The Incredible Hulk (Special Edition) DVD

The Ang Lee film of the Stan Lee/Jack Kirby Marvel Comics anti-hero was controversially received (although the film has much to offer, and it's a brave and ambitious a... Read on

The Ang Lee film of the Stan Lee/Jack Kirby Marvel Comics anti-hero was controversially received (although the film has much to offer, and it's a brave and ambitious attempt). But now the film arm of Marvel have had another shot at the property -- and (of course) it's got to be very different from the previous attempt, right? Surprisingly enough - wrong! Once again, a serious actor (here, Edward Norton) has been chosen to play Bruce Banner (before he returns into the rampaging behemoth the Hulk), and the angst of the character (no pun intended) is conveyed (as one might expect) with actorly skill. There is strong support, too, from William Hurt, Liv Tyler and Tim Roth (who is transformed into the Hulk's monstrous nemesis, The Abomination). The principal difference between Leterrier's film and Ang Lee's is the placing and staging of the special effects sequences, and there is no doubt that the new version wins pretty comprehensively in this area. The battles between the Hulk and the military are done with tremendous panache, and the final battle is a real showstopper. There is a Blu-Ray version, but picture quality on the regular edition is astonishingly good. Another crowd-pleasing touch is the 11th hour appearance of Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark (a.k.a. Iron Man), something of a curtain raiser for Marvel's other big budget movie of the season. Hide