorry…Green-ray) from Universal Studios Home Entertainment, ready to smash everything in sight.

THE MOVIE

The opening credit sequence sets up how Dr. Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) became the Hulk, and why he’s on the run from the military, led by General Ross (William Hurt). Banner has not only left behind his scientific work, but he also had to leave the woman he loves, Betty Ross (Liv Tyler), who happens to be the General’s daughter.

Banner is hiding in Brazil, where he works in a beverage factory by day, and desperately tries to find a cure for the beast within him by night. But Ross tracks him down with the help of psychotic commando, Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), making Banner return the America.

Blonsky becomes so obsessed with Banner and his green alto ego, that he volunteers to have himself injected with an experimental serum that makes him more insane to the point the becomes a mega beast himself known as the Abomination. But being that Blonsky was mentally unstable he goes berserk, laying down a path of destruction. The only answer to stop him is The Incredible Hulk, pitting the two monsters against each other on the streets of Harlem in a destructive conclusion.

That’s basically all the film is about, it’s not trying to say anything about human relationships like the first film attempted; and instead just sticks to the action. There are plenty of bullets, explosions, and chaos to keep your attention, but beyond that there really isn’t anything else. Director Louis Leterrier does all he can to make the movie face paced, but it’s still missing those little emotional touches that other superhero films like Spider-Man 2, Iron Man or The Dark Knight played on.

The Incredible Hulk is entertaining, but silly, and in many ways falls into the same holes that the first Hulk movie did, this time it’s just so fast and furious that it’s an easier pill to swallow. Good efforts are made to connect the Marvel universe, and if you’re a fan of the comic you’ll notice some interesting cameos. If you look at The Incredible Hulk just hoping to get a quick rush, then you’re set. If you’re looking for a well-structured comic book based movie, well you decide for yourself.

VIDEO

Just like the first Hulk film, the re-boot looks amazing and will keep you glued to your HDTV with your mouth hanging open. With a full 1080p image and a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, every possible detail is displayed in all its glory. The improved CGI Hulk is the main attraction, this time looking like less of a glossy balloon than he did in the previous film, with harder textures and nice touches like pulsing veins and bushy sweaty hair. And the real actors all look great with perfect skin tones, and so much detail that you can count every strand of stubble on Tim Roth’s face. Darker scenes also hold up well, and this could be used as the test film to adjust black levels to perfection. If you’re new to the HDTV and Blu-ray scene and you pop this one in, you’ll never go back to DVD.

AUDIO

This film has gunshots, explosions, helicopters, missiles and the big guy himself screaming “Hulk Smash!” So does is sound good on Blu-ray? You damn right. With a DTS-HD Lossless Master 5.1 audio mix, you neighbors will be calling the cops on you if you crank this to level ten. This is a loud movie, especially the showdown in Harlem in the finale, and nothing was held back to make sure that the sound immersed you in the action. Dialogue is well done, and separation between chat and sound effects is top notch. If you’ve got the best sound system on the block, this is the Blu-ray to show it off with.

EXTRAS

This “Green-ray” kicks ass when it comes to bonus features, with most of the goodies presented in full HD, with U-Control, BD-Live support, and the cherry on top is a Digital Copy to bring the action with you on the go.

Director Louis Leterrier and actor Tim Roth provide an audio commentary track for the film. But since only one cast member showed up, it would have been better if Leterrier just went solo. The conversation has some interesting moments, but overall you’ll get more by just watching the behind the scenes docs.

There are 23 deleted/extended scenes that run about 45 minutes, and even though it’s a lot to see, unfortunately they’re only presented in standard definition. Over the last few months since the film was released there have been all these stories about Edward Norton changing things against the director’s will, and the rumored scene where Captain America’s frozen form is glimpsed in the artic scene. But when you watch all these scenes you may be let down, because they really add no new excitement to the film.

‘The Making of The Incredible Hulk’ is a half hour look at the revamping of the Hulk franchise, and includes interviews with the cast, crew and the gang from Marvel.

‘Becoming the Hulk’ and ‘Becoming the Abomination’ run 15 minutes combined and go into the CGI work and concept designs for the new Hulk and his nemesis.

‘Anatomy of a Hulk-Out’ is another look at the CGI effects that went into transforming Bruce Banner to the big green guy.

U-Control features various goodies such as a Picture-in-Picture comic book gallery; there’s also a way to track the Hulk’s movements with a file system that displays data; and a scene explorer that allows you to watch specific action scenes from the with the strory-boards, production notes, and test dailies.

BD-Live support allows those with Profile 2.0 players to share scenes, chat, and get other Universal related content.

Finally, there’s a Digital Copy for you to cause destruction on the go, Hulk style.

BOTTOM LINE

The new re-vamped Hulk is no better or no worse than the previous Hulk movie, and the box office results showed they are about even. The problem with both film adaptations is that they’re missing the point of why the comic book has been around so long, and attempt to toss in other character elements that fall flat. This Blu-ray packs a huge punch offering incredible visuals, sound, and a nice batch of bonus features, making this worth your buck. Despite being a so-so film, The Incredible Hulk as a Green-ray is highly recommended for fans, and if you’re a high-definition tech-head that likes to show off their equipment, this is the disc that will make all your standard definition friends green with envy. “Hulk Smash!!!”

SCORES (out of 5):

The Movie: 3.0

Video: 5.0

Sound: 5.0

Extras: 4.5

Bottom Line: 4.0