by Stan “the Incredible” Lemon
Back on the screen after five years, the Hulk returns. This time, he is incredible with an all-star lineup, a plot and some fairly decent acting. Five years ago Marvel was really beginning to develop its movie franchise, after the 2000 X-Men success and 2002 Spiderman success they really seemed to be on a roll. In 2003 Marvel released three notable comic movies, X-Men II (arguably the best in the trilogoy), Daredevil (a painful flop in every sense of the word) and Hulk staring Eric Bana. Do you remember Hulk? No? Well thank God for that.
The first Hulk movie from Marvel was so bad that after a record high opening it was followed with a record low second week and ultimately failing to produce enough revenue to develop a second film. Thankfully, Marvel maintained a merchandise market for the Hulk, so with that money, some new actors and a new director we meet the Incredible.
Incredible begins with our superhero Bruce Banner hidden away in South America. He’s hiding from General Ross, who is really the author behind the menace we call Hulk. Ross is still looking for him, stumbling across evidence of Banner’s whereabouts. The evidence? An elderly man was suffering from Gamma poisoning, having drunk soda bottled from Banner’s current place of employment. The chase ensues and Banner barely escapes.
Next we find Banner in search of former girlfriend Betty Ross, the general’s daughter. The General isn’t too far behind, this time with an augmented crazy Russian (with a British accent strangely). The Russian doesn’t fair too well, and neither do a couple of General Ross’ tanks, but Banner and Betty escape unscathed.
The Super-Russian pursues Banner and Betty to Mr. Blue, a e-pen-pal of Banner’s who is trying to help cure him of being Hulk. Banner is healed, Mr. Blue dies and Super-Russian becomes Russian-Hulk via Banners blood and then disaster follows. Banner, cured of his own gamma poisoning, dives out a plane to his demise, hoping to perhaps resurrect the Hulk and save the day. With a smashing end, Banner is buried into the ground. A tomb of asphalt consumes Banner.
In order to become the superhero Hulk and save the world from the crazy Super-Russian, Banner must die. Then, with Banner dead the Hulk resurrects out of his deathly tomb. Some serious butt kicking follows and only by virtue of the Incredible Hulk does the world get to see another day.
The movie ends with a cameo by the mighty man of steel, Ironman’s Tony Stark talking with a drunken General Ross about what we can only speculate is The Avengers. If you’re a marvel fan you know that means extremely cool, and if you’re not then just think of a movie with Ironman, Hulk, Captian American, Thor and some other awesome superheros.
In sin, we are General Ross creating our own destruction. We’re not worried about our neighbor, or even our own family! We want what we want, and we forsake everything to have it. In the end our Lord redeems us. He’s a hulk of a Lord too, because He washes us in His own blood even when we don’t want Him too! Our Lord takes on a Super-Satan, so powerful that at times you think he might overcome our Lord, but in the end the Lord strangles Satan’s power free from him and saves us all in the waters of Holy Baptism.
There was no disappointment in The Incredible Hulk. Marvel seems to have redeemed itself of bad comic movies. Our Christocentric Hulk who must die and rise again to save the world is a stellar character. I sincerely hope Edward Norton stays as the Hulk and comes back to do a sequel to this film.
If you’re sitting around on a Friday night and have already seen Ironman, wondering what should I do? Go see The Incredible Hulk! Watch as the Superhero saves the day and redeems the deeds of the sinful General Ross.
Stan Lemon lives with his wife Sara and dog Ivan in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, home of the five-time World Series champion Pirates. Go bucs!
