'Hulk' is not so incredible

By Mina Hochberg

4:44 PM EDT, June 12, 2008

Maybe it's his origins story, or maybe it's the fact that he's a large green man, but so far The Hulk has proven himself to be a difficult vehicle for Hollywood. Ang Lee's 2003 "Hulk" was a critical bomb, and "The Incredible Hulk," the latest incarnation, falls disappointingly short of the superhero standard set this summer by the far superior "Iron Man." It's certainly not a good sign when a movie's best parts are comprised mostly of its cameo appearances.

Edward Norton stars as Bruce Banner, who's on the run from the U.S. military after a biological weapons experiment turns him into a freakish, square-jawed, veiny green titan with a bad anger-management problem. Ensconced in the heart of a Rio favela, he learns breathing techniques to control his heart rate, which brings out his inner monster when it creeps up too high.

When the military tracks Banner down, a pan-American chase ensues, with a trigger-happy soldier named Blonsky ( Tim Roth) on his tail, working on behalf of a perpetually grim-faced general ( William Hurt). Banner's flight leads him to the doorstep of his former lover and fellow scientist, Betty Ross ( Liv Tyler), who helps him try to find a cure for his mutant malady.

From "Primal Fear" to "Fight Club," Norton is a master of split personalities. But his experience doesn't translate when one of the personalities is a CGI creation. As Banner, Norton is sympathetic enough, despite the bulk of throwaway lines he's given. But there's little he can do about his greener half. The Hulk's face is a far cry from channeling Banner's troubled soul, which is half the appeal of superhero alter egos.

But The Hulk is the least of this movie's problems. Most of the lines come in one ear and go out the other. The bad guys are pretty stock -- greed and power are their Motivation with a blatantly scripted capital "M." And the wispy-voiced Tyler is barely credible as a love interest and scientist. It certainly doesn't help that all her lines are refrains of a distressed, marginalized girlfriend.

There are some nice touches -- a fight scene in a beverage-bottling factory, sweeping cityscapes, a nod to some of Banner's logistical problems, like finding pants that won't shred to pieces when his thighs burst in girth. But The Hulk still hasn't found a script that can do him justice.

The Incredible Hulk. Directed by Louis Leterrier. Starring Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, William Hurt, Tim Roth, Tim Blake Nelson.