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The new reworking of “The Incredible Hulk” by French director Louis Leterier (“The Transporter”) attempts to get past the arty touches Lee put into the last film and make it truer to the TV series and comic book that inspired it. Unfortunately, Leterrier, who is known more for action than art, still makes some of the same mistakes Ang Lee made and adds a few of his own.

To give Leterrier and screenwriter Zak Penn (“X-Men”) credit, the story unfolds without the usual time wasted in a creation setup. From a few quick flashbacks during the opening credits, viewers can quickly get up to speed and can figure out what’s happening. They also got rid of Ang Lee’s comic book framing, which got old and disorienting after a few minutes.

Both films featured first-rate leading men playing scientist Bruce Banner, the man who becomes a giant, green monster every time he becomes angry. Ang Lee cast Eric Bana, and Leterier chose Oscar-nominee Edward Norton. While he has to compete with a lot of computer-generated mayhem, Norton manages to hold his own because he winds up focusing the movie not on the Hulk’s rampages but on Banner’s attempts to keep his anger and, therefore the creature, in check.

Norton projects a morose, brooding quality that’s just right for the role. With every head turn, he projects guilt and a sense that a time bomb has been placed in his own body. Norton’s Banner may be the only person who takes martial arts for anger management instead of self-defense.

Unfortunately, all the martial arts classes in the world can prevent Banner from justifiably losing his cool. The fanatical General Ross (William Hurt) has tracked Banner to his hiding place in Brazil and recruited an ace British commando (Tim Roth) to capture him.

The General wants to figure out how to create soldiers with the Hulk’s strength but not his unpredictability. He also resents the fact that his estranged daughter Betty (Liv Tyler) and Banner were once romantically involved.

As Betty becomes a bigger part of the story, the film begins to lose its once firm footing. Tyler isn’t convincing as a scientist and plays the role too broadly. At least Jennifer Connelly, who played Betty in the last movie, could read a scientific abstract without tripping over her own tongue.

Norton reportedly rewrote large chunks of the script, which explains why Banner is a much more interesting and developed character this time around. If that’s true, it’s a shame he didn’t do the same for Hurt and Roth’s roles. Neither actor has much to do other than look irritated. One of the first rules for films like this to work is that the villains must be as well conceived as the heroes.

As with the last film, careful viewers can spot Hulk co-creator Stan Lee and TV Hulk Lou Ferrigno. In the old 70s and 80s series, Ferrigno used green makeup and his own muscles to pass for the creature. The action was smaller than what Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby could come up with for the comics, but it was usually convincing.

Both of the Hulk films suffer because their directors made the mistake of trusting CGIs that are bigger than life but not very believable. The facial expressions on the monster aren’t terribly flexible, and gravity is sometimes seems missing. If the first film looked like its creature escaped from a PlayStation 1, this one looks as if it’s from a PS2. I’ve seen characters in Liberty City who looked more lifelike.

In the early scenes, the Hulk appears hidden by dust and steam. He actually looks scarier because we can’t see him that clearly. As the film progresses, it’s easier to see where reality ends and where the computer takes over.

The audience at my screening cheered the most loudly when Stan Lee, Ferrigno and characters from other Marvel titles appeared for their cameos. If the movie had worked a little better on its own, the Hulk would have gotten more applause just for himself.

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originally posted: 06/13/08 09:34:39
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