The Incredible Hulk

WORTH-IT: (Louis Leterrier) Can't say it rivals Robert Downey Jr.'s rendition of a Marvel beast, but Ed Norton and Liv Tyler create a pretty close second to the beginning of this round of superhero flicks. First of all, Ed Norton as Bruce Banner creates an interesting approach to installing a contrast between average science nerd to uncontrollable temper beast. His reputation for phenomenal performances on screen is single-handedly what carries him through this film, because the muscles we saw him with in American History X are long gone. Downey Jr. is much better as Tony Stark than Norton comes across as Bruce, but because Norton is that good of an actor, he does it and you accept it. Liv Tyler is also an interesting choice, and her role comes across as a reprise of her Armageddon Lady in Distress character. (It's Dad, it's Boyfriend, and it's dangerous life-or-death stuff, all over again.) I love her though, so thank goodness she's mastered it. Lastly, as I watched this film, my fellow audience made an interesting comment that this movie played out more like a Comic book than a movie. I didn't even know to be looking for that, but once stated, it was hard to ignore. The Incredible Hulk was extremely visual, like an illustration. Facial expressions, intensified sound bites and flashy special effects took over the need for fancy and involved dialogue, but left the overall film somewhat flat and the audience un-invested. But, don't let the deep read take away from your enjoyment. The aforementioned special effects were explosive. The story a huge improvement from Eric Bana. The Hulk was a smash (yes, enjoy that pun) and thanks to a cameo by Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, you can't help but still be excited for the next member of Captain America's team to have a release date...