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The Incredible Hulk By John Mulderig Catholic News Service NEW YORK (CNS) -- It's not easy being green; just ask "The Incredible Hulk" (Universal/Marvel). Poisoned by gamma radiation in an Army-sponsored experiment, mild-mannered scientist Dr. Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) finds himself transformed, whenever sufficiently provoked, into the titular chartreuse-tinted, rage-tormented behemoth. Fleeing the scene of his alter ego's first murderous rampage, Banner washes up in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he toils as a day laborer in a bottling plant as he searches for a cure. Pursuing him relentlessly is the mastermind of the fateful project, Gen. Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt), who's intent on exploiting the Hulk's destructive powers. Ross has an unsavory ally in Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), a visiting British officer whose presence on this side of the water is never adequately explained, but whose obsession with becoming an invincible warrior keeps him focused on the search for the not-so-jolly giant. The one person the Hulk will never attack is Banner's girlfriend and former colleague, Betty (Liv Tyler), who also happens to be the general's daughter. The sole survivor of his debut onslaught, she tries to get on with life, acquiring a new boyfriend, but still pines for the vanished Banner. When an accident in Banner's factory leads to a case of gamma sickness back in the States, it provides the general with the clue he needs to trace his quarry. With Blonsky taking the lead, a crack force of commandos descends on the fugitive. But they shortly find themselves battling his hyped-up Hyde instead. The inspiration for a 1978-82 live-action television series with the late Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno and a 1982-85 cartoon TV series, as well as director Ang Lee's 2003 film called simply "The Hulk," writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby's popular comic-book hero first appeared in May 1962. In between breathless chases and effective battle scenes, this latest intense adaptation, directed by Louis Leterrier, touches on serious moral issues about the use of force and the manipulation of human biology, both of which have considerable real-life resonance. But the initially innocent portrayal of the main characters' romance is squandered in a later scene which, though not explicit, tacitly endorses premarital relations, thus precluding endorsement for younger viewers. The film contains nongraphic premarital sexual activity, partial rear nudity, stylized violence, painful medical scenes, brief scatological humor, and occasional crude and crass language; it's possibly acceptable for older teens. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. - - - Mulderig is on the staff of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. More reviews are available online at www.usccb.org/movies. END Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed. CNS · 3211 Fourth St NE · Washington DC 20017 · 202.541.3250 |
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