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So we’re here… well almost… Avengers: Infinity War is right around the corner and in the lead up, you can watch a movie every week and manage to fit it all in right before you see the heavily anticipated film. In conjunction, here at Geek Motivation we’re giving you a recap of a movie each week. So be sure to read our last recap (Iron Man) and come back next week for the next one, but for now let’s get into The Incredible Hulk.
The second instalment in the game-changing franchise sees Edward Norton star as Bruce Banner. This film wastes no time at all, the opening credits sees the creation of the jolly green giant in that infamous gamma radiation lab accident. The score is chilling as we see a POV from the Hulk as he tears apart the lab and injures his girlfriend Betty Ross (Liv Tyler). Now Banner is on the run from the military and is forced to hide from General Thunderbolt Ross (William Hurt) (Who returns in Captain America: Civil War).
We meet up with Bruce in the middle of nowhere in Brazil, he lives and works in a stress free place and he’s desperate for a cure for his… let’s say… anger problems. Although it’s been 158 days without an incident, Banner is still a nervous wreck and it feels like another Hulk-out is right around the corner. He learns to control his anger by using martial arts and mediation.
Banner now lives a life working in a bottling factory. He’s obviously made a name for himself using his super intelligence to fix equipment and machinery. One day there is a minute accident; he pricks his finger and a couple drops of blood falls into one of the bottles. However, his gamma-radiation infected blood falls into one of the bottles and is then shipped to the USA. That soda bottle reaches the USA and kills Stan Lee! This allows the military to locate Banner in Brazil.
They track him down and Bruce finds himself on the run again. In pursuit is Emil Blonksy (Tim Roth). Later that night Banner transforms into the Hulk and defeats Blonsky’s team. After seeing The Hulk in action Blonsky agrees to be injected with a small amount of serum giving him enhanced strength and speed. However it begins to mutilate his skeleton and gives him poor judgement.
Banner soon returns to the US and reunites with Betty. When Banner is again attacked by Ross’ forces including Blonsky, he transforms into the Hulk again for a battle at the university. The military retreat and Blonsky confronts an enraged Banner face to face before being seemingly killed. However, later it is revealed that he survived and fully heals before joining the squad one more time to take Bruce in; they succeed while Emil forces Mr. Blue to inject him with Banner’s blood. Although being warned by Mr. Blue that the mixture of Banner’s blood and the serum may cause him to become an… Abomination *wink*.
Blonsky transforms into a creature of more size and strength than the Hulk, but drives him insane. He then rampages through Harlem with the only one able to stop him being The Hulk. Finally, after a brutal battle in the streets, The Hulk defeats The Abomination then flees New York. A month later, Banner is in British Columbia and is learning to use his powers with control providing a wonderful arch for his character.
Wait don’t go yet! The credits have just rolled and here comes Tony Stark. He approaches General Ross in a bar informing him of a team he is thinking about putting to together or should I say… assembling? *wink*
Being honest, The Incredible Hulk is far from my favourite film from in the MCU. However, on this repeat viewing it’s better than I remember it to be, the casting is solid, and the plot is alright as far as a superhero movie goes. There is a nice arc for the character, as mentioned, and it absolutely stands by itself as an independent film.
That being said, if you take a step back you could ultimately say that The Incredible Hulk doesn’t need to be in the MCU; it has no overall impact on the 10-year-long story; the next time the character appears he’s recast and has an adequate re-introduction in The Avengers. To me at least, it stands out among the others in that it doesn’t have the same charm and draw that Iron Man and Captain America: The First Avenger have. Undoubtedly that is due to it being made in the first year of Marvel’s run and they were still finding their feet at that time.
All in all, I would definitely break the blu-ray out of storage to give this one a re-watch!
Make sure to come back next week for the next instalment in the MCU: Iron Man 2!
Written by: Tyrone Devon
