The Incredible Hulk (2008) Supes

In case you missed out Iron Man (2008) Supes, check them out here!

Quick IMDB Recap

Bruce Banner, a scientist on the run from the U.S. Government, must find a cure for the monster he turns into whenever he loses his temper.

Issues

So, I skipped The Incredible Hulk for a long time. Not because I wasn’t interested in the Hulk, but because I knew Mark Ruffalo wasn’t in it. The first Avengers movie was my first MCU movie (I know, I know), so Ruffalo was always the Hulk in my mind. It seemed odd to go back and watch a movie that he wasn’t in. I watched it for the first time about a year ago, and my second time ever for this. And I’ve come to one strong conclusion:

- This movie would be much higher in the MCU pecking order of movies if they had made any effort to incorporate it. I get it, Edward Norton bailed and it’s like Marvel said “Scrap everything. Except for that one character that shared a scene with Tony Stark, keep him.” It’s kind of pitiful in hindsight, given the fact that they recast Rhodey and it’s starting to look like they may be recasting Shuri. You can recast and continue to tell the story you’re telling.

I would have loved to see some of the characters brought back into the MCU later. How much more sense would Liv Tyler’s Betty Ross made in the Black Widow romance roll? It’s possible they didn’t want to, so if I’m wrong then ignore this, but I wanted more. There was so much potential with The Leader and Abomination as well that we aren’t going to get paid off. Abomination was in Shang-Chi, but I’m not sure they’ll bring him back into a more prominent role. I hope so.

It’s my only major issue with the movie, but it’s such a big one. I love this movie and I can’t wait to break it down.

Just the Coolest

This is a big category for this movie. If you’re looking for introspective, emotional scenes and moment, this might be last on your list. There are some, but this is a big, cool romp of action. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need from a movie.

The final fight scene alone has so many. At the very beginning of the whole thing, Abomination stomps on a car and flips it up into his hands over his head. I popped hard for this, and it wasn’t necessary. They could have had him bend over and pick it up, but this was a much better moment. Hulk exiting the street and roaring toward the sky was simple but got you hyped, and then he used a cop car as boxing gloves! You got an awesome Hulk Clap to put out the fire on the helicopter and the usage of the giant chain with the cement blocks on the ends was awesome.

The whole college scene was fantastic as well. Early in that scene, Hulk shoulder-checks a hum-vee which was a little funny but so much fun as well.

I don’t know if I would qualify this as “cool”, but it had to go somewhere. Early in the movie, Bruce swallows the hard drive with the data on it, and as he swallows it down, a long drip of saliva comes out of his mouth. It’s so practical and may have been an accident, but it adds to the realness of the scene. But none of these is my winner.

Supe goes to… The first time we see Hulk’s face in the shadows at the bottling warehouse. It’s got this great horror feel to it and the green and black play well off each other. I appreciate what the Hulk became in the MCU, but I loved this gritty, darker version of the character.

Best Shot

That shot in the shadows is one of the best shots in the movie. It’s one of my new favorites in the MCU. And yet, it’s still not the best in this movie.

At the very end of the final fight, Hulk has Abomination down and puts his foot on his chest. The camera is overhead and Hulk roars up toward it and it’s also very cool. There is one other scene though…

Supe goes to… Hulk holding Betty amidst the flames on the college lawn. It’s one of the best shots in the MCU. In context, Hulk saved Betty, but he holds her limp body. He’s in pain, both physically and emotionally. It’s such a weighty scene that shows almost every aspect of the Hulk character. Even out of context, it’s a cool-looking shot. Top 5 MCU shot for sure.

The Funniest Thing

As I said, this is more of a darker take on the character compared to where he ends up. See: Thor: Ragnarok. But there is still some levity and funny moments to break the tension.

Bruce’s misuse of the word “hungry” is great and gives you the pay off of a classic Hulk line without it being too on the nose. Blonsky has a great interaction with Thunderbolt Ross where he kind of calls him out for sending them in unprepared. He says “…If that thing shows up again, you’re gonna have a lot of professional tough guys pissing in their pants. Sir.” It’s funny, but also shows Blonsky isn’t an idiot. He’s tactically smart and, honestly, deserved better leadership than Ross.

Betty losing it on the cab driver got a chuckle out of me. What made me actually laugh, though, was Bruce trying to “help” after by offering to show her his breathing exercises. Her response of telling him to shut it was great too.
In the dark humor vein, Blonksy getting kicked into the tree by Hulk at the college was pretty good. The way the effects had his body moving got me, and it was even a good swerve the first time you see it. I definitely thought he was dead.

And the last runner-up goes to a line that I’ve been waiting for my entire life. In the end fight sequence, they’re shooting at Abomination. One soldier looks at another and asks the most obvious question “You think a rifle is going to hurt that?!” THANK YOU! There’s so much firing of guns at things that are not bothered by it. I understand why, so I’m not actually that bothered by it, but it was nice to hear a character say it all the same. Right after this, they pull out a rocket launcher, which does about the same amount of damage, so you win some, lose some.

Supe goes to… Dr. Samuel Sterns. He was the perfect boost of comedy and energy to bring into the middle of the movie. I had written two specific moments for him. One was his excitement at seeing the Hulk when they tried the antidote on him, which was the perfect balance to the horror of that scene. And the other was his line to Blonksy later “Why are you always hitting people?” After thinking about it, there wasn’t a scene I can remember where Sterns was in it, and I wasn’t smiling at the screen. A great character that should have been brought back.

A Glass Case of Emotion

Let’s talk some more about characters that should have returned, because, again, Liv Tyler should have. I knew the moment of Betty seeing Bruce for the first time again would be big. It was the turning point of Bruce’s journey back. And Liv sold the hell out of that scene. Her emotion made me emotional, which is exactly what should happen.

Another great Bruce and Betty moment is at the college. Hulk is being pinned down by the military’s sound wave weaponry. Betty starts to call out to him, and he hears her, faintly. He gets more determined and pushes through to one vehicle, destroys it, and then the other. The through-line of Betty being the only person to be able to get through to the Hulk is a high point of the movie.

I also have to include Blonsky tranquilizing the dogs at the beginning of the movie. I can’t watch animals get hurt in movies so yeah, on the list.

Supe goes to… “Leave me alone.” Hulk doesn’t speak much, which is why this line hits extra hard. In the bottling plant, the soldiers corner him in the shadows. Hulk sounds so defeated, so tired, so sad. He’s been on the run for a while, and this gives you an idea of the toll it’s taken on him.

The Perfect Casting

For me, this was down to three: Liv Tyler as Betty, William Hurt as Thunderbolt Ross, and Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky.
I’ve been raving about Liv Tyler, so I won’t continue to beat the drum here. She’s fantastic.

William Hurt, I realized after watching, was in my mind as the top pick for this because he continues on in the MCU. He had to be the best casting choice, right? Except…that scene with Stark made me realize that it was probably the only reason he carried on. Don’t get me wrong, he’s awesome as Thunderbolt Ross. But let’s face it, there are plenty of older white guys in Hollywood that could play a military general. They could have recast him, no problem. It happens often.

Supe goes to… Tim Roth blew me away this time through. His portrayal of Emil Blonsky is so, so strong. A lot of people would have been more of a meathead. The guy who chases the power because he doesn’t care about the side effects and is too dumb to have any foresight. Roth plays the character the way I love my villains: smart. There isn’t a single scene in the movie, until he becomes Abomination, where I felt like he wasn’t the smartest person in the room. Even when paired against Bruce and Dr. Sterns, he feels like the chess player. Not the most book smart, but the most aware.

Best Performance — Main Cast

For me, the main cast consisted of William Hurt as Thunderbolt Ross, Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky and Edward Norton as Bruce Banner. I’ve talked a lot about the first three, but very little about Norton. He does a nice job as Bruce. Edward Norton is a great actor and he does some really interesting things with the character. But, and I know this is petty, he doesn’t seem stocky enough. Lou Ferrigno was obviously a large human. And while Ruffalo isn’t jacked, he doesn’t carry that same skinny feeling. I know that the Hulk is the beefed-up character of Bruce, but Norton doesn’t work in this regard. I’m sure this is a nitpick, but I never could buy him as Bruce.

Supe goes to… Tim Roth. First-ever 2-time supe winner. So, so good.

Best Performance — Side Characters

There’s only a few characters that get enough time to be worth putting on the list. Tim Blake Nelson might even get too much screen time to be considered here, but this is where I have him. I also enjoyed Paul Soles as Stanley, Ty Burrell as Leonard and Peter Mensah as General Joe Greller.

I’m pretty sure Menah and Burrell both only get a couple of lines, but I generally enjoy them in general, so I wanted to include them here. Soles was great as Stanley, and you felt like he actually did care about Betty and Bruce. It comes down to screen time though.

Supe goes to… Tim Blake Nelson as Dr. Samuel Sterns. He joins Burrell and Mensah as actors I love to see in anything, but he chews the hell out of all the scenes he’s in. And, of course, the primary comedic relief in the movie.

Best Small Part

I established in my Iron Man supes that Stan Lee will get this one as long as he’s in the movie or show. But boy they made this one hard. First, you get Lou Ferrigno as the security guard. A perfect way to incorporate the most well-known Hulk actor up to that point. Then, you had a 2ish second shot of Michael K. Williams during the final stretch of the movie. He didn’t do, well, anything. But I love Michael K. Williams and do wish he was still with us.

But wait, there’s more! Martin Starr managed to have a comedic impact on the MCU even before Spider-Man: Homecoming. Bruce gives him a pizza to keep him quiet while he searches for his data at the college. Martin holds up his pizza with a cheesier smile then his slice. It brought me so much joy. But of course…

Supe goes to… Of course, Stan Lee was the one who got the Gamma-fied soda. Of course it was him. Brilliant.

Credits Scenes

I almost didn’t realize this was the classic MCU credits scene. The final shot of the movie happens, and it rolls straight into General Ross drinking in a bar. It appears he’s trying to drown himself, until Tony walks in and clues him in to the Avengers Initiative. They still hadn’t given us much to go off of, but it was nice to see a familiar face.

The Most Impactful Thing

I’m glad I labeled this category as I did. Otherwise, I would have 897 categories. Some of these are sad, some are intense, some iconic, and others are more of a life lesson. It means a lot of variation in what would be your favorite, so ask me again in a month and I may have a different answer.

Let’s start with the iconic. A classic “Hulk smash!” in the middle of the fight battle is always going to get you in the nostalgic feels.

Betty, though it’s very understandable, tells her father “Don’t ever speak to me as your daughter again.” It’s such a specific line of dialogue that cuts right through both Thunderbolt and you.

Ross himself makes the list to, when he says “He’s a scientist. He is not one of us.” He shows his callous approach to anyone not built like him (read: militaristic), and proves Betty’s point.

Now it gets tough. My favorite line of the group is not my choice for most impactful. You’ll understand why. My favorite comes from Bruce’s aikido instructor at the very, very beginning of the movie. He tells him “The best way to control your anger is to control your body.” Not only is this beautiful life advice, but it’s delivered by a literal member of the Gracie family. Rickson Gracie is a 9th degree red belt in Jiu-Jitsu, and the Gracie family is the most famous family in fighting. Such a cool cameo to slide in this movie.

Supe goes to… “A person with that much…power…lurking in him.” Dr. Sterns. He recognizes what Bruce carries with him, even before he’s seen him as the Hulk. He is drawn to the power within Bruce. It’s almost a terrifying line and gives you an idea of how truly powerful the Hulk is.

The Best Scene

We’ll build in this category, because there is definitely a hierarchy of these scenes, though they’re all great. When Dr. Sterns shows Bruce and Betty his work, and tells them what his plans are with Bruce’s blood, it gave me goosebumps. It’s such a well-acted scene. Nelson is giddy at the progress he’s made and being able to show Bruce personally, while Bruce in particular is terrified. He knows how this ends, and he can’t allow it. And Sterns lets out a yelp in this scene that is so, so good.

The final fight scene has to be in here as well. It’s a fun scene, with lots of action and explosions. But one small thing stuck out to me. The way the chainlink fences fold under Abomination and the Hulk is like blades of grass. Which is exactly what they should do. I’ve seen similar situations in other movies yield much worse results.

The chase sequence is number three in this category. It’s fun, suspenseful, has great visuals, and sets up the confrontation at the soda factory perfect. It’s a solid, solid scene.

The silver medal is going to the opening credits scene. I never thought I’d be so compelled by an opening credits scene, but this one is great. If you can catch everything, it does an amazing job at getting us past the origin story. I like origin stories generally, but they can get repetitive for the same characters. Plus, when you have a hero like the Hulk, you want to spend as much time with the superpowers as possible.

Supe goes to… The Blonsky-Hulk fight at the college. This scene gives you a little bit of everything: some emotion, a bit of comedy, and tons of action. It has the best shot in the movie and is also the only other bit of the movie to bleed into the rest of the MCU thus far. This scene was redone in an episode of What If…, so that must mean it’s worthy of sticking around.

Final Ranking: 7.5 pairs of stretchy purple pants / 10