Eye Candy #266 - "The Incredible Hulk"

The Incredible Hulk:  It’s unfortunate that this was the 2nd of the “Hulk” movies and not the first, as I feel this, as more of a straightforward action movie than a poorly executed existential think piece, would have been a better start to a film franchise.  This time around, Edward Norton is Bruce Banner, physicist-turned-monster who is on the run from General Ross and the American military.  Seem Banner used his own process on himself, meaning he now turns mean and green when his stress/excitement level rises.  On Ross’ side is military stringer Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth, in a nice departure for him), who has the same experiment done to him as Banner did to himself.  Except whereas Banner kept his morality, Blonsky enjoys his power too much.  Not a ton of depth to this film at all.  In fact, when the denouement was coming about I was looking at the clock, trying to figure out if the DVD had skipped ahead.  Some nice action set pieces (including a bit with Blonsky and a tree he meets at high speed).  Casting is much better this time around, with Liv Tyler doing better as Betty Ross than Jennifer Connolly did.  William Hurt is solid as General Ross, and both Roth and Norton are good.   But it’s too little, too late to revive a “Hulk” franchise, I’m afraid.   I wouldn’t mind seeing more “Hulk” movies like this. Woodchuck sez, “Worth a look.”