Ray says THE INCREDIBLE HULK smashes his way back to form!

PREVIEWS: We saw the following: HELLBOY 2 (no reaction at all from the crowd), THE SPIRIT (huge reaction - they loved it), X-FILES 2 (nothing, really), and THE CLONE WARS (outright laughter - George has a stinker on his hands, folks.)

Every single review for THE INCREDIBLE HULK invariably touches on the ANG LEE disaster from 2003, but that is ultimately unfair to the final product. In many ways, this film is unrelated to the roundly criticised first film, and is more like a weird continuation of the television series from the seventies with a dash of the comic books thrown in for good measure. Mostly the film works on these terms. After a terrific opening credits montage, which manages to capture Bruce Banner's (EDWARD NORTON) dilemma and his pain with the help of some incredibly dramatic music by composer CRAIG ARMSTRONG, we are immediately thrust into headlong action as Banner continues to evade the military in Third World countries. Improbably, he finds himself hunted once again, which eventually leads him into a reunion with his former flame Betty Ross (LIV TYLER), as well as a dangerous confrontation with a deranged military officer (TIM ROTH) who intends to use the Banner formula to gain the same power as Abomination. There is almost no discernible plot to this film, but the film barely loses steam despite the loss. Much of the credit for this goes to the cast, which manages to create engaging and heartbreaking characters in the midst of the action. I loudly questioned the casting of Norton as Bruce Banner, but he turns in a remarkably nuanced performance here. His Banner struggles constantly to submerge his feelings, and this reads all over Norton's tormented face. He has a palpable and believable romance with Tyler, who, despite being a doctor here, is mainly reduced to being her usual soft and sweet self. The best performance, though, comes from Roth, who delivers his lines with a wicked glee and energy that is sorely lacking in most cinematic villains; you can actually feel the grudge within Roth's Emil Blonsky that propels the second half of the film. Despite a pretty effective cast, the script deflates the film again and again with blundering plot machinations that strain credulity. Particularly irritating are the idiotic actions of the military personified here; if anyone believes that the military can track someone down in a matter of few days in the Third World, then they need to check on the status of Operation Osama Bin Laden. Also, the film features TWO military attacks on college campuses - one in broad daylight - that are completely ridiculous. What division of the military acts like this?? Most people have complained that The Hulk himself looks unrealistic in either film, although I have trouble understanding how a giant green monster in purple pants can EVER look realistic. More troubling for me is the fact that his pants seem to stretch to any size without ripping completely off of his body. Rather than complain, I suppose I should just be grateful to be spared a look at The Hulk's big green dick. Overall, the special effects were successful at bringing The Hulk and his rage to life. Sly bits of humor and trivial pop up throughout the film, and the fanboys in my audience loved all of them. The best involve a cute play on the famous "you wouldn't like me when I'm angry" line, and a cool cameo from live action Hulk Lou Ferrigno, who also supplied Hulk's voice here. And the final scene hints at much more to come, courtesy of a refreshing cameo by Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark from IRON MAN. Again, the fanboys loved this stuff. Ultimately, the film manages to entertain with a certain amount of depth. The final confrontation between the two behemoths feels a bit chintzy and small considering the powers hinted at throughout the film, but it still packs a slight wallop. If you're a casual fan of summer blockbusters, you can do much worse than THE INCREDIBLE HULK. If you're a fan of the Hulk comics or the television show, you will probably really enjoy this movie quite a bit more than you thought. I know I did.